Windows 7 32 bit won't update.

Hello.

I just want some kind of short answer because I already have my big plan of re-installing it again soon.

For a couple of years now, I am having major difficulties in updating my OS.
Indeed. Everynight, updating attemps are failed.
I don't bother reading the error logs because they mean jack squat to me.
I am computer illiterate.

The chief reason that I think is causing this malfonction is maybe a conflict that I have created by partitionning my main hd - creating a C: and a D: and, being the person that I am, installed a windows startup in both partitions…
Please, no mean comments about this.
I am more than willing to learn. I love computers and would like to build one some day soon like in the next couple of years…

Anyways, one day I figured out how to delete my D: windows at startup.

Since my last windows install, let's say that it was in december 2012, my windows 7 updates always fail.
I tried reading up on it but the troubleshooting options failed.
Probably because I suck at it.

So, my question is : Is there a chance that a clean install will fix this bs or should I try and find a way before doing it?

I think that a clean install is the way to go.

What say ye me mateys?

Yes, save everything you want to keep, reformat all drives and partitions and do a fresh install.

I reinstall every 6 mo., most would say its overkill but totally worth it IMO.

sakichop said:

Yes, save everything you want to keep, reformat all drives and partitions and do a fresh install.

I reinstall every 6 mo., most would say its overkill but totally worth it IMO.

Click to expand...

yikes yes, overkill. That was advisable in the days up to Windows XP, but it's not really needed anymore.

I do a fresh install only with a new OS release (as in from XP to W7, not from W8 to W8.1).

As for the OP, take this time to improve your experience too. Get a Solid State Drive and install Windows there. 64GB works but 128 GB is better as you can install your currently played game there. Should be about $.50 per GB so the 128GB one should be about $70 or so. Windows will boot in literally less than 20 seconds and whatever game you install in there will load extremely fast.

That was my setup until not long ago. Now it's a 64GB SSD with just Windows, a 1TB HD for data, and 256GB SSD for games (since I only use my computer to play).

You can try with sfc /scannow in elevated command prompt* but from your description it doesn't look as if there is a corrupted system file, it's rather a bunch of messed settings somewhere inside registry and sfc can't fix that. Feel free to try it though, on classic HDD and not junk machine it will run for about 10-15 mins.

OS reinstall on wiped partition/disk c: is the best solution.

You don't have to kill d: or other parts of the disk just make sure you delete c: then create it back during the install.

I've never reinstalled Win7 unless I've switched HDD. Even when I've changed my mainboard, there was no need to reinstall it like older windows.
One thing is very important to say here. If you're messing with codecs and codecpacks, your OS will eventually fall into codec hell and there is no way to clean it up without OS reinstall. Klite pack has an util to attempt cleaning the mess, but it usually just can't fix the problem. Because of this I suggest installing and using VLC (videolan) for media as it doesn't care for system codecs nor will mess them.

Also I'm with wolfling - it's 2014. and you should start running OS on SSD.
So keep this "faulty" win7 running till you buy SSD then install OS on SSD. I use 240GB SSD for windows and apps, but not for games - they all go on classic disk (1TB HDD 7200 RPM vulgaris).
20 secs? On my machine windows 7 boot in about 5 secs. On wake from sleep, it loads fully before the monitor shows the screen.

———

* Start -> type cmd -> rightclick on cmd.exe that appears above and choose run as administrator

joxer said:

Also I'm with wolfling - it's 2014. and you should start running OS on SSD.
So keep this "faulty" win7 running till you buy SSD then install OS on SSD. I use 240GB SSD for windows and apps, but not for games - they all go on classic disk (1TB HDD 7200 RPM vulgaris).
20 secs? On my machine windows 7 boot in about 5 secs. On wake from sleep, it loads fully before the monitor shows the screen.

Click to expand...

Well I'm counting from the time the computer goes 'beep' so including whatever the BIOS takes to finish. It's actually about 18 seconds total.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

What I'll do is quite simple then :

Buy a new Kingston 64gb SSD and install Windows 7 on it and only this.
Oh well, maybe some apps too.

