How to Create a System Repair Disc on a CD/DVD

 

System Recovery options for Windows 7 include several tools that can help you recover Windows 7 from a serious error. For example, you can use a system repair disc to access system recovery options if your Windows installation disc is missing or the Windows boot loader is not working.

In this tutorial I will show how to create a Windows 7 system repair disc on a CD or DVD with just a few clicks.

Create your first System Repair Disc

Creating a System Repair Disc is a simple process in Windows 7. The tool for creating it can be found by going to 'Start Menu -> All Programs -> Maintenance -> Create a System Repair Disc'.

Alternatively, you can find the create system disc tool in 'Control Panel -> System and Security -> Backup and Restore-> Create a system repair disc'.

Insert a blank CD / DVD into your optical drive, select that drive and click on the Create disc button. An empty CD should be enough for a System Repair Disc, given the fact that the space required is about 145MB.

NOTE: If you are prompted to insert a Windows installation disc, it means that the files needed to create the system repair disc cannot be found on your computer. You need to insert the Windows 7 installation disc first and the necessary files will be copied. The burning process will resume once this is done. If you have only one optical drive, you will need to be careful to switch the discs between them.
Now you have to wait for a few minutes to complete the process.

After the CD/DVD is finalized a pop-up window will be displayed that contains info about how to use the disc. Close it and go to the next window.

Click on the OK button to finish.

I recommend that you reboot your computer, insert the disc into drive and boot from it to check if the disc works properly.
NOTE: In order to boot from a CD/DVD, the optical drive has to be the first device in the 'Boot Device Order' section of computer BIOS.

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Fix Windows 7 using Startup Repair

Windows 7 offers by default some interesting tools designed to help you fix certain system problems which were presented in this overview of system recovery options. I will continue the mini-series on this topic and show how to use the Startup Repair tool to scan and fix Windows 7 boot problems.

What does Startup Repair do?

Startup Repair is one of the recovery tools in the System Recovery Options menu. It allows you to fix certain system problems that might prevent Windows 7 from booting successfully. This utility is designed to fix only certain problems such as missing or damaged system files used to load the operating system. It can't detect or fix hardware failures nor does it help against virus attacks and their damage.
When Windows 7 fails to boot properly, this utility automatically starts up and scans your PC for issues (like corrupt system files or an invalid boot file), then tries to fix the problem. If the problem is severe enough and Startup Repair can't start on its own, you just have to access the System Recovery Options using a Windows 7 boot disc. Start the utility and, in a few steps you will find out if your problem can be fixed or if you have to use another tool. For any problem that is found, the Startup Repair will prompt you to select the appropriate course of action.

How to Use Startup Repair

Once you've accessed the System Recovery window, select Startup Repair.

The tool scans your computer for the problem and then tries to fix it so your computer can start correctly.

If the utility didn't find any problems click on the Finish button. The System Recovery Options window will appear where you can Shutdown or Restart you computer.
NOTE: In this window you have a 'View diagnostic and repair details' link that offers detailed information of what the tool has done. Also you have the option 'View advanced options for system recovery and support' which will open the System Recovery Options window.

In this situation, there where no errors so there wasn't any option for repairing.
If there are problems detected, a scan for the issues that might have caused your boot failure is performed. This is a scan and fix process.

Next, you will be asked to restart your computer. You will also be informed that, if the repair was successful, your system will start correctly. If not, you might be asked to run the tool again in order to perform another fix. You can also check out the details of your repair by clicking the 'Click here for diagnostic and repair detail' link.

You will be able to see if the operation was successful or not and the amount of time necessary to perform the repair.

If the repairs aren't successful, you'll see a summary of the problem. At this point, Startup Repair will suggest to use System Restore for fixing your computer.

If you click Cancel, you will be prompted to send some information about the problem which might help Microsoft create solutions to it, in the future.

Choose the option you prefer and you are done.

