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I have Windows 10 installed in my PC and after several BSOD some people have suggested I format and reinstall it for the problem might be corrupted OS files. The problem is inconvenience and comfort. Dozens of already updated drivers plus installed software, some of which I don't have the installer anymore.
So this leads to my question: is there a way I can reinstall my W10 without being from 0 after formatting? A way in which the files are replaced by new versions, therefore clear of corruption? Or do I need to format?
Obs.: When I googled for this, I found this link where supposedly I had the answer I want. Problem is, the process of 'reinstalling' described didn't actually seem what I want despite the article's title. I don't seem to me that a process Microsoft called "installing Windows" would preserve drivers for example.
Momergil
Posted 2020-01-01T21:24:11.840
Reputation: 511
You shouldn't worry about drivers, they are installed through Windows Update, and can easily be downloaded from the internet. The only way to "repair" a Windows installation allows Windows to do it, if that fails, your only other option is an in-place upgrade to the same version you have installed. – Ramhound – 2020-01-01T21:56:29.437
1If you want help with the BSOD, you should ask a question about that, since the only way to "repair" windows in it's current state would be to do that in-place upgrade that you already know about and have decided will not achieve what you want. – Ramhound – 2020-01-01T22:00:09.720
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You may be able to do a Windows 10 Repair Install. That can be done so long as Windows 10 is running (even if there are errors) and without losing data or formatting: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 .. Click the download button and then select Run to run in place
– John – 2020-01-01T22:30:38.060First, make a disk image, using an external boot device. Though often an in-place Windows reinstallation can be performed without loss of data, that's not a guarantee. – DrMoishe Pippik – 2020-01-01T23:25:36.927
@DrMoishePippik What data do you believe could potentially be "lost"? A repair install does not format any partitions, or even delete files... it simply replaces system files from those within the
\sources\install.esdand moves the replaced files intoC:\Windows.old- nothing more, nothing less... there's no way for data to be lost because no data is actually being deleted. – JW0914 – 2020-01-02T00:25:53.0731@Momergil First, try to repair the OS as it sits, executing the following in an admin terminal, in the order listed, and while connected to the internet:
dism /online /cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup>dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth> reboot >sfc /scannow> reboot. If the issues are still present, perform a repair install by launching the Windows installer while booted to Windows and choose the option to keep everything. As to drivers, all drivers present at the last bi-annual update, as of v1903, are merged into the Component Store (%WinDir%\WinSxS). – JW0914 – 2020-01-02T00:30:43.1971Since BSODs can be caused by anything ranging from 3rd party software and drivers to Windows' system files, it would be prudent to list the BSOD errors being experienced within your question as @Ramhound suggested. – JW0914 – 2020-01-02T00:32:42.167
This is a question about how to fix a BSOD. Not about how to repair windows. This is an XY Problem. Nobody reinstalls their OS to fix an intermittent BSOD. There is almost no chance the problem is “corrupt” windows files. If there are “corrupt” windows files it’s because some other hardware failure is occurring.
– Appleoddity – 2020-01-02T04:15:29.130Can you upload the kernel dump somewhere? – Avery3R – 2020-01-02T22:45:40.050
Thanks for the comments. @JW0914 it makes no sense to me to upload the dump files since that is only the motivation for my question and nothing more =) That being said, I thanks all you guys for trying to help me with that problem. Unfortunately, the BSODS I have are of all kinds - each new BSOD gives me a different message or points me to a different faulty component. The only exception was NVIDIA related crashes and those I was able to almost completely solve. I considered have RAM problem, but tests show it's fine. – Momergil – 2020-01-17T16:49:31.420
@Momergil without some of the exact BSODs you're receiving, no one can research your issue. If they're all different, please list five of the BSOD error codes (min 3). BSOD error codes have been requested multiple times from you in the past two weeks, beginning Jan 1... If you want help, please list them.. Please also state whether you're still receiving BSODs after running the repair commands I previously specified. – JW0914 – 2020-01-18T04:55:43.703