Jump to content

Wondering How to do a Repair Install with a Slipstreamed Disc


cpuwhiz11

Recommended Posts

I did some more testing to be sure what prompt repair yields. The only file modified is winnt.sif. The unattended section is left out so you will have to live without any of these settings.

[Unattended]
UnattendMode=FullUnattended
UnattendSwitch="Yes"
OemPreinstall="Yes"
OemSkipEula="Yes"
FileSystem=*
WaitForReboot="No"
NoWaitAfterTextMode=1
NoWaitAfterGUIMode=1
DriverSigningPolicy=Ignore
NonDriverSigningPolicy=Ignore
Hibernation="No"

With the addition of the recovery console prompt you will also get this screen allowing you do to a repair install.

oseiyc.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites


@Fernando

1. You will see the Repair-Option without pressing any key when you choose "Prompt Repair".

2. You will see the Repair Option after pressing F10 when you choose any other Unattended-Option in nLite.

Is that right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Fernando

1. You will see the Repair-Option without pressing any key when you choose "Prompt Repair".

2. You will see the Repair Option after pressing F10 when you choose any other Unattended-Option in nLite.

Is that right?

I can only certify the second statement, because I didn't try the "Prompt Repair" option myself.

After pressing F10 you don't see the screen posted by -X-, but you get a Recovery Console with the options to recover or repair your system.

Then you can decide (by editing a number), which of the listed detected partitions should be recovered (or repaired).

Edited by Fernando 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fernando 1, I finally understand what is being said. In the case of the ISO created with any Unattended option other than Prompt repair, I must press F10 when the F6 prompt occurs. This will take me to the Recovery Console. I was thinking about "Repair Install" not trying to recover from some problem that rewriting the MBR (e.g.) will correct. I looked through all the Recovery Console commands available, and found none that would allow me to do a Repair Install. I conclude from all this that I cannot preform a Repair Install if I originally installed Windows from an ISO built with any Unattended option other than Prompt Repair. If I am wrong, please correct me! I understand that the Recovery Console can be useful (I have used it) to recover from some problems (perhaps viruses, etc), but I cannot do an install that will preserve my current machine state, replacing only Windows files. Thanks Fernando 1 and thanks all, John.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's try to clear it up.

You get three chances to perform some kind of Repair when booting from the XP CD. In order of appearance:

1. You get prompted to press F2 in order to do ASR (Automatic System Recovery), which people rarely use because you need to prepare floppies(?) when the system is working and there are much better backup solutions.

2. Press R to get Recovery Console. In nLite, you lose it if you chose anything else than Prompt Repair on the Unattended page. But, regardless of your choice, you get it when you press F10 at the prompt for F6 during booting from XP CD.

3. Press R (much later) to get Repair Install of your Windows. In nLite, you lose it if you remove "Manual install and upgrade" <- what to put here?

Did I get it right?

GL

* Edit: clarified (I think? :whistle: )

Edited by GrofLuigi
Link to comment
Share on other sites

To get a XPCD-SP3 for Repair start from scratch and integrate SP3 in your XP-SP2.

Only integrate SP3 and burn ISO - nothing more!

If I wanted to do a Repair-Install (I never do this) I would have a non-nLited XPCD for this.

I`ve done this for only one time, but it worked without any problems.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Edit: See this...

I thought i have seen forum posts confirming my belief, but now, after lot of searching, I can see no conclusive one.

@all: So when is Repair install removed? Also when using Unatended? Do 2. and 3. go together every time?

If I wanted to do a Repair-Install (I never do this) I would have a non-nLited XPCD for this.

I`ve done this for only one time, but it worked without any problems.

Won't it re-add the services (and other things) nLite had removed? (I also don't do this.)

GL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So when is Repair install removed?
When the Windows OS Setup detects a WINNT.SIF with an [unattended] section.
If I wanted to do a Repair-Install (I never do this) I would have a non-nLited XPCD for this.

I`ve done this for only one time, but it worked without any problems.

Won't it re-add the services (and other things) nLite had removed?
No, nothing will be really installed until you get the Repair option.

After having repaired what you want, you can simply reboot and remove the CD.

Edited by Fernando 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah but he's right. If you choose the repair option, not the recovery console, you will install things not in your original if you installed from a slimmed down CD. So g-force's suggestion has drawbacks.

Best thing to do is make 2 CDs - both nLited. One with Prompt Repair and one without it.

Edited by -X-
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Won't it re-add the services (and other things) nLite had removed?
No, nothing will be really installed until you get the Repair option.

After having repaired what you want, you can simply reboot and remove the CD.

Consider this scenario... :)

I remove, lets say, Alerter service (or something from Hardware support section of nLite, or pretty much anything in nLite).

I install this nLited CD and later I perform a Repair installation with full XP CD.

Won't I end up with Alerter service installed?

(It has been a long time since I last experimented with nLite). :(

GL

*Edit: this post is now redundant, after I've seen X's answer. :blushing:

Edited by GrofLuigi
Link to comment
Share on other sites

To get a XPCD-SP3 for Repair start from scratch and integrate SP3 in your XP-SP2.

Only integrate SP3 and burn ISO - nothing more!

