Repair Install Windows 8

How to Repair Install Windows 8 and 8.1 without Losing Anything

information   Information
Windows 8 introduced the option to refresh and reset your PC to repair or reinstall Windows 8 with as needed. These new features are great for what they are intended for, but there are some drawbacks to them.

When you reset your PC, it will basically give you a clean install (retail) or factory recovery (preinstalled OEM) of Windows 8 afterwards. You will lose everything from your current Windows 8 installation.

When you refresh your PC, this basically repairs Windows 8 by reinstalling it while keeping your files, Store apps, most of your settings, etc..... However, all installed 3rd party desktop apps will be removed. If you like, you could create a custom refresh image to not lose anything, but this will require creating new custom refresh images every so often to keep it updated to not lose anything since the last image was created.


This tutorial will show you how to do a repair install (aka: in-place upgrade install) to fix your currently installed Windows 8 without losing anything. For example, desktop apps.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do a repair install of Windows 8.

Note   Note
Settings that will be Preserved when doing a Repair Install
  • All user accounts.
  • Files in all users' C:\Users\(user-name) folders. (ex: Desktop, My Documents, My Music, etc...)
  • Wireless network connections.
  • Apps from the Windows Store will be kept.
  • All installed 3rd party desktop programs will be kept.
  • Mobile broadband connections.
  • BitLocker and BitLocker To Go settings.
  • Windows Firewall settings.
  • Drive letter assignments.
  • File type associations set per user.
  • Metro apps settings per user.
  • Display settings.
  • Personalization settings such as lock screen background and desktop wallpaper.
  • All users' PC settings will be kept.
  • Choices you made during Windows Welcome, such as computer name and user accounts, will not change.
  • Network, Libraries, and Windows Update settings will not change.
  • Customer Experience Improvement Program settings will not change.
  • Windows Error Reporting settings will not change.
  • Some drivers may or may not be removed, but usually will remain.
Settings that will be NOT be Preserved when doing a Repair Install
  • Installed Windows Updates will be removed.
  • Some drivers may or may not be removed, but usually will remain.

warning   Warning

  • You will only be able to do a repair install from within Windows 8.
  • You will not be able to do a repair install at boot or in Safe Mode.
  • You must have at least 8.87 GB + what is currently being used of free space on the hard drive/partition that Windows 8 is installed on. You may need more if you have a larger installation.
Be sure to back up anything that you do not want to lose before doing a repair install just to be extra safe. For example, if you lose power in the middle of doing the repair install.



Here's How:

1. Start Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, and sign in to an administrator account.

2. Disable any 3rd party firewall, antivirus, or other security program to avoid it from possibly preventing the repair in-place upgrade installation of Windows 8.

3. Do step 4 or 5 below depending on what you would like to use to do the repair install with.

4. If Using a Windows 8/8.1 DVD or USB to do a Repair Install with

Note   Note


A) Insert/connect and open the DVD or USB, and go to step 6 below.​

5. If Using a Windows 8/8.1 ISO file to do a Repair Install with

Note   Note

  • The ISO you use must be for the same language as the Windows edition you currently have installed.
  • If you have Windows 8 installed, then you must use a Windows 8 ISO.
  • If you have Windows 8.1 installed, then you must use a Windows 8.1 ISO.
  • If you have Windows 8.1 Update installed, then you must use a Windows 8.1 Update ISO.
  • If you have 32-bit Windows installed, then you can only use a 32-bit Windows ISO.
  • If you have 64-bit Windows installed, then you can only use a 64-bit Windows ISO.
  • If you installed 64-bit Windows with UEFI, then you can only use a 64-bit Windows ISO.


B) Open the mounted ISO from This PC if it didn't automatically open, and go to step 6 below.​

6. Double click/tap on the setup file to run it. (see screenshot below)
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-1.jpg

7. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.

8. If this is for Windows 8 Enterprise, then click/tap on Install now. (see screenshot below)
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-1A.jpg

9. If prompted, select (dot) Download and install updates, and click/tap on Next (Windows 8/8.1 or Windows 8/8.1 Pro). (see screenshots below)
NOTE: If any updates are found, then they will be installed, and installation will restart and continue on to step 10.
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-2.png
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-2B.jpg

10. Enter your product key that matches the installed edition of Windows, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

Note   Note
The product key you enter must match what you are installing, or it will not work.

If you have a Windows 8 product key with Windows 8 installed, then you are good.

If you have a Windows 8.1 product key with Windows 8.1 or Windows 8.1 Update installed, then you are good.