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An Overview of System Recovery Options for Windows 7

Sooner or later, everyone has problems with their operating system, no matter the version. When the going gets tough, some system recovery tools come in handy. Windows 7 has a few tools available which can help you when the system no longer behaves as it is supposed to. These tools can be used in the following scenarios: boot errors, upgrade failures or reboot loops.
In this article I will share with you the list of available tools, explain what they do and the scenarios when they are helpful.

System Recovery Options - What they Are & When to Use them

The 'System Recovery Options' are a set of 5 tools, listed below, which can be used to repair or recover a damaged operating system:

• Startup Repair - can be used to scan your computer and fix missing or damaged system files that prevent Windows from starting correctly. You can use this tool if you have modified Windows system files or if you installed applications which have modified Windows system files in such a way that the operating system doesn't start anymore.
• System Restore - can be used to restore Windows system files to the state of an earlier point in time, while leaving all your user files untouched. You can use System Restore when you want to revert to an earlier configuration which you know it worked properly. For example, if you installed multiple applications and you are suddenly experiencing random restarts, boot failures and Startup Repair failed to fix anything, the quickest way to solve the problem is to use System Restore. NOTE: In order to use System Restore you must have at least one system restore point previously created. More info about this feature will be published in upcoming articles.
• System Image Recovery - can be used to restore a system image. When everything else fails, this can be the solution to your problems. When Startup Repair and System Restore are not helping, try to use the System Image Recovery tool. The only drawback is that you will revert only to the files, folders and applications that were present at the time you created the system image. NOTE: In order to use this tool you must have a previously created system image file. More info about this feature will be published in upcoming articles.
• Windows Memory Diagnostic - scans your computer's memory for errors. If your computer randomly freezes after you upgraded or changed the RAM modules, it is a good idea to use the Windows Memory Diagnostic to check them for errors.
• Command Prompt - can be used by advanced users to perform recovery-related operations. These operations should only be used by advanced users. If you are not sure on what you are doing, you can end-up with your Windows 7 in a state which is a lot worse than before.

There are two ways of accessing the 'System Recovery Options': from the Windows 7 installation DVD or directly from your hard-disk. I will start with the first scenario. As you will see, finding the 'System Recovery Options' is easy in both cases.

Access System Recovery Options From The Installation DVD

The first step is to insert the Windows 7 installation DVD into your drive and boot from it. Select the language you prefer and click on Next.

NOTE: In order to boot from a DVD, the DVD drive has to be the first device in the 'Boot Device Order' section of your BIOS. Depending on your motherboard manufacturer and BIOS model this option can have different names.
In the next window click on the 'Repair your computer' link.

Then select the operating system that you want to repair. This step is important when you have multiple operating systems installed and only one is damaged. Click on Next to continue.

In the new window you will see all the 'System Recovery Options'.

Access System Recovery Options From Your Hard Disk

If you don't have a Windows 7 installation DVD, don't worry. You can still access the 'System Recovery Options' from a hidden 100MB recovery partition that Windows 7 automatically creates when you first installed the operating system.
At the next computer restart, right after the BIOS info screen, press and hold the F8 key from your keyboard. Shortly you will see a list of 'Advanced Boot Options. From it, select the first option named 'Repair Your Computer' and press the Enter key.

After a few seconds a 'System Security Options' window will show up. Select the keyboard input method that you prefer and click on Next.

In the next window, select a user name to log on to Windows 7. Also, if you have a password for that user name type it in the Password text field. When done, click on OK.

In the new window you will see all the available 'System Recovery Options that you can use to repair Windows 7.

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Problem Fix - Upgrade From Windows Vista to Windows 7 Hangs at 62%

We will continue the System Recovery series with a few articles which describe some of the most common problems encountered by Windows 7 users and possible solutions for them. We will start with one of the most frequent problems reported by users upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7: the Windows 7 installation upgrade from Windows Vista hangs at exactly 62%. This article will share the cause for this problem and how to fix it.