If I wanted to do a Repair-Install (I never do this) I would have a non-nLited XPCD for this.
It should be mentioned, that this method will not work, if you have hdd's, which are running in AHCI or RAID mode.

Users with such hardware configuration have to integrate the needed textmode driver into the original CD, if they want to use the Repair option.

Consider this scenario... :)

I remove, lets say, Alerter service (or something from Hardware support section of nLite, or pretty much anything in nLite).

I install this nLited CD and later I perform a Repair installation with full XP CD.

Won't I end up with Alerter service installed?

EDIT: I am not sure about that.

This is a statement I found here:

A Repair Install will replace the system files with the files on the XP CD used for the Repair Install. It will leave your applications and settings intact, but Windows updates will need to be reapplied.

If you want just to fix the MBR, you should choose the Recovery option. This way nothing else will be installed onto your hdds.

Notice: To prevent any confusion I have deleted my original answer, because I obviously was wrong. Thanks to -X- for his reply!

Edited by Fernando 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No, because that's the difference between the Repair and the Recovery option.

If you choose the Repair function, you simply get access to the hdd's of your system and are able to repair something (the boot sector or the MBR), but you will not get a completely fresh install.

Sorry Fernando but you are wrong on this. A repair does more than the MBR. I basically re-installs the operating system but preserves your settings and installed programs.

On Windows 2000. You had the option of picking 1 of 2 task. Repair the startup environment(MBR, etc) or repair startup environment + delete all OS files and reinstall. On XP , which I tried just a few days ago because of this thread, it presumably does both. I say presumably because you can clearly see it deleted the files and reinstalling. You cant see it fixing MBR and stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry Fernando but you are wrong on this. A repair does more than the MBR. I basically re-installs the operating system but preserves your settings and installed programs.
Thank you very much for your reply. :thumbup

You are right and I was wrong - I am sorry about that. To prevent any further misunderstandings by other users I have just edited my previoius post.

After having done a Google search, I found some further informations about the Repair install (look here) and the Recovery Console (look here) by booting off a Windows XP CD.

My conclusion (hoping, that I am not wrong again):

  1. If you boot off any XP CD and choose a "Repair Install", the Windows system files will be replaced by those, which are within the XP CD you have within the optical drive.
  2. If you just want
    • to use, copy, rename, or replace operating system files and folders,
    • to enable or disable service or device startup the next time that you start your computer,
    • to repair the file system boot sector or the master boot record (MBR) or
    • to create and format partitions on drives,

you have to run the "Recovery Console".

[*]It is no problem to use the functions of the "Recovery Console" by booting off any nLited Windows XP CD (note: if you don't see the Recovery option automaticly, you should reboot and press F10 while getting the F6 option).

Side note:

In my eyes the MS terms "Recovery" and "Repair" during the OS Setup are really misleading. If you want to repair (=fix) the broken MBR, you have to run the "Recovery Console", but if you want to recover the original Windows XP system files, you must choose the "Repair Install" option. That's really irritating!

Regards

Fernando

Edited by Fernando 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree strongly with Fernando 1's Side note:. This got me off to a lack of understanding from the get go.

This subject has caused me to run some experiments on my XP x64 running under VMware Server. With a running windows, I booted the original CD (this was a bad idea - very very slow compared to an ISO), and selected R for Repair on the second menu presented. I selected Continue on the first not R for Recovery Console. R is for Really bad use of the letter R. The Repair Install began and at T-34, I got a message that AmdLLD64.sys was missing and was asked to specify the directory to find it. I clicked Cancel. At T-29, I got a request to insert my SP2 CD and since I had no such thing or clue what it was, I clicked Cancel. Shortly I got a different message asking for my SP2 CD - Cancel. It was taking so long and even seemed hung, I power down my VM using the Troubleshoot option on the VMware pull down. Today I intended to do a fresh install from my nLited ISO but could not get VMware to boot from my ISO. I kept getting the message that Setup would continue, so after several tries, I allowed the Repair Install to continue (from my nLited ISO). I continued to get various messages concerning files it could not copy and the SP2 CD requests. It did finish and my auto login user desktop came up and I had a running system. It was not a pretty thing, in fact it was behind ugly! The DT wallpaper was mine but the theme was about a third mine and two thirds something else again. I assume some of this strangeness was due to doing half the Repair Install with the original CD and half with my nLited ISO. My hacked boot screen was there, but my Login screen and altered Log Off and Turn Off Computer were not. I then reinstalled (with format) from my ISO. Then I built an ISO exactly the same as the last one except I changed the Unattended Mode to Prompt Repair (even nuhi does not say Repair Install). I preceded to do a Repair Install from this ISO. I got very few prompts during the install (License Agree and maybe one more, no key request), and no errors. Windows came up on my AutoLogged user and looked normal. My Log Off and Turn Off Computer graphic changes were missing, but otherwise looks OK. I was surprised to see the Unattended RunOnce got executed, so I would suggest to anyone interested in making a Repair Install ISO/CD to remove the RunOnce stuff, unless you want it to run again. This is what I know at tis time and hope it helps some along the way. Have fun, John.

EDIT: There seems to be a problem with updates. The utility qfecheck does not show most of my updates and WUD is offering one I had originally installed.

Edited by johnhc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...