How To Repair Install Windows Vista - All Possible Scenarios Do Not Work!

[montecarlo1987]

Hello. I have an serious issue with trying to do an installation repair with my Windows Vista Home Basic using my Windows Home Basic Upgrade DVD-ROM (not SP1). I am aware that a Vista installation repair is the same as a Vista upgrade, but it no avail can I get the Upgrade option to work. Let me explain. I have read on different reliable websites the different means to do a Vista upgrade as a repair installation – none are consistent. Some suggest that Vista upgrade installations run from within Windows and others you are to reboot and set your BIOS to boot from the Vista DVD-ROM. Also, these same reliable websites indicate not to input the CD key during the installation process and not to check the box for online activation and others say to do it during the installation process. What gives? Therefore, to see what would work for me and taking into account all the differences I have found, I performed the following scenarios figuring one of them should work:
1. Run Vista installation from Windows Vista desktop with CD key and checked box with online activation.
2. Run Vista installation from Windows Vista desktop without CD key and not checked the box with online activation.
3. Run Visa installation from Vista system reboot/restart (changing BIOS first boot device as DVD drive) with CD key and checked the box with online activation.
4. Run Vista installation from Vista system reboot/restart (changing BIOS first boot device as DVD drive) without CD key and not checked the box with online activation.
In all case scenarios I have attempted, I cannot perform a Vista installation repair. What is happening is this for each case scenario:
1. Run Vista installation from Windows Vista desktop with CD key and checked box with online activation.
Result:
During the Vista installation process when get to the screen “What type of installation do you want?”, The “Upgrade” choice is grayed-out and “Custom (Advanced)” is only active choice. Underneath it states, “Upgrade has been disabled. – The upgrade cannot be started. To upgrade, cancel the installation and then choose to upgrade to a version of Windows that is more recent that than the version you are currently running.”
I need to do an “Upgrade” and not “Custom (Advanced)” as a repair installation and the option for “Upgrade” is not available.
Makes sense in what is says -- I am trying to upgrade from Windows Vista Home Basic Edition to Windows Vista Home Basic Edition. The point is that you cannot upgrade to the same Windows version or Windows edition. It is the same thing! It appears early in the setup and installation process that this setup program knows what Windows operating system is already installed (Windows Vista Home Basic) on the drive and partition. I also think by having inputted the CD key it knows I have an upgrade version of Windows Vista Home Basic Edition. I see by inputting the CD key, I am telling the setup installation program what I have and it is prohibiting me from continuing on with the installation process. Okay, that is not it. So onto scenario number 2.
2. Run Vista installation from Windows Vista desktop without CD key and not checked the box with online activation.
Result:
The same result as scenario number 2 above. This didn’t work either. By not entering the CD key, the setup program must know what version and edition of Windows I have already installed. So onto scenario number 3.
3. Run Visa installation from Vista system reboot/restart with CD key and checked the box with online activation.
Result:
During the Vista installation process when inputting the CD key, immediately after get a message on the same screen stating, “To use the product key you entered, start the installation from your existing version of Windows.”
Well, that did not work. Now the setup program knows that the CD key (since it is an upgrade key) is not to be used during a system reboot/restart; only within Windows operating system. States that I need to run from within Windows. …and you know how that goes… …both scenario 1 and 2 above and that did not work. Onto scenario number 4.
4. Run Vista installation from Vista system reboot/restart without CD key and not checked the box with online activation.
Result:
The result is similar to scenarios 1 & 2 above. “Upgrade” is grayed-out and “Custom (Advanced)” is the only active choice on the “What type of installation do you want?” screen. It states, “Upgrade has been disabled. – To upgrade, start the installation from Windows.”
Therefore, it appears that I cannot perform a repair installation of my Windows Vista Home Basic. From what I hear, anyone can who has a Windows Vista DVD-ROM! Is there something that I am missing??? There must be a way to do a repair installation with my Windows Vista Home Basic from my Upgrade DVD-ROM!
Let me add, when I originally installed Windows Vista Home Basic on my computer; installed using that trick that everyone talks about. That is, I performed a clean install of Windows Vista Home Basic using the Upgrade DVD-ROM without CD key. Then performed an upgrade install with the same DVD-ROM of Windows Vista Home Basic and inputted the CD key. Things went well. …and online activation worked. From my take, this should not present any problems to performing a repair installation.
Please elaborate on how I can do a repair installation with my Windows Vista Home Basic from my Upgrade DVD-ROM. Thanks a lot!