Root Cause for This Problem

This problem was reported by 9% of installers. During the upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7, the process gets to 62% and then just freezes. When you meet such a problem, you cannot do anything to fix it quickly. Just restart your computer and it should roll back to Windows Vista.
Once this is done, open the file 'C:\WINDOWS \Sources\Panther\setupact.log', to view what happened.
NOTE: The 'C:' letter represents the drive where the operating system is installed. It can be different on your computer.
If you examine the contents of the file, you can see the error message as:
'Warning [0x080b50] MIG AsyncCallback_ApplyStatus: Progress appears to be stuck. Current progress: 62'.
Microsoft says this is usually created because the Iphlpsvc service has stopped responding. This service offers automatic IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) connectivity over an IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) network.
Next, check out the solutions found for solving this issue.
NOTE:For more information about this problem check the following article Upgrade stops responding (hangs) at 62% when you upgrade to Windows 7.

Automated Fix

Microsoft offers a tool which allows you to automatically fix this problem. It is called Microsoft Fix It. Download it and run the utility on Windows Vista.
NOTE: In order to run this tool you need to have administrative permissions.
In the first window check the 'I Agree' box and then press the Next button.

Now the repair process will begin and a progress bar will be displayed.

When the problem is fixed, you will see a window similar to the one from the capture below. Click on the Close button to finish the wizard.

Now, all you have to do is to restart the upgrade process.

Manual Fix

NOTE: In order to complete a manual repair you need to have administrative permissions.
To solve this problem yourself, restart your computer, right-click on My Computer and then click on Properties.

Open 'Advanced system settings'.

In the System Properties window, go to the Advanced tab and press the Environment Variables button.

Now you have to create a new entry under System variables. Just click on the New button.

Type MIG_UPGRADE_IGNORE_PLUGINS in the Variable name field and IphlpsvcMigPlugin.dll in the Variable value field. When you are done press OK.

You will observe that a new entry was created in System variables.

Click OK two times to close the dialog boxes. Now reboot and start the upgrade installation again.

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How to Install Windows 7 - Complete Round of Installation Guides

Windows 7 is most probably Microsoft's easiest to install operating system. It seems that the company has learned from past mistakes and now almost everyone can install Windows 7 on their computer by themselves, provided that the computer complies with the minimum system requirements. In this blog post, I will share with you the best Windows 7 installation guides that can be found on the internet. Apart from installing Windows 7 from scratch, there are situations when you will want your new operating system to run in parallel with another one, be it Mac or Ubuntu Linux. In this post I will cover the following installation scenarios: installing Windows 7 from scratch, upgrading from Windows Vista or Windows XP, as well as dual-booting with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS X Leopard and Ubuntu Linux.

Installing Windows 7 from Scratch

A clean install is the term used to describe a situation in which you install Windows 7 on a clean partition, or on a partition that you plan to format. If you do have data on that partition, be it an old operating system or other files, you must know that this data will be lost during the process. About.com's Guide How to Perform a Clean Installation of Windows 7 takes you through all the necessary steps when installing Windows 7 from a DVD.
It goes from inserting the DVD and booting from it, through deleting the partition (if it is occupied by another operating system), the actual installation process and booting Windows 7 for the first time. It's a great 34-step guide and it shares everything you should expect to see during installation and what to do when you see it. As long as you have another computer on hand to show the guide, you're all set and ready to go.

The funny thing is that some users have discovered a while ago that there is a workaround that allows you to perform a clean install of Windows 7 by using an upgrade disc, thus saving up to 100$ by not paying for the full version. If you think you're up to it, this guide called Clean Install Windows 7 with Upgrade Media: The Answer provides the way to do it. Even more, Microsoft has confirmed that this workaround is perfectly legal, in certain situations. There is an article called Clean install with Windows 7 upgrade media? Get the facts! on Zdnet, that details all of these situations very well. Even if this is relatively easy to do, if you work for a company, the Business Software Alliance just might pay you a visit. The article tells you the situations in which it is OK and legal to install a fresh copy of Windows 7 like this. Basically, if you purchased a computer with Windows XP or Windows Vista pre-installed, you qualify for the upgrade. On the other hand, if you have a Mac and want to install it using Boot Camp, if you want to run Windows 7 in a virtual machine, you want to dual-boot Windows 7 with Windows Vista or Windows XP, or you made your PC out of separate parts and want to install Windows 7 this way, you don't qualify for an upgrade.

