Windows 7 forum: How can I reinstall service pack 1 with no service backup

there is any way around this.

Perhaps slipstreaming? You have the original Windows 7 Retail DVD, and you have downloaded SP1. Lookup Slipstream Windows 7 and SP1 in Google and see what you find.

This will, if it is possible, create a new DVD with both Win 7 and SP1 'slipstreamed' together. It was common practice with XP and Service Packs.

Then you can use the new DVD to perform the repair install.

If it is not possible then your only option is to reinstall Win 7 and start over.

What upgrade were you thinking of doing?

Or if you mean a repair or repair install, what are the problems?

That 2 x 512 GB of RAM is a lot. I've never seen that much,

Mark

Thanks for the quick response. I'm not sure if I explained it properly, but my install DVD was burned from a Digital River download purchase and contains SP1. When I try to run install to do a repair, the message tells me that I must first install SP! and then proceed with install, however there lies the problem. When I try to run the stand alone SP1, the message says it's already installed. Hence, I'm stuck in a loop. I hope that clarifies my situation. Thanks again.

it is as I thought.

You're in a Catch 22 situation. You have SP1 installed but all the backup files have gone. You need those files to run a repair install from the Win 7 SP1 DVD, but it can't find them and tells you you need SP1, which you have.

Last gasp, can you uninstall SP1? I doubt it because this OS was installed with SP1 included.

If not then your only option is to delete the partition using that DVD and reinstall Win 7 SP1.

You still don't say what problems require a repair install.

Mark

Sorry for not responding sooner but things went from bad to worse. I lost my internet connection on both my wireless card and my Ethernet port. I repeatedly try to install new drivers, but every time the installation failed. I'm thinking I may have to do a fresh install because my current one seems to be badly broken. What's strange is that I dual boot between Windows 7 and Ubuntu and have never had any problems until now. It seems that now I have no connection in Ubuntu either, in fact Linux doesn't even see my network cards. Is it a fair judgement to say that I don't have any other choice than a wipe and reinstall of Windows 7? I am typing this on the same machine booted from a live Ubuntu cd, and the hardware seems to be just fine. FYI; my ethernet is built into the MB chipset (Asus A8n-SLI Deluxe).

In response to your question as to what problems dictated a repair install, let's just say that little by little I started experiencing one error after another, even sporadic bluescreens. I don't think I could nail it down.

about dual booting. How long have you been dual booting with Ubuntu?

I did have a dual boot with Windows 7 (first installed), and Windows 8 Consumer Preview, installed a couple of months ago. It all went well for a time but then errors started creeping into the Windows 7 OS. Eventually I had to scrap it and reinstall from a backup image.

I have my own thoughts about it, but just thoughts. W8 uses a different file system to NTFS and although both OSes were on separate disks, I was transferring files between them, documents and such. Both OSes needed their own ChkDsk to run a couple of times on the drives before I reinstalled Win 7, but I was never sure which drives had the errors. ChkDsk never told me. I suspect it was me causing the errors. This time I've ensured both OSes System Restore don't see the other, no Paging File cross-over, and things like that. And of course I don't transfer files

I'm not saying your problem is the same, especially file transfer because the two are not compatible, just comparing recent problems.

I might have wondered about your ethernet, but seeing as the LiveCD is working that can't be a problem.

Good luck with the reinstall.

Mark