Windows 7 Problems after a Re-install of Windows7

GhopR

Well-Known Member
I had to do a re-install today with Windows 7. After the re-install it set up a drive labeled "System K" and I also have a folder called "Windows old". Now I did have back up disc that
I made in June that I used after the re-install. That gave me back about 97% of my important info for my apps to run. The rest I was able to download again. My problem is that not everything is working like it should. I can't get certain programs (Like Active Desktop Calendar) to start up at Windows start up, even though I check the box to do that. Also, on my task bar I noticed that when I hover over an icon with my pointer, the title of the program shows but with a "(2)" after it. This is on almost all of the icons I have in the task bar. A few examples are: iTunes, Windows Live Messenger, Spybot-Search & Destroy, Money, so on and so on. I don't understand how I could be having 2 copies of any of these programs or icons.

Can I delete that drive labeled "System K" and the folder labeled "Windows old"? Would that mess up my OS?

I could really use some help.
GhopR:(
 
The windows.old is the entire old OS. When you install Win 7 over another OS, even Win 7 it creates this folder. You may get all your old data from this folder. Can you run Disk Manager and post a snap shot so we can see what this System K is? Type Disk Management in the search box and select Create and format hard drive partitions. This is what mine looks like:

DiskManagement.jpg
 
The windows.old is the entire old OS. When you install Win 7 over another OS, even Win 7 it creates this folder. You may get all your old data from this folder. Can you run Disk Manager and post a snap shot so we can see what this System K is? Type Disk Management in the search box and select Create and format hard drive partitions. This is what mine looks like:

View attachment 16691

First thank you for replying to my problem. Here is the snap shot you asked for. I hope this helps.
Windows7 Drives.PNG

I'm also having problems with certain things not remain as I set them...Certain .wav files that I have always used for different actions in Windows7, now will not allow me to assign the .wav file to a action, i.e.: critical stop.
And I can't get one program to start up on Windows7 start up, even though I set my preference in the program to start up that way. It's like certain things Windows7 will not do anymore since my re-install.
GhopR :(
 
I have not seen a Windows 7 install put a drive letter on the System partition(K) and no, do not delete it. So there must have been something different about your install.

Have you tried removing disk 1, since it seems to have an active partition and see what happens?

How did you reinstall, from within the first install, or as a custom install by booting to the DVD?
 
Disc 1 is a thumb drive that I have my Microsoft Money files on and I use it as an external back up for Money (I know it's an out dated program, but it works for my needs.)
I did the re-install by booting to the DVD.

How this all came to be is that I was trying to remove IE9 so my son could use our state's unemployment website. It only runs on IE8. Well as I was removing it, I left the computer while it was uninstalling IE9. My son, went back to my computer, after a while he thought it was "hung up" some how and did a force shut down. When he turn the computer back on, it loaded OK, but all my alphabet characters were now symbols! I couldn't read anything...Everything, all icons labels, all programs names, all menu items, anything that used to be in English was now in symbols...Now my webpages were OK, but my favorites list on both Firefox (my default browser) and IE8 were in symbols. So, as a last resort I did the re-install. Then after I was back to "normal" I use some back up disc I had made and ran those to get all my settings back. So for the most part I'm up and running like before, I was able to keep all my favorites for both FF and IE8, all my Thunderbird contacts and emails, really all important data, but like I said, simple things just aren't working any more, plus It has that (2) next to all my task bar icons when hovering over them.

Hope you don't mind the long version, I just thought it might help to know exactly what happen step by step.

Thanks,
GhopR:)
 
Windows 7 installs in a certain way. The fact you have an active partition on drive 1 may be related, which is why I asked you to remove it to boot.

For future reference, the compatibility option may allow IE9 to work on that web site.

But you have what you have, so I suppose all I might recommend is to run a System File Check to see if your core files are OK. Open an administrative command prompt and type:

SFC /scannow

Maybe it will find some problems and replace some errant files.

If you decide to reinstall, you can do a repair install where you start the install from within Windows. If you have SP1 already installed, it seems you can now download an SP1 version of the Install DVD and use that. But a repair install will leave all your programs intact.

For now, I will assume the situation you are seeing is being caused by the way the backups were restored.
 
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Windows 7 installs in a certain way. The fact you have an active partition on drive 1 may be related, which is why I asked you to remove it to boot.

For future reference, the compatibility option may allow IE9 to work on that web site.

But you have what you have, so I suppose all I might recommend is to run a System File Check to see if your core files are OK. Open an administrative command prompt and type:

SFC /scannow

Maybe it will find some problems and replace some errant files.

If you decide to reinstall, you can do a repair install where you start the install from within Windows. If you have SP1 already installed, it seems you can now download an SP1 version of the Install DVD and use that. But a repair install will leave all your programs intact.

For now, I will assume the situation you are seeing is being caused by the way the backups were restored.

Thanks again. I'm thinking of doing a repair install following what you told me. I did repair installs on XP all the time and never had a problem. So I guess that I have nothing to lose trying a repair install now. Hopefully, that might set things straight once again.

Take care,
GhopR :)
 
I suppose a disclaimer should be given, the fact you are showing (2) on some things might not be repaired with a reinstall. I don't know one way or the other, but just bringing up a point.

Hopefully it will, however, repair some of the other operational problems.
 
I have heard many times of people having problems when booting if a flash drive is installed during boot. I would take saltgrass suggestion and remove the flash during boot.

The system drive generally includes MBR and Bitencoder info if it's available. If you delete it you may have a problem booting at all and would need to repair your MBR to even be able to boot into windows. Why it was given a drive number I do not know. Perhaps it was because of the way you reinstalled, who knows. I would leave it alone for now.
 
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