All drivers installs fail and Win 8 also fails to reinstall

[pswift]

I have a 1 year old Alienware X51. 1TB HD and 8GB RAM with Windows 8. Windows updates failed several months ago and the usual fixes from MS failed so I had MS techs diagnose and fix it which required reinstalling Win 8 from the install disc. This fixed the problem but the same issue has returned twice and I fixed it myself both times with the same procedure. Windows update failed again 30 days ago and Win 8 will not istall from the install disc or the restore/repair disc. All driver install now fail for new devices and updated ones from Dell as well. Just hooked up a MYBOOK 2 TB HD with Win 8 drivers and it failed to install as well. My 32 GB cruzer does still work so I can do another backup of data before doing a refresh or reset to the factory image. I also have multiple backups on DVD and an Alienware respawn disc I made as well. I done command prompts(admin) for SFC/SCANNOW, DISM/Restorehealth,check disc and have ran Tweaking Windows software(full repair) to reset file permissions etc but none have fixed the problems. Driver install attempts return an error message that config registry files are corrupted. I have run registry cleaners. Tried to run repair from the restore disc. Command prompts will not run at all there and Windows automatic diagnosis and repair fail due to Windows 8 failing to load. System restore in normal Windows mode does not go back far enough to return to when updates still installed and configured correctly 30 days ago. System restore in repair mode freezes nor does it contain dates far enough back. It appears to me that I will have to reset to the original factory image and reinstall all of my additional software but prefer not to. I use my computer mostly for a home based business and to desgn & maintain web sites as well. It still functions well enough but I must get windows updates functioning again to maintain security. I use Windows Defender for virus protection and have never been infected. Updates for it's DAT files do download and install correctly. I have also scanned with Mal-WareBytes and it says the computer is clean. Any help appreciated.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Sounds like your recovery disk is corrupted. You probably need to do a clean install and this may mean downloading the installation file from somewhere and use your product key to validate. Unless of course you already have the installation disk. Not just the recovery disk but a full clean installation disk. If not, you may have to get one. If the problem keeps returning after repeat installs with the same disk, I'd say it has something to do with the disk.

 

[pswift]

Sounds like your recovery disk is corrupted. You probably need to do a clean install and this may mean downloading the installation file from somewhere and use your product key to validate. Unless of course you already have the installation disk. Not just the recovery disk but a full clean installation disk. If not, you may have to get one. If the problem keeps returning after repeat installs with the same disk, I'd say it has something to do with the disk.

 

[pswift]

Win 8 64 bit original install came on the Alienware x51 computer from dell but without an install disc. The MS tech had a set of Win 8 install discs(32 and 64 bit )sent to me no charge and then installed again over the original. Since then I have reinstalled twice without removing anything and then starting Windows updates all over again. I have satellite broadband which takes a long time to download these updates. I do them in batches of 12 or so. I am about to exceed my monthly allowance and will go to reduced speed. I currently speed check at 3 MB/sec but actually download files at about 500K. Might take my computer to a friend who has cable to update after the reinstall. I think I have driver conflicts as I was stupid and used different update services such as Slim Drivers, Driver Booster to update some drivers. I now find out I should probably only use Dell updates for drivers My NVIDia video card does not show in device manager. Just finished checking every driver and several have been updated b ut only a few have roll back options. I made a list of every driver for all in device manager. I downloaded reccomended chipset drivers from Dell but they fail to install upon extraction. If I reinstall should I partition the OS to a new partiton to keep my software elseware or reset to the factory image. I also still have the Windows.old folder which I have been reluctant to remove for fear of loosing needed files. It is 20+GB. I have a 1TB HD so space is not an issue. When I try to install USB drivers I get an error message saying the configuration registry files are corrupt. Registry cleanup software doesn't fix this. Can't get a new USB HD to install to back up but just finished copying all needed data to a 32GB cruzer and my mail thru MOZbackup. I have product keys for the original Dell W8/64bit install and for the install discs that MS sent me. Thanks for the help.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I would save everything you want saved from the windows.old file to a separate location. All files, documents, pictures, music, video, etc. Just save the files themselves so you don't lose them, to an external drive or dvd discs. Then I would delete the entire partition, or partitions, on the hard drive and then re-designate the unpartitioned space however you want to, I generally just use the entire hard drive for the windows partition and for the windows installation, do a clean install of windows, run windows update until no more critical, important or optional driver updates are available, and then check device manager to see if anything is unrecognized or working improperly. If so, go to Dell and get the drivers if you don't already have them, and install them. Once everything is good, then reinstall your applications and put your files back where you want them. That should cure any issue of repeat corruption.