I think that this is the best solution because my C and D partitions are on a 6 year old hdd that is quite messed up. An SSD is a very good suggestion indeed.

If I had no other choice, maybe I would've fiddled with the other technical instructions but I am a very lazy person so my plan is set.

After work monday, I'm off to get that.

Many thanks to all.

Ok.

So I now hold that item in my hand.
What do I do now?
Write load SSD drive in DOS prompt and press play on tape?

What I mean is : Are there things I need to know before I proceed?

For instance, I read that such a drive must never be formated.
What else do I need to know?
Do I have to configure it in the Bios?

Thanks for any help!

Edit : Found this how to from Kingston. Pretty basic stuff. I can do this.

I have the anti-static wrist thingy, I have my original OEM Windows 7 disks and I even have and anti-static screwdriver.

The last thing I don't know is how to know if my Bios is up to date…
I have a Asus P5K-VM. Do I only go on their webpage and look around for a link to an update?
Ok, found where to update my Bios but how can I identify the one I have?

Do I have to reboot and use my superfast Superman eyes and note the number that I see?

EDIT : Btw Joxer, there are no integrity violations on my computer. Thanks for that info.

I also got out of my comfort zone and entered the Bios menu. It says that I am on version 02.58. That's weird because on Asus, it says that the 1rst mobo version is 03.04… Do I have a mobo demo???

And now, for my Sherlockian abilities, I have found out beyond the shadow of a doubt that the culprit is indeed my D installed OS that boots and gives the commands to my C installed OS.

Found this info at Tom's Hardware.

What tickled my attention is that I couldn't format my D.
The option was not available.
It also says that that partition is a System primary partition.
My C is a Boot primary partition.

Does all this make any sense to any of you?

All the clues tell me that when my SSD is installed, I'll get rid of that old and confused 320 Gb HDD. I'll hammer it to pieces.

Finally, I won't be installing my new SSD tonight because I was given the wrong bracket and I decided that I want a 120Gb SSD.

I guess I won't add anything more to this thread until I successfully complete my journey to a faster PC in the year 2014…

I wouldn't worry too much about the BIOS being up to date, well at least I never did, but my computers (motherboards) were never more than 5 or 6 years old. Also Windows 7 should know what to do with your SSD. Check this Maximum PC guide http://www.maximumpc.com/supercharge_your_pc_ssd_2014 for more info.

Wait, why not 64 GB SSD?
Grab it, it's not utterly expensive and is good enough for win7, win8, win8.1 and upcoming win9. It won't hold huge apps like for example Cubase with VST libraries, but if you use such apps you'll have those installed on HDD. Also forget installing new Wolfenstein on it!

In a year or two when prices drop buy a bigger one. This one you can always keep as OS drive or sell on ebay. Or "smash to pieces"…

Win7 does know what to do when you instruct it to be installed on SSD, been there, done that. Asks no questions, just installs itself and runs perfectly. And then it starts the annoying longterm and a few restarts required updating process that depends only on your internet connection as bloody M$ refuses to release SP2 for win7.
Don't flash BIOS unless it's stated it has problems with SSD!

And what press play on tape?
Open the rig, find unused cables and plug SDD, glue it somewhere if there is no proper spot for it (it should fit into FDD spot). Close the rig, start the machine and check if it recognized SSD is inside.
That's it.

I just wondered whether an SSD would help my WinXP machine, too ? *scratches head*

Just don't do it! Please.
The bottleneck would be everything else. It's just like putting nVidia Titan in old machine, you can never get max from it.

Change the machine first, buy SSD later. I'm pretty sure you can combine a very decent machine for about 400€ so stick to the plan of saving about 70€ per month till next xmas when everything will be on sale. A decent means it won't be a monster, still it'll run everything.

If I knew earlier about your XP system Arik I could have send you bits and pieces from my machine. While it certainly wasn't new (Intel Core2 Duo), it was running Windows 7 64 bits like a dream and I did play Witcher 2 on it as well.
As it is, my old machine went to my brother who uses it to check emails twice a week…

joxer said:

Wait, why not 64 GB SSD?