Upgrade from Windows Vista to Windows 7

This is quite an easy process, Windows 7 being the "next in line" after Windows Vista in terms of Microsoft operating systems. This is why Microsoft provides the easiest to use guide for this procedure. It is a two step guide, called Upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7 and it explains the process in all of its stages. Of course, they also tell you to print out the guide, in case you don't have another computer that's connected to the Internet somewhere close.
This guide also tells you which Windows 7 version would be suitable for you, depending on the Windows Vista version you're running. The good side of upgrading this way is that you get to keep your files and most of your settings. It's a smoother transition.

Upgrade from Windows 7 Test Versions to Windows 7 Final Version

If you've been using Windows 7 Release Candidate, you can find a very good tutorial for upgrading to Windows 7 final, here on our site. It's called How to Upgrade Your Windows 7 Test Version to the Final Release .

Upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7

We know that there are a lot of people out there who still use Windows XP. There can be a lot of reasons for this, but some of these people would like to move to Windows 7. That's not a possibility that Microsoft offers. Fact is that so many things have changed since Windows XP's heyday that it would have been too complicated to do it: registry settings and even the kernel (the core of the operating system) are so different in Windows 7 that it just didn't seem to be worth it.
Of course, there would be a way to get from Windows XP to Windows 7, but it involves upgrading to Vista first, and we don't know if it's worth the effort. A clean install would probably be a better option. If you insist of upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 directly, the CNET guide called Upgrade Windows XP to Windows 7 tells you how to do this. It's a step by step process, but it is not an easy one. You are warned to backup your whole hard drive and to have install disks of your essential programs in your proximity. So make sure you follow it closely and listen to all instructions.

Dual-boot Windows 7 with Windows XP and Windows Vista

Maybe you're still not certain that you want to completely make your transition to Windows 7 from your installation of Windows XP or Windows Vista. That's fine, we got you covered. We found this great guide (hailing from the beta days of Windows 7), that tells you the steps to dual-boot Windows 7 with Windows Vista or Windows XP. It is called Dual Boot Windows 7 with XP/Vista in three easy steps. Since things tend to be quite different in terms of partitioning in Windows XP and Windows Vista, this guide explains the process of creating a new partition, so that you're covered, no matter what Windows version you're using.
If you have programs that only run in Windows XP and you want to run them in Windows 7, you must take into account that Windows 7 has a very handy feature called Windows XP Mode and you can find all of the details you need about working with it on 7 Tutorials, in this article, called How to work with Windows XP Mode. Also, you'll get references to other related articles which will teach you all there is to know about it.

Dual-boot Windows 7 and Mac OSX Leopard

This might not sound like the easiest of tasks, but assuming that you really want to use both of these operating systems on your PC, you'll just have to go through a few steps (and backup everything before you do that). We are talking about Mac OS X Leopard, Apple's latest offering in terms of operating systems. A thorough Google search will provide you with some guides to install previous versions, too.
I found a great guide to do this on thegadgets.net, called How To: Dual Boot Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Windows 7 on a PC. You'll need to repartition your hard drive, and Mac OS X Leopard will be the one to be installed first. The good news is that no hacks are required. If you've installed Apple's operating system, you should be just fine. If you need a guide to do this, I found one for you on Lifehacker, called Install Snow Leopard on Your Hackintosh PC, No Hacking Required.
Then, you will have to install Windows 7. After that, you just have to boot into Windows 7, download Easy BCD and use it to dual-boot Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Windows 7.

Dual-boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu Linux

The most thoroughly explained guide can be found on Lifehacker. They have an easy step-by-step guide which will get you through the whole process without any problems. You just need a backup (as always), a CD of the latest Ubuntu Linux, your Windows 7 installation DVD and about two hours of your precious time. The guide tells you what to do if Windows 7 is already installed on your system, or if you want to start it all from scratch.
It is not as easy as dual-booting Windows 7 and Mac OS X Leopard, but if you print out the instructions and follow them closely, you shouldn't have any problems. Still, backing up is very advised. The fantastic thing about this guide is that, even more than allowing you to use the two operating systems, it allows you to share files and folders between them, even Firefox profiles. And all of this without any conflicts. Dual-Boot Windows 7 and Ubuntu in Perfect Harmony is the name of this very thorough guide.

