Windows 7 "FORCE" re-install over existing win7 install?

[problemchild]

I recently ran into yet another win7 issue (man I hate win7) that I could not resolve. A customer became infected with a rootkit and mbr virus of some sort. It was nasty and fought back hard. No removal method was working. I tried everything I know of from doing this for 20+ years. The last straw was when one of the removal tools tried to remove the virus from the mbr and reboot. Upon reboot we got a BSOD. I attempted to run fixmbr and fixboot with no change in BSOD. I then attempted to reinstall win7 over the existing copy. Win7 refused to repair and only wanted to do a fresh install. I reluctantly did the fresh install and then had to reload everything else.

My question is this (I DO NOT WANT OTHER SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE)

Is there a way to --->BRUTE FORCE<--- win7 to re-install over an existing copy of win7 even though it fails the "stupid repair" option?

I tried searching but all links go to "repair" option info.

[Merc1138]

I recently ran into yet another win7 issue (man I hate win7) that I could not resolve. A customer became infected with a rootkit and mbr virus of some sort. It was nasty and fought back hard. No removal method was working. I tried everything I know of from doing this for 20+ years. The last straw was when one of the removal tools tried to remove the virus from the mbr and reboot. Upon reboot we got a BSOD. I attempted to run fixmbr and fixboot with no change in BSOD. I then attempted to reinstall win7 over the existing copy. Win7 refused to repair and only wanted to do a fresh install. I reluctantly did the fresh install and then had to reload everything else.

My question is this (I DO NOT WANT OTHER SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE)

Is there a way to --->BRUTE FORCE<--- win7 to re-install over an existing copy of win7 even though it fails the "stupid repair" option?

I tried searching but all links go to "repair" option info.

None that I know of, and nor would I want to in that situation.

Yank the HDD, plop it in a USB dock, backup anything important and format it.

[Corbin Dallas]

Have you run a mfc /scannow in cmd?

[CpuFixrMan]

I second this right here:

Yank the HDD, plop it in a USB dock, backup anything important and format it.

I also go so far as to recommend setting the drive aside, and never using it in a "production" box ever again. Lock it away, in case they/you missed something, so that a future retrieval is possible.

As inexpensive as drives are these days, it isn't worth the risk of asking yourself "Did I get it all? Did that format really work?" Drives these days aren't like drives of days past, where you could low level format them.

[bigmike82]

"win7 to re-install over an existing copy of win7 even though it fails the "stupid repair" option?"

Maybe I'm missing something, but isn't that what you ended up doing? Reinstalling over the old OS?

Or are you asking if it's possible to reinstall without wiping the drives?

[Nose Nuggets]

None that I know of, and nor would I want to in that situation.

Yank the HDD, plop it in a USB dock, backup anything important and format it.

This would be the best course of action.

I second this right here:



I also go so far as to recommend setting the drive aside, and never using it in a "production" box ever again. Lock it away, in case they/you missed something, so that a future retrieval is possible.

As inexpensive as drives are these days, it isn't worth the risk of asking yourself "Did I get it all? Did that format really work?" Drives these days aren't like drives of days past, where you could low level format them.

just make an image of it and put that someplace within your existing storage. no need to set the whole drive aside.

When you were originally trying to resolve the issue with software, did you try ComboFix? Its usually pretty good with rootkits.

[high_revs]

i think that OP is asking is to force win7 install over current installation and still keep all the files/programs/etc in it. if the repair is not working or reinstall not working, i've not seen a brute force method.

OP ended up doing what he didn't want to do - fresh format, and full reinstall of everything else. it's a big pita for support folks having to do that and time consuming.

[Smokeybehr]

I do more than a fresh format. I use a drive wiper like "DBAN" to completely wipe the drive and destroy all the partitions including the MBR.

There's no way to do a fresh install over the top of an old install like you could do with XP. I've tried several times with no luck.

[JDay]

I take it you did not use Google.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html