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Recently I'm having some strange problems so I decided in place reinstall was the best answer. So I dug my original Windows 7/ultimate disk out of storage and went to reinstall. It won't let me! I get told that I am running a newer version than the about to be reinstalled version of Windows. I have been good about updating Windows through Windows Update. To reinstall process also tells me that two programs are incompatible: C-PCI speaker and advises me to update the driver and MagicISO. When I try to update the driver for the speaker, I get told I am running the newest version. I removed MagicISO. So I am unable to do the in place reinstall.

Any advice?

Ross

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  • What problems? Have you tried sfc /scannow from an elevated Command Prompt?
    – Karan
    Commented Oct 17, 2012 at 22:03
  • first thing I tried… It claims that all of my files are okay. The basic problem was that the cursor would entirely freeze up. Even going to the task manager proved useless: get the initial task manager screen but the cursor would not unlock. I can only you reboot. Hence the need to reinstall; or so I thought
    – greenber
    Commented Oct 20, 2012 at 15:01

3 Answers 3

Reset to default
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Boot from your Windows 7 DVD, do not use the update/install software that starts when you insert the DVD in windows. In this way, you will proceed with a clean installation of the operating system.

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  • But then I would lose all the work that I had on my C partition! Not what I had in mind! :-)
    – greenber
    Commented Oct 20, 2012 at 15:11
  • no, actually. you can reinstall windows without formatting the partition... and that's the same thing you do inserting the dvd directly from the booted o.s.. However, my advice is copy all your documents and files on another disk/partition and then format the "c:\" partition. It will solve many problems more than an in-place reinstall
    – AndreaCi
    Commented Oct 23, 2012 at 6:51
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You have most likely updated to Service Pack 1, which when trying to repair install the OS with a standard Windows 7 disk, won't work.

In which case you need a Windows 7 disk with SP1 on it already, which you can download here.

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  • that answer was almost correct: I downloaded Windows 7/ultimate + SP1, cut that onto a DVD and initialized as per directions . It took a zillion years for it to finish (hence my delay in answering) but it finally finished. And it got stuck on a screen welcoming me to Windows as a first-time user. And it wouldn't budge. I tried rebooting safemode and was presented with the same screen. Fortunately before attempting any of this stuff I had made a full backup using Acronis to one of my external USB drives. I was forced to recover the backup, did so and my initial problem has not shown up since!
    – greenber
    Commented Oct 20, 2012 at 15:08
  • Oh right, that's weird, glad you got it sorted though :)
    – Bali C
    Commented Oct 20, 2012 at 16:14
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I ended up changing machines and am now running Win8.1. Problem solved! :-)

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  • This does not provide an answer to the question. To critique or request clarification from an author, leave a comment below their post.
    – suspectus
    Commented Jul 26, 2015 at 22:17
  • @suspectus: It's sort of an answer. The post is by the OP, and that's how he solved it.
    – fixer1234
    Commented Jul 27, 2015 at 1:58
  • Here and there yes, that would be the answer. But when it's plastered across a dozen others, it's a big FU to all those who tried to help in the first place @fix
    – random ♦
    Commented Jul 27, 2015 at 2:54
  • @greenber: You accepted an answer almost 3 yrs ago and explained your actual solution in a comment. It seems that would be a more appropriate answer to self-post. You don't say why you ended up changing machines (or if the reason was even related to this question). The only purpose this answer serves is to advise potential answerers that there is no longer a problem to solve, but that was accomplished 3 yrs ago. So it isn't clear what value you intend to impart from this answer, but it isn't helpful or necessary (and judging from the reaction, might attract downvotes).
    – fixer1234
    Commented Jul 27, 2015 at 5:09
  • You're right: I wasn't thinking. My apologies to all.
    – greenber
    Commented Jul 29, 2015 at 3:38

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