If you have a Windows 8 product key with Windows 8.1 or Windows 8.1 Update installed, then you would need to enter a generic key below to install with, and change the product key later on in step 24 below to activate with your Windows 8 key instead.

If you have Windows 8 Enterprise, Windows 8. Enterprise, or Windows 8.1 Update Enterprise installed, then you would need to change the product key later on in step 24 below to activate since Enterprise editions do not ask to enter a key at this step.

  • Windows 8 (core): FB4WR-32NVD-4RW79-XQFWH-CYQG3
  • Windows 8 Pro: XKY4K-2NRWR-8F6P2-448RF-CRYQH
  • Windows 8 Pro with Media Center: RR3BN-3YY9P-9D7FC-7J4YF-QGJXW

  • Windows 8.1 (core): 334NH-RXG76-64THK-C7CKG-D3VPT
  • Windows 8.1 Pro: XHQ8N-C3MCJ-RQXB6-WCHYG-C9WKB
  • Windows 8.1 Pro with Media Center: GBFNG-2X3TC-8R27F-RMKYB-JK7QT
  • Windows 8.1 Enterprise: MNDGV-M6PKV-DV4DR-CYY8X-2YRXH OR FHQNR-XYXYC-8PMHT-TV4PH-DRQ3H
KMS setup keys (8/8.1): Appendix A: KMS Client Setup Keys


Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-3.jpg

11. Check the I accept the license terms box, and click/tap on Accept (Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro) or Next (Windows 8 Enterprise). (see screenshots below)
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-4.jpg
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-4B.jpg

12. If this is for Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro, then select (dot) Keep Windows settings, personal files, and apps, click/tap on Next, and go to step 14 below. (see screenshot below)
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-5.jpg

13. If this is for Windows 8 Enterprise, then click/tap on Upgrade: Install Windows and keep files, settings, and applications. (see screenshot below)
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-5B.jpg

14. Windows 8 will now check for compatibility issues to see if you'll need to do anything to get your PC ready for Windows 8. If anything is found, you will need to take care of them before continuing. (see screenshot below)
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-6.jpg

15. If this is for Windows 8 or Windows 8 Pro and no issues were found from step 14 above, then click/tap on Install. (see screenshot below)
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-7.jpg

16. Windows 8 will now start to install. The computer will restart a few times during this. (see screenshots below)
NOTE: This will take a while to finish.
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-8.jpg
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-8B.jpg
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-9.jpg

17. When Windows 8 is finished installing, select a color you like, and click/tap Next. (see screenshot below)
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-10.jpg

18. Click/tap on Use Express settings. (see screenshot below)
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-11.jpg

19. Do step 20 or 21 below depending on if your primary administrator account is a local account or Microsoft account.

20. If you have a Microsoft Account
A) Go to step 22 below.​

21. If you have a Local Account
A) Enter the password for the displayed account, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)​
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-12.jpg
B) Click/tap on Skip, and go to step 22 below. (see screenshot below)​
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-13.jpg

22. Windows 8 will now startup signed into your administrator account. (see screenshots below)
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-14.jpg
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-15.jpg

23. Use Disk Cleanup to delete at least the Previous Windows installation(s), Setup Log Files, Temporary Windows installation files, and Windows upgrade log files items to free up the large amount hard drive space that they take. (see screenshots below)
Windows_8_Repair_Install_Windows-16.jpg

24. If you have an Enterprise edition or needed to use a generic key to install with from step 10 above, then you will need to change the product key to be able to enter the product key and activate it. (see screenshots below)
Change_Product_Key-Enterprise.jpg

25. Check for and install any available Windows Updates.

26. If needed, refresh or update you Windows Experience Index (WEI) score.


That's it,
Shawn


 

Attachments

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Last edited:
It would need to be at least for the same version of what you currently have installed to have the option to keep everything.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Hi!

So I got pretty screwed today trying to install AMD chipset drivers (got BSOD lost usb ports) and this doesn't work for me, I get a "very helpful" I "installing windows 8.1 unsuscessful" message. So I think I need to start over.

How can I keep at least my account if I install windows normally?
Are they "keep personal files" and "nothing" options likely to work? (What do they do exactly? Does "nothing" erase my user account?)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Ryzen 5 1600
    Motherboard
    Asus Prime B350-PLUS
    Memory
    G.SKILL Trident Z 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3000MHz F4-3000C15D-16GTZB
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (Asus ENGTS450)
    PSU
    500w FSP
Hello avada, :)

If you like, you could refresh Windows 8 to keep your accounts and personal files. However, all 3rd party installed apps will be removed.

