Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Vista systems error

Mar 19, 2012 4:53PM PDT

If vista systems repair can not fix an errror, what can fix it?
Is there something free out there I can use, or something from Microsoft?

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Clarification Request
What error?
Mar 19, 2012 5:01PM PDT

A little more info would be helpful.

- Collapse -
Answer
Probably not
Mar 20, 2012 2:31AM PDT

Probably not. If the damage is extensive enough that Microsoft's tools can't fix it, then probably nothing short of reinstalling the OS or a whole lot of painstaking manual effort is going to cut it.

- Collapse -
Answer
This is where the word "painstaking" and another comes up.
Mar 20, 2012 4:57AM PDT

There are folk that made a business or life's work on figuring out how to repair Windows. For example let's look at this link.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/markrussinovich/

You'll see an expert at work solving "the case of" this or that. After a few decades you can be sure this is an area that needs Microsoft to pay more attention too. Why? I'm finding folk today do not want to become experts in repairing Windows (or supplying details so others can GUESS which fix to try.)

Some common errors can be fixed if we know the symptoms, we usually can save the files, but given most folk will not pay the hours of painstaking work to correct a cranky Windows, we save the files, then reload Windows.
Bob