Windows 7 / Getting Started

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How to Reinstall Windows

Infrequently, startup files and critical areas on the hard disk can become corrupted. If you are mainly concerned with salvaging readable data files and using the Backup And Restore Center to copy them to backup media or a network location, you can perform a parallel installation of Windows. Although this may provide access to the file system, it will permanently damage your existing operating system and applications.

If you cannot start Windows after following the troubleshooting steps in this guide, you can reinstall Windows for the purpose of data recovery by following these steps:

1. Insert the Windows DVD in your computer.
2. Restart your computer. When prompted to boot from the CD/DVD, press any key.
3. Windows Setup loads. When prompted, select your regional preferences and then click Next.
4. Click Install Now.
5. When prompted, enter your product key.
6. Select the I Accept The License Terms check box and then click Next.
7. Click Custom.
8. On the Where Do You Want to Install Windows? page, select the partition containing your Windows installation and then click Next.
9. When prompted, click OK.

Setup will install a new instance of Windows and will move all files from your previous installation into the \Windows.Old folder (including the \Program Files, \Windows, and \Users folders). You now have two choices for returning the computer to its original state:

• Reformat the system partition If you have an automated deployment solution in place the quickest solution is to back up important files and redeploy Windows. If you need to manually reinstall Windows, you can follow this process:
  1. Back up all important files by writing them to removable media, copying them to an external hard disk, or copying them to a shared folder on the network.
  2. Reinstall Windows. This time, choose to reformat the system partition.
  3. Reinstall all applications and reconfigure all custom settings.
  4. Restore important files.
• Continue working with the current system partition You can move important files to the proper locations within the new instance of Windows. Then, reinstall all applications and reconfigure any custom settings. Finally, you can delete the original Windows instance by removing the \Windows.Old folder using Disk Cleanup.