:arrow: Refresh Windows 8
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Hello avada, :)

If you like, you could refresh Windows 8 to keep your accounts and personal files. However, all 3rd party installed apps will be removed.

:arrow:Refresh Windows 8
I'd rather install with the win 8.1 I got from the microsoft store (which supposedly has all updates), but I definitely want to keep my account, I hate having to mess around with ntfs persmissions...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Ryzen 5 1600
    Motherboard
    Asus Prime B350-PLUS
    Memory
    G.SKILL Trident Z 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3000MHz F4-3000C15D-16GTZB
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (Asus ENGTS450)
    PSU
    500w FSP
It'll refresh to same Windows 8.1 you currently have installed.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
It'll refresh to same Windows 8.1 you currently have installed.
You mean the new disk I have, which I want to use? Is that with the "keep personal files option"? (So does the "nothing" option mean a reset?)

(I of course know that the refresh feature does in the installed version. Not sure if I have the disk for it though)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Ryzen 5 1600
    Motherboard
    Asus Prime B350-PLUS
    Memory
    G.SKILL Trident Z 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3000MHz F4-3000C15D-16GTZB
    Graphics Card(s)
    nVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 (Asus ENGTS450)
    PSU
    500w FSP
Correct "nothing" would do a reset, and "keep personal files" would do a refresh.

You would only be prompted to "insert media" (Windows 8.1 DVD/USB/ISO) if your recovery partition is not available.

:arrow: Download Windows 8.1
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
What a fantastic tutorial, wish I had found this years ago.

Your tutorial worked on an oem pc using the windows 8.1 iso, clicked setup.exe at 11pm and was running Disc Cleanup 1 hour later.

Only glitch I had was windows error reporting kept crashing the control panel, disabled it in services and all is good.

Cheers Brink
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
What a fantastic tutorial, wish I had found this years ago.

Your tutorial worked on an oem pc using the windows 8.1 iso, clicked setup.exe at 11pm and was running Disc Cleanup 1 hour later.

Only glitch I had was windows error reporting kept crashing the control panel, disabled it in services and all is good.

Cheers Brink

Great news, and welcome to Eight Forums. :party:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
I want to try this because my Windows 8.1 install seems to be malfunctioning. Question though, is it still possible to cancel if I'm already at steps beyond step 11?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
I want to try this because my Windows 8.1 install seems to be malfunctioning. Question though, is it still possible to cancel if I'm already at steps beyond step 11?

Hello anion, :)

Step 15 would be your last chance to cancel before clicking on the "Install" button.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
@Brink

I had a problem with files and folders permission so I did the repair install. I used Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit ISO copied onto and mounted from a partition. Everything went fine until the installation rebooted the system and before I could reach or see Windows Welcome, I was greeted with an error message, "Windows could not complete the installation. To install Windows on this computer, please restart the installation". I tried to boot several times but kept getting the same error message, until I started msoobe with command prompt (Shift + F10 when the error message appeared). The installation then proceed to the usual "choosing personal colors and settings" and although I didn't get to create a new account, I managed to login to Windows using my own account and all files seemed intact, but I noticed several things.

- I was using two language, Japanese and English, and on the taskbar, the language/input indicator (the one with the icon JA or EN, depending on the active language) does not appear anymore.

- Any attempt to visit, enter or change anything in Language in the Control Panel in Clock, Region and Language will cause the Control Panel to freeze/not responding temporarily. I have no problem using any other options in the Control Panel.

- All tasks created by software such as Process Lasso or ParkControl will be set in Queued and will never run even when set to run at every startup or user logon unless I do it manually. Running the task will make it set to running, but after reboot it will be set to Queued again.

- Input Indicator is always off and when turned on, it shows blank/empty icon.

- JpnIME.exe and IMEBroker.exe no longer runs in the background, and I have no idea how to restore it or force it to run again. Maybe it is the reason why I cannot use Japanese now. Uninstalling and reinstalling Japanese language doesn't help.

- The setting regarding "Show Notification Tray Icon" in NVIDIA Control Panel does not stay. I disable it now and after reboot it will show up as enabled/checked again.

I have been searching for solutions about these problems and I could find something about Audit Mode, which is something I never knew, used or even understood. I have already disabled everything regarding Audit Mode including setting the ImageState in HKLM/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/State to blank to no avail. All those issues remain and the worst thing is I don't even know whether or not this Audit Mode is still running.

