Repair Install Windows 8

How to Repair Install Windows 8 and 8.1 without Losing Anything​

   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

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

• 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

• The DVD/USB 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 DVD/USB.
• If you have Windows 8.1 installed, then you must use a Windows 8.1 DVD/USB.
• If you have Windows 8.1 Update installed, then you must use a Windows 8.1 Update DVD/USB.
• If you have 32-bit Windows 8 installed, then you can only use a 32-bit Windows 8 DVD/USB.
• If you have 64-bit Windows 8 installed, then you can only use a 64-bit Windows 8 DVD/USB.
• If you installed 64-bit Windows 8 with UEFI, then you can only use a UEFI Windows 8 DVD/USB.

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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

• 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.

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A) Mount the ISO.​

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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)

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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)

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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.

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

   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

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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)

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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)

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

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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)

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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)

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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.

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

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18. Click/tap on Use Express settings. (see screenshot below)

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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

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A) Go to step 22 below.​

21. If you have a Local Account

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A) Enter the password for the displayed account, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)​

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B) Click/tap on Skip, and go to step 22 below. (see screenshot below)​

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22. Windows 8 will now startup signed into your administrator account. (see screenshots below)

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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)

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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)

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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

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Refresh Windows 8
• How to Create a Custom Recovery Image to Use to Refresh Windows 8
• How to Reset Windows 8
• How to Refresh or Reset Windows 8 without Installation Disk
• How to Do a Clean Install of Windows 8
• How to Do a Clean Install with Windows 8 Upgrade
• How to Install Windows 8 Using "Unified Extensible Firmware Interface" (UEFI)
• How to Create a System Image in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Do a System Image Recovery in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Do a System Restore in Windows 8
• How to Create or Set Up Windows Backup to Back Up Files in Windows 8
• How to Fix "You've been signed in with a temporary profile" Error in Windows 8 and 8.1
• How to Fix "User Profile Service service failed the sign-in. User Profile cannot be loaded." Error in Windows 8 and 8.1

 

[Brink]

No worries.

Since you only have a Windows 8 key, you would use all of Option One to get a Windows 8.1 Update ISO file.

 

[imacken]

All sorted out thanks a lot, Brink

 

[Brink]

Great news.

 

[imacken]

A question, Brink, if I want to reinstall 8.1 (for whatever reason) can I do it from the 8.1 DVD created as above with my 8.0 Product Key, or do I have to go through installing 8.0 and updating to 8.1?

 

[Brink]

If this is for a retail product key, then you could install Windows 8.1 directly using a generic key, then activate with your Windows 8 key after installation has finished.

• http://www.eightforums.com/tutorial...e-firmware-interface-install-windows-8-a.html
• http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2299-clean-install-windows-8-a.html

If this is for an OEM key for a preinstalled Windows 8, then you'll have to install Windows 8 and update to 8.1 again.

 

[Muyfa]

I was hoping to repair my Win8.1 Update installation, but I only have the Win8 Upgrade DVD. Can I somehow manage with this? Is it possible to make some kind of slipstreamed ISO like with Win7?

 

[Brink]

Hello Muyfa,

I'm sorry, but you must have installation media that's the exact same as what you currently have installed. Slipstreamed media doesn't work with a repair install.

You might see if doing a system restore before you had the issue may help. If not, then you may need to refresh or reset Windows instead.

 

[Muyfa]

Cool. Refresh was probably what I was looking for anyways.

 

[Brink]

I hope it helps.

 

[texan767]

I got here from a link in another forum,
You CAN Repair Windows 8 (8.1) Without Losing Everything | Windows Secrets Lounge

I troed this, but bascially was told the 'repair' I was trying had to be run from inside windows.
Is there a way I can boot off an install DVD & repair Win 8 without losing all my programs?
Thanks!

 

[Brink]

Hello fellow Texan, and welcome to Eight Forums.

Unfortunately, a repair install can only be done from within Windows since it's basically just an in-place upgrade install using the same edition.

What issue were you having? Perhaps there may be another way of sorting it.

Issue for Texan continued here: http://www.eightforums.com/general-support/50392-stuck-automatic-repair-loop.html

 

[Dark Rider]

The tutorial says,

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.

So this to me means If I have a 500 gig drive and 450 gigs are being used i need to have 8.87 gigs free plus 450 gigs free to do the repair install? If this is correct then only folks that have used less than half their hard drive space can ever do a repair install - is that right or am I reading this wrong?