To sum it all up...

As you will see from these guides and your own experience, Windows 7 is Microsoft's easiest to install operating system. Even if you want to make it work alongside other operating systems, Microsoft-made (Windows XP, Windows Vista) or not (Mac OS X Leopard, Ubuntu Linux), the procedure is not that complicated.
Before I close this article, I would like to know how was your Windows 7 installation experience. Did it go smoothly? Also, have you found any other interesting guides that you would like to share with others?

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How to Check for & Install Windows Updates

Windows Update is one of the tools which were redesigned completely in Windows Vista. Instead of having to browse to a specific Microsoft web page, the whole update process was managed directly by the operating system. Windows 7 keeps the same approach and introduces a very small number of changes to this process, mostly cosmetic. In this tutorial I will show how to use Windows Update to check, select and install updates. I'll also show how to prevent certain unwanted updates from being installed. If you have skipped from Windows XP directly to Windows 7, then this tutorial is a must read.

Where to find Windows Update

To open the Windows Update window, you have several alternatives: one is to go to 'Start Menu -> All Programs -> Windows Update' while another is 'Control Panel -> System and Security -> Windows Update'.

There are other ways to open it, like using the Start Menu search box or its icon from the Windows 7 taskbar.

How to Check for Updates

By default, Windows 7 is set to check for updates each time you login. You can also check manually. To do this, in the Windows Update window, click on the 'Check for updates' link.

At the end of the checking process, Windows Update will tell you if there are any updates available, how many there are and sort them by type: important or optional.

Important updates are those which fix security, stability and compatibility problems with Windows 7. They can also add functionality, one good example being Service Packs. Optional updates are extras which consist of language packs, additional software or drivers for your computers components.
In the list of important updates you will also see recommended updates (confusing, I know!). These updates can fix stability and compatibility problems for applications which are installed on your computer such as: compatibility fixes for Windows Media Center or Internet Explorer 8, Definition Updates for Windows Defender or Microsoft Security Essentials, updates for Microsoft Office.

How to Install Updates

By default, Windows Update will install only the important updates, excluding the recommended or optional ones. If you want to make sure it installs others on top or just the ones you consider important, click on the area that shows how many updates are available.
If you are OK with Windows Update installing only the important updates, click on the 'Install updates' button.

When you choose to review the updates which get installed, you will see a list split in two categories: important and optional. Review both lists, check the updates you want to install, and uncheck those which you don't want installed. To get more information about an update, click on it, and on the right side panel, Windows Update will show detailed information about what the update is and what it does.
When you are done reviewing the list of available updates, click on the OK button.

You will be taken back to the Windows Update window. Click on the 'Install updates' button.

Windows Update will start to download and install all the selected updates. Depending on their size and the speed of your internet connection, the process can take up to a few minutes. So, please be patient. If you want to stop the installation process, click on the 'Stop installation' button. Depending on when you pressed the button, Windows Update might not have installed anything or, it has and it will stop after the current update is installed.

If the installation process has finished successfully, Windows Update will notify you. Depending on the updates installed, you might be asked to restart your computer. If that is the case, close all your open applications and documents and click on the 'Restart now' button.

After the reboot is done, the installation process is complete.

How to Prevent Updates from Installing

There are scenarios where you might not want a certain update to be installed on your PC. One of them, which I personally encountered on several occasions, is when Windows 7 is proposing as an update an outdated or bad driver for one of my computer's components. Another was when I did not require the functionality added by an update, such as Microsoft's browser ballot imposed by the European Union.
In such cases, it is better to review the available updates before installing them. Therefore, check for updates, click on the link that tell you how many updates are available and check the available updates one by one. When you click on an update, Windows Update will also show you some information about what it is & what it does. If you don't want it, right click on the update and select 'Hide update'.

You will see that update as being grayed out. It will not get installed and it will not be shown by future update checks.

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