[SOLVED] Updating legit windows 7 corrupted my installation after reboot.

ReignOfHell

Commendable
Aug 7, 2020
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Title says it all.. was installing updates for 2 hours straight after reinstalling my windows 7 os to fix registry and latency issues...

Pc rebooted, installing updates screen appeared, logged into windows, then upon logging in it said to reboot. So i did, then i got a permanent boot loop 'insert boot drive'

Anyone know a fix to this.. or if i can remove my old os key and just get win 10?
 
Solution
Huh. Didn't know that. So would it be fine even if the installation is corrupted, but the drive still has the code, or is that an win8/8.1 bios thing?
You have the Win 7 license key written down?

If so, just do a full wipe and reinstall of Win 10.
Skip entering the license key.

After the install, then try activating it with that license key.

No 'update' from 7/8/8.1....clean install of WIn 10.

ReignOfHell

Commendable
Aug 7, 2020
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1,545
Oh i have the key wrote down, and the drive works, but after installing updates (how else would my os corrupt...)

But it is on a drive that will not load windows activated, so i was trying to remove it so i can ATTEMPT a reinstallx or just say f it and install win10.


I have had REALLY bad experiences with using a cd key for my pc after a drive busted with it still installed before.

Usually ends up with (this cd key cannot install windows)
 

ReignOfHell

Commendable
Aug 7, 2020
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1,545
Looked on google for an answer and they all say 'retrieve product key from hard drive that doesnt boot' not remove it from that drive so i can make 100% sure it wont cause me to lose my key.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Yes, but ive had issues before where my key got permanently disabled for reinstalling because i didnt remove the key first before reinstalling.
Reinstalling on a new drive happens often. Broken drive, bad virus infection, whatever.
The activation server farm does not know about a drive that is offline.

Unless you're doing it a LOT, a reinstall with a VALID license should be no issue.

There are various slmgr functions that could be run to tell an OS install it has no license (from a working system).
That does NOT talk to home base.

If it is a valid license, and for some reason it results in 'Not Working'...that is when you call MS.
 

ReignOfHell

Commendable
Aug 7, 2020
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1,545
Huh. Didn't realize it would work if code wasn't deactivated. So would it be fine even if the installation is corrupted, but the drive still has the code, or is that an win8/8.1 bios thing?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Huh. Didn't know that. So would it be fine even if the installation is corrupted, but the drive still has the code, or is that an win8/8.1 bios thing?
You have the Win 7 license key written down?

If so, just do a full wipe and reinstall of Win 10.
Skip entering the license key.

After the install, then try activating it with that license key.

No 'update' from 7/8/8.1....clean install of WIn 10.

 
Solution

ReignOfHell

Commendable
Aug 7, 2020
58
0
1,545
I gave it one last shot.

Reinstalled 7, updated windows update itself, so it would validate my key.

Restarted without getting any updates, said was genuine/activated, and i know for a fact it is.

Installed a few updates, restarted pc, installed updates, logged in, downloaded a mobo driver, restarted aaaand lo and behold, 'please insert a valid boot device' telling me it corrupted again..

Welp. Guess windows 10 it is.

The only thing i can think of is that theres a VERY buggy update which is causing corruption in my OS.

And i checked once again, the drive loads fine in any other pc i own, making it a windows update issue.. and ive been trying to get this to work for 12 hours at this point because some games i have are incompatible with win10