Thetownend.com

Thought I might as well post this here even though I'm not convinced there's a viable solution!

I'm having trouble with my laptop, windows 7. Basically I can't install anything unless it's a plain .exe file. Anything that requires Microsoft installer hangs and then eventually comes up with an error message.

When I look at services the windows installer says it's not Running and when I try to start it it tells me to fuck off. This happens regardless whether I set it to manual or automatic.

I've tried running (net start MSIServer) that did nothing. Same with unreg/reg.

I've given up really and decided I might as well reinstall windows (everything Important is backed up and I wouldn't have a huge problem with this) but I haven't got the original disk and because it's a dell, even though I've got a key I can't download the OS to a disk. Everything else works perfectly, genuinely no other problems - and it's not a virus issue.

Any ideas? Beyond binning, obviously. I'm very poor.

You should be able to re-install Windows without a disk. I've bought quite a few PCs over the years and have never had a disk but it has not stopped me from tr-installing Windows when necessary.

I don't have Windows 7 now (I've got Windows 10) but I doubt it is much different - re-installing Windows is done by going to Settings / Updates / Recovery.....

Unfortunately that just brings up 2 options for me - 1) system restore, which takes me back to the last restore point (tried it, no change) or 2) the advanced menu which suggests Reinstall Windows (requires Windows installation disc)

Thank you though :)

Have you done a malware scan? If not, try this:

https://www.malwarebytes.com/mwb-download/

And then this:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_programs/is-there-a-common-step-to-repair-windows-installer/136da4c2-0261-e011-8dfc-68b599b31bf5?auth=1

Maybe try a system file checker scan.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/kb/929833

Not sure I understand what you mean here. Have you tried downloading Windows from the MS site, which you can do if you have the product key?

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows7

You can put it on a USB key and install from there.

Thanks for your help everyone :)


Yep, I've tried several malware checks and they've all come back negative. I've always been pretty vigilant and there are no other symptoms, so I'm fairly satisfied it's not that.


Thanks for the link - it contains most of the things I've tried, but I'll go through them again just so I can build up a clearer picture if I have to hand over to someone else. I've basically done everything suggested to no avail.


Tried this and all came back OK.


Sorry I'm not very techy at all so can't explain things very well! I can't download it from there because my version of Windows is one preinstalled by the manufacturer.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/17588/fix-problems-that-block-programs-from-being-installed-or-removed

Try this

This asks for a specific program, and when I choose one at random it just asks me to uninstall it or [helpfully] says "troubleshooting couldn't identify the problem"

http://mirror.corenoc.de/digitalrivercontent.net/

There's iso file copies of every version which were cloned from the old digital river website. You'll need a bit torrent program and then burn them to a disc.

If you don't have a bit torrent program then I'll upload one to Dropbox and post the link but need to know which version

That's brilliant, thanks. I should be able to torrent it fine. I'm assuming x64 is 64 bit? How do I know which I need between en_windows_7_home_premium_with_sp1_x64_dvd_u_676549.iso   and en_windows_7_home_premium_with_sp1_x64_dvd_620851.iso?

U is updated with hotfixe(s), so is more recent

Ah :)

So my plan of action is to download that, verify all the weird numbery shit and put it on a USB.
Then I just boot from that and it should install?

Is there anything else I should need other than the product key of my current installation?

Sorry for all the questions, I am useless!

Wow, thanks for that. The arse-ache I went through recently trying to do a fresh Home Premium install without a disk.

You'll need to use something like Rufus (https://rufus.akeo.ie/) to make the USB bootable.

Apart from the product key, that should be it.

If you have a writable dvd you can right click the iso and then select burn image to disc which may be easier

Good source for Windows downloads

www.getintopc.com

Thanks so much guys :) still having a few niggles but at least I managed to reinstall windows OK and I can install most things again! You're great x

Turned my laptop on and it'a a black screen with flashing cursor. Rebooting it just gets the same result. Tried googling the answer and it's all bamboozling to me.

Can anyone help? I'm self-employed and basically can't work without access to all my stuff on the laptop so any help gratefully received (albeit I'm not at all techie so can only follow basic instructions..)

Sometimes laptops get an error in the bios so first off try...Unplug the power, remove the battery and then hold the power button for 30 to 60 seconds. Then reattach the power and reboot.

If this fails then its a good chance the hard drive has failed.

and to state the obvious make sure nothing is plugged in to the USB, no disk in DVD drive etc....

Cheers both. Still doing the same.

Can I get this repaired and if so, can it be done quickly?

A new hard drive and a re-install of Windows won't take too long.

Depending on the state of the failed drive, you may be able to get your data back too.

I'm bored, so I'll share my latest kerfuffle. This thread'll do.

Some of you will remember I had a graphics card break a while ago. Well, a new one arrived so I whacked that in and everything was hunky dory, until....pop. Same thing. The computer wont even boot with it in. This was a new card, not even a couple of months old.

I took the card to a shop, didn't work. Something's wrong and the main culprit as far as I can tell is the PSU overloading the card. Not wanting to spend much money on another card until I've got to the bottom of the problem, I bought a cheap one to tide me over till now.... that didn't work either. Took the cheap replacement card to the shop to check and it worked fine.

It seems as though my MB is fucked also, or at least the part that allows me to use a graphics card. The best guess so far is a faulty PSU which has overloaded the MB, frying the card at the same time and is probably also responsible for frying the card that went a few months ago.

What a kerfuffle. I don't usually have computer problems asides from software playing up from time to time, but it's been a fucking nightmare lately, an expensive nightmare to boot (see what I did there?).  

Oh, and just to rub salt into the wounds, the on-board card isn't compatible with Windows 10.