To me, that would keep a whole lot of people from doing the repair install. It seems to me most folks will have used at least 75 percent of the hard drive before they encounter a problem that requires a repair install.

Brink.. do you know why Microsoft choose not to allow folks to do a repair install like we were able to do from the DVD for Windows 7?

( for those who don't know, Windows 7 allows you to do a repair install by doing an upgrade install of the same operating system version on top of the system you have now - all from the dvd, no need to be in windows)

What if you cannot do a repair install because you cannot boot into windows? This sucks because the upgrade repair install for Windows 7 is what many folks used to get the Windows to function again. Why would Microsoft take away such a great repair option?

 

[Brink]

Hello Dark Rider,

Answers inline.

The tutorial says,

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.

So this to me means If I have a 500 gig drive and 450 gigs are being used i need to have 8.87 gigs free plus 450 gigs free to do the repair install? If this is correct then only folks that have used less than half their hard drive space can ever do a repair install - is that right or am I reading this wrong?

To me, that would keep a whole lot of people from doing the repair install. It seems to me most folks will have used at least 75 percent of the hard drive before they encounter a problem that requires a repair install.

That is correct. It needs that much space since a repair install will save a copy of the previous installation into a Windows.old folder.​

Brink.. do you know why Microsoft choose not to allow folks to do a repair install like we were able to do from the DVD for Windows 7?

( for those who don't know, Windows 7 allows you to do a repair install by doing an upgrade install of the same operating system version on top of the system you have now - all from the dvd, no need to be in windows)

That's not correct. Windows 7 can only do a repair install from within Windows as well. You can use a DVD or USB in both Windows 7 and Windows 8/8.1.

How to Do a Repair Install to Fix Windows 7​

What if you cannot do a repair install because you cannot boot into windows? This sucks because the upgrade repair install for Windows 7 is what many folks used to get the Windows to function again. Why would Microsoft take away such a great repair option?

A repair install is an in-place upgrade to the same edition currently instaleld, so it can only be done from within Windows. ​

 

[nonpasaran]

Hello Shawn,

First of all thank you for all this amazing tuttorials and big effort

For this one I have some little correction with your permission


1- Step 5/a, 5c and 5/d is unnecessary. Because until first restart install wizard allready copy all necessary files to a temp folder. Therefore only Mount the ISO and free to go.

2- Step 5 last note

If you installed 64-bit Windows with UEFI, then you can only use a 64-bit Windows ISO

is unnecessary. Because UEFI install can only posible as 64 bit. So if you have UEFI instalation

If you have 64-bit Windows installed, then you can only use a 64-bit Windows ISO

definition is enough and cover all UEFI installation type.

Greetings...

 

[Brink]

Thank you nonpasaran,

I've updated step 5, but I'll leave the bit about UEFI since that is not always clear for everyone with UEFI being so new still.

 

[nonpasaran]

Thank you Shawn

 

[vladen1979]

Hi All,

I have Win8.1 Pro installed that I want to repair and with Win8.1 Pro installation disc I follow the tutorial but after Step 6 I get the following:
1. Setup is copying files
2. Setup is starting
3. Selection dialog box to choose the version of windows that I like to install (only one choice Win8.1 Pro)
4. Selection dialog box to choose the disk where I want the Win8.1 to be installed

If I choose the current disk I get a message saying:


So I wonder if this is correct or if I should have some other installation disc?
Should I get the Install Now screen?
From experience with WinXP a special "full" installation disc was needed to make a repair (without loosing setting and installed programs).

Btw. I downloaded different torrents of Win8.1 Pro but all give the same results!

Please let me know what you think!

Best Regards,
Vladimir

 

[Brink]

Vladimir, and welcome to Eight Forums.

That is what you would normally see if you did a "custom" install instead of an "upgrade" install. You would want to do an "upgrade" install instead for a repair install.

Did you mean after step 16 instead?

Did you see what was at step 12?

 

[vladen1979]

But I am not being given any other options, what I wrote before are all the screens that I get.

After step 6 (six) everything is different! I did not get to step 12.

I do not get any of the screens that you have captured.

Any ideas?

Best Regards,
Vladimir

Vladimir, and welcome to Eight Forums.

That is what you would normally see if you did a "custom" install instead of an "upgrade" install. You would want to do an "upgrade" install instead for a repair install.

Did you mean after step 16 instead?

Did you see what was at step 12?

 

[Brink]

Are you using an unmodified official "retail" installation disc?

You should have at least seen step 9.