Before I did repair install, I didn't have any problem with my Windows 8.1, except for that permission issue. Some mods in Skyrim couldn't hook to D3D11 because of that permission issue.

I really need help with these issues and I must get this system operational again before September 30 or I'll be in a serious problem. Any idea what should I do? Should I attemp to repair install again?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
@Brink

I had a problem with files and folders permission so I did the repair install. I used Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit ISO copied onto and mounted from a partition. Everything went fine until the installation rebooted the system and before I could reach or see Windows Welcome, I was greeted with an error message, "Windows could not complete the installation. To install Windows on this computer, please restart the installation". I tried to boot several times but kept getting the same error message, until I started msoobe with command prompt (Shift + F10 when the error message appeared). The installation then proceed to the usual "choosing personal colors and settings" and although I didn't get to create a new account, I managed to login to Windows using my own account and all files seemed intact, but I noticed several things.

- I was using two language, Japanese and English, and on the taskbar, the language/input indicator (the one with the icon JA or EN, depending on the active language) does not appear anymore.

- Any attempt to visit, enter or change anything in Language in the Control Panel in Clock, Region and Language will cause the Control Panel to freeze/not responding temporarily. I have no problem using any other options in the Control Panel.

- All tasks created by software such as Process Lasso or ParkControl will be set in Queued and will never run even when set to run at every startup or user logon unless I do it manually. Running the task will make it set to running, but after reboot it will be set to Queued again.

- Input Indicator is always off and when turned on, it shows blank/empty icon.

- JpnIME.exe and IMEBroker.exe no longer runs in the background, and I have no idea how to restore it or force it to run again. Maybe it is the reason why I cannot use Japanese now. Uninstalling and reinstalling Japanese language doesn't help.

- The setting regarding "Show Notification Tray Icon" in NVIDIA Control Panel does not stay. I disable it now and after reboot it will show up as enabled/checked again.

I have been searching for solutions about these problems and I could find something about Audit Mode, which is something I never knew, used or even understood. I have already disabled everything regarding Audit Mode including setting the ImageState in HKLM/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/State to blank to no avail. All those issues remain and the worst thing is I don't even know whether or not this Audit Mode is still running.

Before I did repair install, I didn't have any problem with my Windows 8.1, except for that permission issue. Some mods in Skyrim couldn't hook to D3D11 because of that permission issue.

I really need help with these issues and I must get this system operational again before September 30 or I'll be in a serious problem. Any idea what should I do? Should I attemp to repair install again?

Hello tristam,

It looks like you may need to clean install Windows instead. :(
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Hello tristam,

It looks like you may need to clean install Windows instead. :(

I don't think I can go that route, at least for now. There are plenty of works to do and I don't have enough time for clean install. To be fair, clean install will take only 15-30 minutes, but it's the backing up all files thing that takes ages. Not to mention I have to open each of my software and do things like exporting plugins, settings or configuration.

Some things worth mentioning.

- SFC and DISM didn't find any violation or corruption. The same thing goes with CHKDSK.

- I can install updates from Windows Update just fine.

Also worth mentioning is I found some posts regarding Audit Mode. Some users claimed they had almost similar problems because they started the in-place upgrade or repair install in Audit Mode. Now that is something I don't understand because I have never done anything to enable or enter Audit Mode, or at least I have never done it intentionally or on purpose. Some users claimed they couldn't upgrade to Windows 10 (from Windows 8.1) because they were in Audit Mode. When I started the repair install, I didn't get any message, popup or error about anything. Like I mentioned, everything went fine.

There was also an interference when the system rebooted during installation which was triggerred by the installation (the reboot, not the interference). I have mentioned the installation went fine without problem except during reboot, right before when Windows Welcome was supposed to start. The posts from multiple sources mentioned that if something happen after installation completes and before Windows Welcome appear, Windows will enter Audit Mode automatically. Perhaps this is the source or cause of my problems? When I have that error message "Windows could not complete the installation" I opened command prompt, ran regedit and found that ImageState in HKLM/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/State is not blank. I couldn't remember what it was, but it wasn't blank. I checked the registry entries those users mentioned in regedit about Audit Mode and found out that those entries had things like Audit or AuditBoot set to 1. So I'm guessing that might be the cause of all these problems?