[Dwarf]

Hi,

You state that your DVD doesn't include SP1. If you have installed SP1 on your machine, then the version of Vista on your machine is newer than the version you have on DVD and would therefore be unable to be repaired from the DVD since many of the important system files have been updated in SP1.
Dwarf

[montecarlo1987]

Hello again. Boy, I have been busy and have learned a lot about Windows Vista Repair Installations with many tests for the last 1 ½ days! I think I have become an expert on this area!
Bottom line, my issue was that I it was the Windows Vista Service Pack 1 that is giving me issues on why I cannot do a repair (upgrade) installation. Many of you have addressed this as the cause. It was! Also, bottom line, repairs (upgrade) installations do not work with Windows Vista regardless what is stated out there from the experts. There is a logical reason for it. I will explain. However, in my case based on the issue of having SP1 installed separately (via a Windows Update) on my current Windows Vista (originally installed Windows Vista without the SP1) operating system …and also creating a Windows Vista Home Basic slipstream DVD with SP1 integrated into it installation disc, I just realized I had one try and only one lucky token shot to do a repair (upgrade) installation to my currently operating system. Now, after performing my repair (upgrade) installation I am finished and never capable again to do any further repair (upgrade) installations of my Windows Vista Home Basic SP1 operating system. FACT for me and I am sure for everyone out there. If any more corruption ever exists on my computer, I am now forced to do a clean install and no more repair (upgrade) installations. Geese, Windows XP had that recovery console that was more flexible than that!
Let me explain the logical reason that I just mentioned that I have learned. When a repair (upgrade) installation is performed it is just that, an upgrade. I have learned an upgrade can come in three ways where Windows will provide the user the choice to “Upgrade”. The three ways are hierarchical in terms of: service pack (SP0, SP1, SP2,…), edition (Home, Professional, Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate…), and version (i.e.: Windows 2000, XP, Vista,…). They are hierarchical in terms of themselves and one another. These are the factors that Windows looks at (specifically Vista) to permit and allow the “Upgrade” option in the installation process to be available. I have read articles that Windows (Microsoft) does not pay attention to what you have currently installed when conducting an upgrade, and that is a bunch of malarkey! They do or I wouldn’t have all the problems I am having. It is built into their Windows installation program to check your current Windows installation (if you are upgrades) and whether to grant the user the option to upgrade. So, in the Windows version of Vista (what my issue surrounds) going from Vista Home Basic SP0 (the original release) to Vista Home Vista Home Basic SP1 will allow for me to upgrade and ultimately perform a Windows Repair installation. …or another example, from Windows XP Home SP3 to Windows Vista Home Basic SP0 or SP1 would allow me to upgrade as well. Yes, I know the few exclusions too like you cannot upgrade from Windows XP Professional to Windows Vista Home Basic that is not widely known. Now, here is the real confusion start that everyone believes …that is wrong! Based on what I have learned, an upgrade is not a lateral move!!! Meaning, I have a corrupt files and want to do a repair installation of my Windows Vista Home Basic (What was happening to me.) and I have SP1 installed from a recent Windows Update and I have a created slipstreamed Vista Home Basic SP1 DVD to perform a Windows Repair/Upgrade install, it WILL NOT WORK! They are the same and Windows will not permit me to choose the “Upgrade” option to fix it. I could go out and now buy Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade and do an upgrade now. I would get the “Upgrade” option this time since I am coming from the lower edition of Windows Vista Home Basic edition to repair the corruption. So any website that states that you can do a repair installation and provides all the instructions and diagrams of the steps to do a repair installation of your Windows Vista operating system using your current Windows Vista Installation DVD-ROM is a bunch of bull. You will not have the “Upgrade” option available to do your repair, only the “Custom (Advanced)” option to select that is basically a clean install. Yes, you have to be technically specific about your operating system in order to determine of you can repair (upgrade).
I outsmarted the system: When I removed/uninstalled SP1 from my original Windows Vista Home Basic installation (SP1 was recently added via Windows Update), and used the slipstreamed Windows Vista Home Basic SP1 DVD-ROM, I was able to get the Repair (Upgrade) to work [STEPS TRANSPIRED: Windows Vista Home Basic SP0 (purchased and installed as)àWindows Vista Home Basic SP1 (SP1 installed via Windows Update)à Windows Vista Home Basic SP0 (SP1 uninstalled via Windows Update)à Windows Vista Basic SP1 (installed via slipstreamed Windows Vista Home Basic SP1) ]. Now I cannot do anything more. No, I now cannot remove SP1 since it is not available for me to remove because it is integrated into Windows Vista Home Basic operating system now using the slipstreamed technology. I wish I could because I could just remove SP1 each time and do a repair installation anytime with my slipstreamed Windows Vista Home Basic SP1 DVD-ROM. I permanently have Windows Vista Home Basic SP1 now. I guess I have to wait for Windows Vista Service Pack 2 to do the next repair (upgrade) install (slipstreamed with my original Windows Vista DVD-ROM).