• Anonymous Rahul
    1 Mar 2011 4:37 PM

    @someone: A repair install was another way to get around in XP. Though it seemed simpler it sent the DC (2003 OS) go haywire on some occasions.

    Jos: I miss the repair install for XP. I understand it being gone with the new Windows install model but there should be something for the Win7 (may be Win8) if not for the servers...!!!! Repair was a very simple solution of solving corruption to OS files.. Even virus infected machines could have been atleast bought up with a repair and then scanned.. treated & cleaned.. I can go on abt how much it was of help for a common user (Non Tech user) of XP... & I hv read from your blog & others at MS on how the new model is better.. but make some changes and give back the most needed repair back...!!!

  • joscon [Microsoft] joscon [Microsoft]
    1 Mar 2011 4:40 PM

    Understood, in some ways I wish we had that option as well at times but realistically, we have all of the options for corruption repair in the OS now (SFC, DISM commands, etc) so unless you have massive corruption which would require a new installation, its there.

  • Anonymous Rahul
    1 Mar 2011 5:53 PM

    All the steps are too complicated & TIME CONSUMING for a common user to be used. There is really no benefit vis-a-vis, the time and the guarantee that they would really solve the problem... (The corruption being too high).

  • Anonymous Rahul
    1 Mar 2011 6:17 PM

    Just to add that there is need to be concerned about the size of CHKSUR too as all Windows users across the globe are not blessed with fast internet speeds.. You really need to provide other ways may be an online server along the lines of a symbol server for debugging looks a viable alternative and you can let us choose to download the chksur or go the online route...!!

  • joscon [Microsoft] joscon [Microsoft]
    1 Mar 2011 6:26 PM

    I would still disagree with you on your first point.  If you have the type of corruption that required a repair install in WinXP, the alleviation of that problem is the same in Vista/Win7 (reinstall).  Additionally, the remediation steps such as CheckSUR are nothing an end user would have an issue with as its automated.

    I'll give you the point about CheckSUR size in relation to internet speeds, and that is something we have conversations about internally a lot.

  • Anonymous Drewfus
    3 Apr 2011 4:16 AM

    @Rahul "All the steps are too complicated & TIME CONSUMING for a common user to be used."

    So what do you suggest? I'd suggest a new CPL called "Windows Subsystems Repair", with tabs for major OS subsystem categories, like Servicing, Hardware, Media, Networking, Performance and Shell. Each tab would have links to appropriate tools and troubleshooters, like these;

    www.microsoft.com/.../details.aspx

    These tools would either fix faults, and/or reset component states to factory defaults. (This might require access to xml files like unattend.xml.) The Servicing tab covers servicing and WU. There are links to "1. System Update Readiness Tool", "2. System File Checker", "3. Reset Windows Update", etc. If CheckSUR is missing or not current, the user is prompted to download the latest version. At the end of each step the user is prompted with option to view log. Dialog includes link to "How to read log X" on Support site. Some of this might look a bit rough - popping up command windows and displaying text files in Notepad - but who cares if it's enough to make your system work and avoid a reinstall?

    Regarding the CheckSUR download size & time, would it be sensible to have a scheduled task that commenced a BITS d/l - maybe once per quarter - so that the latest version was usually on users systems, just in case they needed to run it?

<