Possible to repair using windows 10 disc?

Gerald,

Yes. Clean Install - TenForumsTutorials

1 You can copy your own files to an external drive

2 You can backup your drivers to an external drive Backup and Restore Device Drivers - TenForumsTutorials

3 It would also be worth checking your activation in Settings, Updates, Activation. If it is activated with a digital licence you will be able to skip the product key step of the reinstallation procedure and your computer will re-activate when it goes online afterwards. If it was properly activated then you did not need to buy a new licence.

4 Have you made system images? If not then doing so now would give you a much quicker recovery - make an image [say, 20 mins], restore the image to the new drive [again, say, 20 mins]. This depends on the existing drive being in a suitable condition and, from your comments, I think it is not. So consider this for future routine action instead.
Macrium Reflect Free is often recommended in this forum and there is plenty of help available here for it.
Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect - TenForumsTutorials
Macrium Software Macrium Reflect Free
Macrium USB - TenForums
Macrium Reflect KnowledgeBase - user guide [version-independent link]
I use Acronis TI not Macrium Reflect so I cannot provide any help for it but many others in this forum can & do.

I think that's what you were asking.

Denis

Gerald,

I am a bit concerned that your question title does not seem to match your remarks. So, if I have misunderstood, please explain.

There is a procedure called a Repair install [also called an InPlace Upgrade] that is indeed a repair that uses the Windows 10 disc. But it is not an appropriate procedure at the moment given that your drive is failing.

Denis

Gerald,

warmbells said:

When it does finally start I am unable to access explorer

1 I thought it was merely "slow" to start.
'explorer' is Windows. If File explorer will not run then Windows itself is not operating correctly.
Perhaps you could get it to work well enough to rescue things by running a Repair install [link above] even though you know you are going to replace the drive later on anyway.

2 You could try getting to your own files by
2.1 putting the existing drive in an external USB-connected enclosure and using File explorer to dig around that when you are on a working system, or
2.2 booting from your existing Windows 10 installation disk then choosing Repair your computer and working through its menu system to its Command prompt option and using that to poke around the system.
The first is simpler. The second would probably need further explanation.

3 I do not know of a method of backing up drivers except by being in Windows. The backup method I linked you to uses a Command prompt so perhaps it can rescue your drivers even though you have problems getting File explorer to run.

Denis

If Windows won't start then I would use this boot disk and then hopefully access your wife's files, at a minimum. I say hopefully as a damaged disk is just that, damaged. I would create boot disk on your machine.

Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable Rescue Disk


I might actually start with the above boot disk. Downloading, Installing and backing up full disk might just push the damage drive to full failure.

If you want to create bootable USB we can supply steps or just burn to DVD.


I've found that when I use an ailing drive in a USB enclosure I need to take ownership of files and that again involves a lot of activity on drive.

When I boot from boot disk I'm just allowed to access drive and copy files out.

Gerald,

I returned to this thread because I have been looking up that utility you mentioned, Easy Recovery Essentials.
Guide and Alternative to Easy Recovery Essentials Free
Re Easy recovery essentials - TenForums

Exactly what did that utility say about your hard drive?
- I appreciate that you will be better off with a modern disk anyway
- Is that utility accurate or do you actually have a Windows problem that the utility has reported incorrectly / confusingly? I found no reference to hard drive error scans on its website so could not learn about it myself.

---

Ken's suggested tool for booting then using to rescue your own files is a good one. I'd use my Windows 10 installation disk but that's because I am already familiar with playing around with it.

Both Ken & I have been basing our guidance on the assumed reliability of that utility and hence on its claim that your disk is defective.

Denis

and I'm going to bet Windows will install 99% of your drivers. Local shops are great but as they want to be a productive as possible I'll bet that is how they setup in the first place.

Easy Recovery Essentials

Just use the Boot Recovery Disc you already have.
Don't worry about drivers, If for some reason you require drivers, go to the Fujitsu web site and download them directly from the manufacturer.