Resolved Repair install for Win 7?

Is there a way to do a repair install for Windows 7 without an installation disk? For some reason no matter what I've done, I can't get Windows 7 to see the DVD drive, and when it does, it won't recognize a blank disk. System Repair didn't work, uninstalling teh driver and rebooting didn't work, nor did removing media-burning programs that didn't come with the desktop itself--so I'm wondering if a repair installation of Windows will do the job.

Is there even such a creature available for Windows 7?

 

You would need the DVD to do the repair install.

First try to clean your drive with CD cleaner disks. They are cheap & could do wonders.

If that fails, get an external USB DVD drive. Its much slower but much cheaper than replacing a laptop DVD drive.

 

OK, the computer I was talking about is a desktop (not the laptop that I have given the specs for)--sorry for the confusion.

But yes, that's a good point--I'd need the DVD drive working to do that repair install..... Hmmmm

I'll look into a cleaner; also, I'll configure BIOS to boot to the DVD drive first--as long as the hardware is ok I should be able to still use that drive. The folks who make EasyBCD (Neosmart) sell those repair disks for 10 bucks. I'll pursue that as well as cleaner disks.

Gonna be busy for the next few days but when I get the time I'll work on this and post back.

Thanks

 

If its a desktop, get a normal DVD drive. SATA or IDE as per your computer. Much cheaper & faster.

 

You mean, something like this, right---as a cleaner?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Memorex...yers/5216081.p?id=1051384652107&skuId=5216081

 

Yes, something like it.

 

$9.99 for a lens cleaner!? I'd be tempted to replace the drive for $18.99:
http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=5&name=CD-DVD-Burners

 

This is strange; it will play an audio cd.

We found a DVD lens cleaner but it never ran through its program/routine. The dvd drive just kicked it out and asked me to insert a blank DVD.

OK well at least the drive itself isn't totally broken, although only being able to handle CDs isn't much in this day and age.

 

The DVD lens is gone. Replace the drive.

 

OK, I'm looking at a couple of drives and making sure they will fit. I'll also see if the desktop is still under warrantee.

Thanks. Looks like the most it will cost is 25 including shipping. Folks have paid a lot more to solve their computer problems, and I get new hardware as well.

 

Good news--desktop was still under warranty Bad news I spent an hour to get them to replace it (instead of buying a new one for 25 bucks), plus had to give a cc as collateral in case I didn't send back the old one.

OK well at least it will get replaced.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

That was it (it must have been a bad DVD lens, as RSInfo said). I installed the new one last week and its been burning and reading DVDs fine.

I would have taken the time to clean the old one (and see if that worked), but I didn't want to get stuck doing this every 6-12 months (the desktop is only 11 months old), so I just decided to have it replaced, as it was under warranty.