How does the Windows 7 DVD know if it started the PC?

2

How does the Windows 7 DVD know if it started the PC?

The DVD does not read the environment for that, since I already tried that route by editting its environment (batch files) to reflect that of the system boot disc. That failed.

So, the DVD must be writing to and reading from the system boot disk as it boots and as it is about to run an install procedure.

The question is which files and/or folders are involved, along with which registry settings has it written to, and subsequently reads from, if any?

The result I want is to be able to boot the Windows 7 DVD and do an in-place (version to version) upgrade (now referred to as repair installation).

Microsoft's insistence that such a repair installation take place only from the desktop, pretty much leaves out anyone that cannot get to the desktop to repair it. Duh.

Think outside Microsoft's box and the answer is there somewhere. Try a mantra other than Microsoft's... :-)

Mark Rapp

Posted 2011-07-30T18:04:03.277

Reputation: 21

Answers

1

I think you might mean the

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\MiniNT

registry key, which exists only if it's running in a PE environment.

user541686

Posted 2011-07-30T18:04:03.277

Reputation: 21 330

I think that that registry key would not enable the DVD to boot and then run the in-place, version to version, upgrade at that point. I would still need to get to the Windows 7 desktop. – Mark Rapp – 2011-08-01T11:25:28.640

Asked: 2011-07-30T18:04:03.277

Viewed: 182 times

Active: 2011-07-30T18:10:20.617