Win 7 Ultimate support files corrupt. How do I restore?

[notbananas]

Here is what started to happen a few months ago:
- Updated Win 7 Ultimate as usual and had done many times in the past with no problems.
- After update, I noticed Windows Explorer (not Internet Explorer) was missing the file size column completely and the column headings on the remaining columns were gone also.
- Tried to restore previous to update, but no restore point
- I wanted to add a new second USB printer and when clicking on "Devices and Printers", nothing happened. No messages, nothing! Didn't display the "Add Printer" function, so I cannot add or edit any of the printers.
- A few days later, "New updates are available" popup bubble appeared. I clicked on it and again, nothing happened.
- After I upgraded Avast Antivirus and rebooted system, it said Firewall Disabled. Tried to enable it in Win 7, nothing happened when I clicked on it.

At this point, I knew something was radically wrong. I started to explore other areas and found many functions that could not be used when clicked on them.

Windows itself is working perfect, no issues with BSOD, etc.

I installed a second 2tb hard disk and used Acronis Migrate to create a bootable image of the first drive, which is what I'm using now, so if something gets screwed up trying to correct this problem, I have the original drive (currently physically out of the system).

During the mirror image copy, Acronis found dozens of bad sectors reading the original drive. Obviously this is the source of all the problems. The "support" files needed to upgrade, enable firewall, add printer, etc. are corrupted. I have the original Win 7 cd and I would like to just repair or restore the original corrupted programs using the cd without wiping and installing a new Win 7.

I read conflicting info as to how to go about doing this repair, so even though I'm currently using the backup boot drive C, I don't want to trash all the existing programs and data on the hard disk.

Obviously wiping and re-installing Win 7 is the quickest and easiest, but I'd loose all the software I have and some were purchased on line and cannot re-install onto the clean installed Win 7. All my data is backed up, so it's only the installed programs that would be lost.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[TrainableMan]

Boot your computer from the W7 Ultimate DVD. Go to the Install screen but in the lower left corner there should be an option for "start-up repair". Start-up repair is not a reinstall, it simply repairs system files and it may fix some of your problems.

 

[notbananas]

Tried "startup repair" but no problems found. This is only if there is a problem booting Win 7. As I mentioned, it boots up fine and runs fine. It just can't do the things I mentioned above.

There must be a way to restore just the corrupted or missing support files without re-installing Win 7.

 

[TrainableMan]

I believe System Repair does a little more than fix boot problems but anyway,
the only other option is the:
sfc /scannow
that you run from an elevated command prompt but if system repair didn't help then I hold little hope for SFC.

If you don't have an image or backup from prior to the problem then I suspect you will have to back-up your system and completely reinstall.

 

[notbananas]

SUCCESS!

I burned the ISO file to a Bluray CD (3mb size) and performed the in-place upgrade. After several hours of installing and multiple restarting, it finally finished.

I first made a mirror copy of the hard disk to a second hard disk which is what I did the in-place upgrade with, just in case it got screwed up in the process. I'll be using it for a few days and if everything works, mirror the new system to the original hard disk to keep as a backup.

All the outstanding issues are now resolved:

- Windows Explorer is displaying the correct file size column and the headings are back.
- Firewall is now working properly
- Printer installation can now be opened and usable

When I did the mirror copy, the original (source) hard disk had a huge number of defective sectors which I was forced to ignore to complete the mirroring. Obviously these bad spots are where these corrupted Win 7 files were.

BTW all my programs and data files are still there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The only puzzling issue is during the in-place upgrade it asked for the activation code, which I don't have and I just told it to continue, which it did. When I displayed the "Basic Information about your computer" screen, it had a message under the "Windows activation" line:

"3 days until automatic activation. Activate Windows now"
"Product ID:00426-292-xxxxxxx7-xxxxx Change product key"

I hope it won't lock me out because I don't have the original Win 7 CD to re-enter the activation code.
Will this be a problem??
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks everyone for all your help.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

[TrainableMan]

You do need a valid activation key but if you overwrote the drive I suppose it's possible it is still there. Or if you have a laptop with SLIC technology then it's embedded in the BIOS. You don't have to wait 3 days; you can simply tell it to activate now and see if it gives you an error.

If you reinstalled the original drive that has not been overwritten and can get it to boot then you could install a program like SIW to show you the license key (and this time write it down).

 

[notbananas]

Well, as they say, "it ain't over 'till the fat lady sings".

I re-installed my original drive and ran SIW which showed the Activation Key. Then I took out the original hard disk and replaced it with the new hard disk. I tried to enter the old key and it came back with a message that there's something wrong with it and cannot use it (I don't remember the exact text or error code).

I just hope it won't disable Windows 7 because it said I have 1 day to enter the activation key.

What is going on and how can I fix this?

 

[TrainableMan]

In SIW when you looked at Licenses you likely saw several listed including Windows Product Key & Windows Default Product Key; the one you need is the first one, not the default. All I know is you will need that valid activation code.

 

[notbananas]

You are correct. I re-installed the original hard disk, paid for a legal copy of SIW which displayed the original activation code. Then re-installed the new hard disk and entered it to the new hard disk. It gave me an error message:

"A problem occurred when Windows trying to activate. Error Code 0x004E003"

Looking up this error message appears that the activation key shown in the original drive will not work with this new drive.

I am thoroughly upset at Microsoft to put in place a system that does not work! I don't think it's too uncommon for a hard disk to have bad spots on it and to have to replace it with a new good drive so I can continue to use a legitimately paid for copy of Windows 7 Ultimate. Whatever tricks they use to try to prevent illegitimate copies from being used only punishes the legal owners, not the bootleggers. From what I read, bootleggers have illegal copies of Win 7 that does not require any activation code for it's use and have it still be able to fully function and get updates on line.

So now after wasting several weeks of trying to get my new hard disk to work, I'm still in dilemma of having to go back to using my old hard disk with all it's missing Win 7 files and operate in a crippled mode.

 

[TrainableMan]

Changing the hard drive does not invalidate the license. If you have the proper license then put in the new hard drive and try method C (change product key and reenter the Windows Product Key listed by SIW and select activate) and if that fails try method G (call Microsoft) as described HERE.