Click to expand...

I finally decided on keeping the 64 gb for os and apps.

joxer said:

And what press play on tape?

Click to expand...

lol I was referring to the good old days of my Commodore Vic-20.
When you wanted to play a game, you had to write Load Game name on the prompt. Then, it would tell you to press play on tape. So you had to push down the button on a device in which a radio cassette was in that held the information of the game. You had to wait something like 15 minutes for the game to be ready then you had to write Run to play!

So, after many adventures, I have arrived in 2014 with a 64GB SSD for OS, a 240 GB SSD for games and a 1T for the rest.

The 2 only things left are :

1) Install my 240 GB SSD in the Chassis but there is no space for it.
Damn my small Chenbro Chassis…
2) Clean my cpu and put on new thermal paste. Really scared to do this.

Thanks to all for the info.

And I guess that my system does boot faster! Sweet.
Oh, and everything is fine now. It really was my crapped up HDD that had faulty installed Windows on two partitions.

Installing SSD within the case is much less of a hassle than HD. Since it is much snaller and there are no moving parts, you can put it down anywhere within the case without any mounting screws. Or drill 4 holes in the backplate and mount it this way.

zahratustra said:

Installing SSD within the case is much less of a hassle than HD. Since it is much snaller and there are no moving parts, you can put it down anywhere within the case without any mounting screws. Or drill 4 holes in the backplate and mount it this way.

Click to expand...

actually they're so small that you can get brackets that hold 2 of them in one slot.

Cool. Didn't know that. I'll get one of those when I get the opportunity.

Thanks for the info.

Ok so my 2 new ssd's are functioning properly.

Now, I'm left with a dilemma.
Indeed. Somehow, a .net framework has installed itself (well, I don't really know if it's installed. I just know that it's there and I never told it to go there…), probably during an update, to the last normal hdd that I want to take out of my case. It's a hdd that I strongly suspect has been causing me some headaches for around 3 years now.

So, how can I determine which .net framework it is and how can I take out my hdd without causing harm to my new windows install?

The folder of the .net framework in question is called :

D:\9277a32cec3aa308fd5573.

Can I just take out the hdd disk and see how windows react???
Is he going to cry out in pain? :lol:

Edit : The eula speaks of .net framework 4 :

MICROSOFT SOFTWARE SUPPLEMENTAL LICENSE TERMS
MICROSOFT .NET FRAMEWORK 4 FOR MICROSOFT WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM
MICROSOFT .NET FRAMEWORK 4 CLIENT PROFILE FOR MICROSOFT WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM
AND ASSOCIATED LANGUAGE PACKS

unless you manually set something to install in the D drive I wouldn't worry. You should be able to remove the old drive after a fresh install of Windows.

D:\9277a32cec3aa308fd5573

Click to expand...

Restart PC.
Delete that and similar pile of letters and numbers folders. It'll brag probably that you need to confirm the deletion so confirm it. Those are temp folders that are created during the installation of Microsoft's software packs and were supposed to be automatically deleted after the installation because they're not needed anymore.

And as wolfling said, feel free to take out HDD.

joxer said:

Restart PC.
Delete that and similar pile of letters and numbers folders. It'll brag probably that you need to confirm the deletion so confirm it. Those are temp folders that are created during the installation of Microsoft's software packs and were supposed to be automatically deleted after the installation because they're not needed anymore.

And as wolfling said, feel free to take out HDD.

Click to expand...

Didn't delete them files.
Got back from work last tuesday and took out that HDD.

The damned computer was crying because he couldn't find a boot drive or something so he told me to press ctrl alt delete…

Had to re-install the OS again… or could I have been able just to repair it?
I'll never know since it's been done.

Anyways, another numbered file appeared again on my D drive.
This time, it's the 4.5.2 .net framework one...
For the time being, I'm not touching it with a 40 foot pole…

So I consider this thread closed.
Thanks for the answers.