Anything I can do in linux to fix my windows install?

Unregistered.

Hi all, see my problem here: http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056191507

I dual boot Linux Mint with Windows 7. Not worried about the actual data, but I would like to fix whatever is causing Winows to freeze on startup. Any diagnostics/repair tools that i can use from linux that might help?

pickarooney

Apart from mounting the disk and deleting/copying/renaming your Windows profile directory I can't think of anything off hand.

Unregistered.

pickarooney wrote: »

Apart from mounting the disk and deleting/copying/renaming your Windows profile directory I can't think of anything off hand.

Hmmm. The problem is when it guest to the login screen. I cant click on my profile (or the guest one) to login in. I'm not sure if there could be something at the files system level causing the problem

pickarooney

I'm really not sure what windows tries to do at that point but I imagine it's trying to read some corrupt files all right.

Unregistered.

ricman

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_wel_screen.htm,try safe mode,f8, or press control alt del twice,on bootup, login as admin, leave password box blank,click ok,
or put in an admin password if you have 1 setup,
then go to control panel,make new guest account, with new password.
or google lost windows login password .
theres probably some way to view passwords ,from a live cd ,but i don,t know it.

ricman

Offline NT Password and Registry Editor, on the UBCD, has worked to get windows password,
see http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ ,ie make ubcd boot cd, cd from iso, if my 1st post doesn,t work.
this allows you to make a new password ,to login to windows.

Unregistered.

ricman wrote: »

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_wel_screen.htm,try safe mode,f8, or press control alt del twice,on bootup, login as admin, leave password box blank,click ok,
or put in an admin password if you have 1 setup,
then go to control panel,make new guest account, with new password.
or google lost windows login password .
theres probably some way to view passwords ,from a live cd ,but i don,t know it.

ricman wrote: »

Offline NT Password and Registry Editor, on the UBCD, has worked to get windows password,
see http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ ,ie make ubcd boot cd, cd from iso, if my 1st post doesn,t work.
this allows you to make a new password ,to login to windows.

Thanks, but safe mode isn't working.

ricman

try cntrl,alt,del twice as in my last post, in my experience no safe mode =bady corrupted files,damaged windows os,probably with virus,s on drive c.
it might be easier to reinstall,windows, use no format install, use existing file system, in order to hold onto your data, pics,mp3s, after install ,just search , for mp3s, or documents, to view your old,files.
or use a mint unix live cd,to back up the files to partition 2,or an external drive.then do a new windows install.theres a 69omeg version of mint,fits on 1cdr.

Unregistered.

ricman wrote: »

try cntrl,alt,del twice as in my last post, in my experience no safe mode =bady corrupted files,damaged windows os,probably with virus,s on drive c.
it might be easier to reinstall,windows, use no format install, use existing file system, in order to hold onto your data, pics,mp3s, after install ,just search , for mp3s, or documents, to view your old,files.
or use a mint unix live cd,to back up the files to partition 2,or an external drive.then do a new windows install.theres a 69omeg version of mint,fits on 1cdr.

Yes, it would be easier to re-install windows. However, I am not looking for an easy option. I do a lot of work on Windows and I would like to be in a position where I don't have to re-install all my applications and everything.
Please see my thread here, for my problem exactly: http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056191507

PDD

I think your asking the questions in the wrong forum to be honest. Linux has very few tools for fixing Windows but loads for Windows related stuff like password cracking etc.

If you try a re-install but without a format as suggested this should keep your installed programs intact. I has done for me in the past but I wouldnt quote me on it.

If SafeMode isnt working on the Windows7 then it is thouroughly buggered and I would strongly recommend you save yourself alot of hastle and time by simply doing a fresh install or trying the method above. Why not do an install of Windows 7 into a VM on your Mint?

Unregistered.

This problem is fixed. Turns out SP1 messed up some drivers and stuff.

mjpd

I haven't much experience with Windows7 but maybe there is an option of booting from the Windows7 CD, then selecting Install.... which will then detect and offer to fix your broken installation of Windows7?

XP has this option....nice for repairing corrupted installations and means you don't have to wipe everything.

Also, rather than a dual boot, another (less-corruptive) option is simply to run the second O/S inside a virtual host like WM-Ware?
I know there are drawbacks to this...but there are advantages to doing this too.

Hope this has helped :-)