Vista Reinstallation and Program Help

[Guest]

I had to re-install Vista in my laptop after my user profile information
corrupted and would not allow me to log on. Very disturbing to be locked out
of my computer because of a power failure, anyway, I did the reiinstall of
vista, which moved all my programs to a windows.old directory. Because of the
activation features of of my programs I can no longer use them. They are in
the windows.old but are no longer usable. Simple re-installation doesnt work
because of the activation restriction. Aney sugestions to getting things
working again or am I screwed again by Microsoft?

 

[Chad Harris]

Hi Seener--

If I had a message my user profile was corrupted, I would delete it and
create a new one, not reinstall Vista. f you tried to log on to Windows and
received an error message telling you that your user profile might be
corrupted, you can try to repair it. You will need to create a new profile,
and then copy the files from the existing profile to the new one.

How to Fix a Corrupted User Profile in Windows Vista
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/769495bf-035c-4764-a538-c9b05c22001e1033.mspx

After a power failure, I would always run a chkdsk /R.

I don't understand this: "Because of the activation features of my
programs, I cannot use them." Could you be more specific? "Simple
reinstallation of my programs does not work because of the activation
restrictions."

I would do a startup repair of Vista if you have the DVD:

All the resources you would need to do any of these are below:

If you have a Vista DVD try Startup Repair. If that doesn't work, try Safe
Mode>System Restore from the Recovery Environment, and you always have the
F8 advanced options and a repair install (with the DVD) as well.

***Startup Repair and System Restore from the Win Recovery Environment on
the DVD***

You can run Startup Repair by putting your Vista DVD in after the
language screen in setup. You can also run System Restore from the same
location.

You run the startup repair tool this way (and system restore from here is
also sometimes effective):

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925810/en-us

How To Run Startup Repair In Vista Ultimate (Multiple Screenshots)
http://www.windowsvista.windowsreinstall.com/vistaultimate/repairstartup/index.htm

Note The computer must be configured to start from a CD or from a DVD. For
information about how to configure the computer to start from a CD or from a
DVD, see the information that came with the computer.
2. Restart the computer. To do this, click Start, click the arrow next to
the Lock button, and then click Restart.

This usually means that you enter bios setup by whatever key or keys
(sometimes there is more than one key that will do it for your model--go to
pc manufacturer site) and configure CD to be first in the boot order (this
will allow you to boot from the Vista DVD as well):

See for ref:
Access/Enter Motherboard BIOS
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

Boot Order in Bios (Set Boot from HD 1st)
http://www.short-media.com/images/mm/Articles/build_computer/bios/bios03.jpg

Note If you cannot restart the computer by using this method, use the power
button to turn off the computer. Then, turn the computer back on.

3. Set your language preference, and then click Next.

Note In most cases, the startup repair process starts automatically, and you
do not have the option to select it in the System Recovery Options menu.

4. Click Repair your computer.

5. In the System Recovery Options dialog box, click the operating system
that you want to repair, and then click Next.

6. In the System Recovery Options menu, click Startup Repair to start the
repair process.

7. When the repair process is complete, click Finish.

Additional References for Startup Repair With Screenshots:

How to Use Startup Repair:

***Accessing Windows RE (Repair Environment):***

1) Insert Media into PC (the DVD you burned)

2) ***You will see on the Vista logo setup screen after lang. options in the
lower left corner, a link called "System Recovery Options."***

Screenshot: System Recovery Options (Lower Left Link)
http://blogs.itecn.net/photos/liuhui/images/2014/500x375.aspx

Screenshot: (Click first option "Startup Repair"
http://www.leedesmond.com/images/img_vista02ctp-installSysRecOpt2.bmp

How To Run Startup Repair In Vista Ultimate (Multiple Screenshots)
http://www.windowsvista.windowsreinstall.com/vistaultimate/repairstartup/index.htm

3) Select your OS for repair.

4) Its been my experience that you can see some causes of the crash from
theWin RE feature:

You'll have a choice there of using:

1) Startup Repair
2) System Restore
3) Complete PC Restore
___________________

***Using the F8 Environment or a Repair Install from the DVD:***

See for ref:
Access/Enter Motherboard BIOS
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

Boot Order in Bios (Set Boot from HD 1st)
http://www.short-media.com/images/mm/Articles/build_computer/bios/bios03.jpg

Repair Install
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx

Repair Install (Method 2):
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/315341

III Taking Full Advantage of the F8 Options (Windows Advanced Options Menu)
by startin gth ePC and tapping F8 once per second:

You could also:

Think: I have 4 different ways to get back my XP at F8 and try 'em in order.
1) Safe Mode 2) Safe Mode with Cmd to Sys Restore which is simply a cmd
prompt in safe mode 3) Safe Mode with Neworking 4) LKG or Last Known Good
Configuration


Try to F8 to the Windows Adv Options Menu>try 3 safe modes there (I don't
use WGA) and Last Known Good>then I go to Win RE in Vista. That gives you a
choice of Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking,and Safe Mode with Command
Prompt.

