Windows 10 Upgrade Installation via DVD without booting into Windows 7


  1. Posts : 4
    Windows 7
       #1

    Windows 10 Upgrade Installation via DVD without booting into Windows 7


    My Dad's laptop running Windows 7 crashed the other day, and after running Startup Repair, it found that compbatt.sys was corrupt. I tried copying over a good version from my pc & recovery partition but that only resulted in a blue screen.

    Today, I attempted to do an upgrade installation of Windows 10 in order to preserve his files,etc.
    We have a backup, but he's not 100% sure on it's content.

    I was able to boot off of the Win 10 DVD and select Upgrade Installation, but then it stops, and a message pops up (paraphrasing here) that I need to boot into Windows 7 for it to proceed.

    As I am unable to boot into Windows 7 due to the corrupt system file, I'm asking for a way to force Windows 10 to proceed with the Upgrade Installation WITHOUT having to boot into Windows 7.

    I've prepared my Dad for the fact that we may need to do a clean install (7 or 10), and suggested we'd have to pull the HDD from his laptop and use my HDD cradle to scavenge for any files, but his laptop would take full disassembly (remove keyboard/etc) to get to the HDD.

    Thanks for any help in allowing us to proceed with the Win 10 Upgrade Installation without having to boot into Win 7 which is corrupt. Googling hasn't given me any clue thus far.

    Looking forward to people smarter than me helping me to a path forward without a loss of data and not having to take apart the laptop.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 19,516
    W11+W11 Developer Insider + Linux
       #2

    Did you try just Repair option ?
      My Computers


  3. Posts : 3,502
    Win_8.1-Pro, Win_10.1607-Pro, Mint_17.3
       #3

    Log420 said:
    My Dad's laptop running Windows 7 crashed the other day, and after running Startup Repair, it found that compbatt.sys was corrupt. I tried copying over a good version from my pc & recovery partition but that only resulted in a blue screen.
    ...
    See if this helps

    System File Checker - offline

    Boot the machine from a system repair disc (or your Windows install media)

    Click Repair your computer.

    Note the drive letter !!! - you will use it when you enter the SFC command

    Windows 10 Upgrade Installation via DVD without booting into Windows 7-winsysrecovery-.jpg

    Select the Windows installation
    press Next
    Select Command Prompt
    Type in the following command

    sfc /scannow /offbootdir=D:\ /offwindir=D:\windows
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 14,046
    Windows 11 Pro X64 22H2 22621.1848
       #4

    If you install without formatting the drive/partition, the current installation will be moved into a C:\Windows.old folder. Once the install is complete you can move the data from C:\Windows.old into the normal C:\ folder structure.

    C:\Windows.old\Users\youraccount\Documents, Desktop, Favorites, Pictures, etc.

    You will have to reinstall all software, not copy it from Windows.old but at least you won't lose data.

    I would strongly recommend you do a full image backup before doing this just in case something goes wrong.
    A good way to do this is to use KYHI's Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable PE Rescue Disk to create a bootable DVD or flash drive.

    Boot it andrun Macrium Reflect to do the image backup to an external hard drive.

    I realize you are backing up a non-working system but it will contain all your dad's data which is the important part.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 4
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #5

    CountMike - I was unable to do a Repair Installation of Win7 because the dvd I have is the original Win7, and Dad's is fully up to data, so not the same version of Win7.

    Slarty - I tried SFC, even with those parameters, and it says it can't repair the file.

    Ztruker - I can't do the upgrade installation to Win10 as it wants to reboot into Win7 to begin the process. I'll look into the PE Rescue Disk and see if I can make any headway that way, as it sounds like that could save me from laptop disassembly to remove the hdd and use my hdd cradle externally.

    Thanks to all for your replies, time, and ideas.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 4
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Ztruker said:
    I would strongly recommend you do a full image backup before doing this just in case something goes wrong.
    A good way to do this is to use KYHI's Windows 10 Recovery Tools - Bootable PE Rescue Disk to create a bootable DVD or flash drive.

    Boot it andrun Macrium Reflect to do the image backup to an external hard drive.

    I realize you are backing up a non-working system but it will contain all your dad's data which is the important part.
    I see KYHI's tools are Win10/Win8.1 - will either of those work on Win7 as that is what is currently on the machine, although as I mentioned, I can't boot into it due to the corrupt compbatt.sys.
    I'm assuming Macrium Reflect is part of the Rescue Disk?
    Thanks again for your assistance.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #7

    Macrium reflect is part of Kyhi's recovery drive and it will work with Windows 7. Before it does an image, though, it checks the file system for integrity so if the Windows 7 file system is too messed up, it won't make an image from it. But definitely worth a try.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 4
    Windows 7
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Thanks, Navy - I'll get the Win10 KYHI disk and see what happens.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 14,046
    Windows 11 Pro X64 22H2 22621.1848
       #9

    Ztruker - I can't do the upgrade installation to Win10 as it wants to reboot into Win7 to begin the process. I'll look into the PE Rescue Disk and see if I can make any headway that way, as it sounds like that could save me from laptop disassembly to remove the hdd and use my hdd cradle externally.
    I didn't say to do an upgrade. It's a full install without formatting by booting the DVD or flash drive, so the old install gets moved into a C:\Windows.old folder tree. That means all your data will still be there and available once the new install is complete.

    Still best to backup what you currently have before doing anything.
      My Computers


  10. Posts : 2
    Windows 10
       #10

    Windows 10 Upgrade Installation via DVD without booting into Windows 7


    First things first. You need to deal with hardware now. You need two dvd drives, one that is connected to a computer that does work. First, find a Windows 10 iso. Burn it onto an empty disc. Take the disk, and insert it into the dvd drive of your broken pc. Restart. When it boots, press any letter to boot from dvd or cd. Select language settings, and install Windows 10.
      My Computer


 

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