And one more thing, I can boot to Safe Mode and everything is normal and fine there. Even the language bar appears and I can switch language or input anytime, just like I always did before. The Safe Mode is exactly my Windows before I did the repair install, except that due to the nature of Safe Mode, I cannot test anything regarding NVIDIA Control Panel or Process Lasso. What happened here? If my Windows repair installation went borked because something happened before I got to the Windows Welcome part or because of this Audit Mode, how come everything is fine in Safe Mode?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
@Brink

Thank you for the tutorial. I downloaded the ISO file from microsoft (Download Windows 8.1 Disc Image (ISO File)) and followed your instructions, but after an hour my install fails between your steps 16 and 17.

At failure, I get a white pop-up window with the words:
Windows could not complete the installation. To install Windows on this computer, restart the installation.
At the bottom of the pop-up is an okay button. I cannot click on it, because my mouse is not working at this stage of the install. Pressing any key on my keyboard seems to clear the pop-up.
I then get a blue screen, much like the one at the top of your step 16, but telling me it's reverting to my original Windows.
After about 15 minutes of this, I get a blue splash screen telling me I have error 0x8007002C - 0x4001C
Going back to your step 5A) and trying again gives the same results (again and again).
Installing with network connection off, Windows FireWall and Defender off (I have no other antivirus software running), and in a Clean Boot changes nothing.

Is there anything that I can do to recover from this fail?

Other Details
- I am running an MSI laptop (2015) that came factory pre-installed with Windows 8.0. It was upgraded online to 8.1 shortly after purchase, probably through PC Settings/Windows Update (though I can't recall exactly, I do remember it was harder to avoid the upgrade than to do it).
- I do not have a sticker with the Window key, but when I run your method, it doesn't ask me for a key.
- The laptop has "Keyboard by steelseries" printed on it, but I don't see any SteelSeries software installed in the Control Panel, Programs and Features, so not sure what to do there, as I understand there are some issues with SteelSeries software and Windows 10 repair installs.
- After much repetition, the following commands give no errors:
sfc /scannow
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:Test
where Test is a folder in the root directory that is generated as follows:
- Mount my ISO image in Explorer by right-clicking and selecting Mount. This is Mounted to Drive F:\
- In elevated PowerShell, use DISM.exe /Get-ImageInfo /ImageFile:F:\sources\install.wim to find out I need Index 2 (the non-Pro version)
- In elevated PowerShell, mount the install.wim with: DISM.exe /Mount-Image /ImageFile:F:\sources\install.wim /Index:2 /MountDir:C:\Test /ReadOnly
- My online Image version is 6.3.9600.19397. My ISO version is 6.3.9600.17031. I have downloaded 5 different Windows 8.1 ISO files from microsoft now (each at 4+GB), and can not find one with my version number.
- I have 16 desktop programs installed that I use regularly, some with complex license parking requirements, so I really want to avoid having to deal with parking licenses, reinstalling software, and unparking licenses after anything that messes with my desktop apps.

The original issue that took me down this rabbit hole is that I can't install anything from the Windows Store. Trying to re-register the store in an elevated Command Prompt (or PowerShell) using:
Add-AppxPackage -register C:\Windows\WinStore\AppxManifest.xml -DisableDevelopmentMode
gives:
Add-AppxPackage : Deployment failed with HRESULT: 0x80073CF9, Install failed. Please contact your software vendor.
(Exception from HRESULT: 0x80073CF9)
I actually get this for almost any app I try to re-register. All the suggestions I tried from googling that error code have not fixed my original issue, which brought me to the repair install.

I have been working on this issue for over 3 months now and am at my wit's end!
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    MSI
    CPU
    i5-4210H
    Motherboard
    GP62 2QD
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce 940M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
@tristam

Have you found a solution to your problem? I am having a very similar experience, including possibly the underlying permission issue. I am loath to try your msoobe (Shift + F10 when the error message appeared) option, since it caused so many problems for you. Can you give us an update?
Thanks.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    MSI
    CPU
    i5-4210H
    Motherboard
    GP62 2QD
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce 940M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
Hello @I.Antonenk,

It sounds like you may need to clean install Windows 8.1 instead. :(
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Hello @I.Antonenk,

It sounds like you may need to clean install Windows 8.1 instead. :(
Not what I was hoping for, but thanks @Brink.

I just can't understand why this kind of thing can't be fixed without wiping the hard drive with a clean install. I do not expect it to be easy, but not everyone is afraid of hard (as I have demonstrated by pursuing this for 3+ months ;) ).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    MSI
    CPU
    i5-4210H
    Motherboard
    GP62 2QD
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce 940M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
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