These methods are outlined in

A description of the Safe Mode Boot options in Windows XP/and Vista
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315222/

How to Use System Restore

http://bertk.mvps.org/

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding System Restore from MSFT:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/plan/faqsrwxp.mspx

Using System Restore

http://tinyurl.com/dvekb

System Restore for Windows XP

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_restore.htm

How to start the System Restore tool at a command prompt in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;304449


Repair Install: (This option has the best chance of succeeding and it
preserves everything in your OS--you do not lose anything with this option):

Make sure the DVD you have is a Vista DVD

Pitfalls: If the DVD came from friend or relative or P2P, you may have
problems. P2P besides being illlegal in many countries including the U.S.
can be corrupt. If CD came from friend or relative, they may have given
you the CD to use but if product key is in use, MSFT is not going to accept
it for activation. Make sure you clean the CD carefully using proper
cleaning fluid and strokes that radiate from center like spokes on a wheel.

Again a repair install has the most likely chance to succeed, but you need
to have an Vista DVD.
First, in order to do a Repair Install You must boot to the bios setup and
position booting from the "CD" first in the boot order--it probably will not
say DVD but might.

Booting to Bios Setup:

For 85% of PC's and all Dells you can tap the F2 key to reach bios setup.

How To Enable DVD/CD Rom Support (put CD boot first) in bios setup boot
order:

http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_enable_cdrom_support_i.htm

Screen Shot of bios setup boot order:
http://www.poy.net/proxy/bios2.jpg

Repair Install Does Not Lose Anything; you may need to try 2-3 times but
that's rare.

How To Repair Install
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341#XSLTH3127121122120121120120
Screen Shot Repair Install
http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winxppro/installxpcdrepair/indexfullpage.htm

Good luck,

CH

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

Reinstallation means you need to reactivate Vista, either over the net or
over the phone, but either way it is allowed with any license as you
reinstalled to the same machine. If your programs need to be reactivated,
you need to take that up with each program vendor, most should provide for
some manner of doing this. Programs will need to be reinstalled from the
original installation media, you cannot use the ones that were installed
under the old installation as the necessary registry entries and system
files will be missing.

To access the Windows.old directory, you merely need to take ownership. In
short, this is a permissions issue and has nothing to do with activation of
Vista itself. To take ownership, right click windows.old and select
properties. On the security tab, click advanced. Go to the owner tab and
click edit. Change to your account and check the box to propagate to
subcontainers. Apply/ok your way out, it will take a while to run through
everything, but afterwards you will be able to access everything in it and
recover data.

Incidentally, a power failure, especially a brown out, can throw all kinds
of voltage spikes at a machine. A spike on a computer can be deadly, not
just to the operating system, but to the hardware itself. A UPS is a good
investment if you live in an area prone to these (and even if you don't) to
guard against loss.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply,
I was hoping I would not need to reinstall all that I have on this computer,
but it looks as though I will be doing just that. I managed to reinstall
vista and get though the activation process over the phone. It's all my other
programs that I now need to reinstall, I have resigned myself to the
frustration of the activation phone calls for scores of programs. I really
think my next computer will be a mac. This is a computer that is only a
couple months old with a brand new operating system that is supose to WOW me.
My only WOW is HOW frustrating it has been since I started using it.
Thanks again for your help. I got into the old windows and have gotten my
data moved. Now to get my programs going again. (Sigh)
Seener

 

[Rock]

Thanks for the reply,
I was hoping I would not need to reinstall all that I have on this
computer,
but it looks as though I will be doing just that. I managed to reinstall
vista and get though the activation process over the phone. It's all my
other
programs that I now need to reinstall, I have resigned myself to the
frustration of the activation phone calls for scores of programs. I
really
think my next computer will be a mac. This is a computer that is only a
couple months old with a brand new operating system that is supose to WOW
me.
My only WOW is HOW frustrating it has been since I started using it.
Thanks again for your help. I got into the old windows and have gotten my
data moved. Now to get my programs going again. (Sigh)

Invest in a drive imaging program and an external hard drive. Regularly
image the system to the external drive. If there is a serious problem you
can't otherwise fix, a recent image can be restored, and in about an hour
you're back running. I currently use Acronis True Image Home version 10,
though the Business and Enterprise editions of Vista have Complete PC Backup
which is drive imaging, though not as feature rich as ATI.

External hard drives come preassembled or you can put one together easily
and for less cost from a bare drive and an external hard drive enclosure. A
320GB setup can be had for less than $100.

I moved to drive imaging years ago. It provides a good measure of
protection against hardware failures and botched software/hardware installs.
This would have saved you from having to reinstall/reactivate both the OS
and your apps. Whether it's Vista or XP, or a Mac, hardware and software
problems do happen. Instead of getting upset over the inevitable, set
yourself up to easily overcome such problems.

By the way if you think Macs are problem free, think again. With computers
anything can happen.

 

[Guest]

Thanks Rock,
Thants very god advice. I will most definately invest in the external drive.
Thanks to all for putting up with my frustration. I'm sure your right about
any computer that may crash,but I know alot of people using macs and none of
them has had the amount of difficulties that I have with operating system
problems. I guess I'm just lucky that way. Thanks again for your help.
seener