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HELP! AMD Catalyst update broke my PC - How best to reinstall Windows 7?
MilesAhead:
@shades the weird thing is I didn't try the 15.x driver for a long time because it is still labelled Beta. It has been out for quite a while to be a beta. It's like they gave up on it.
Hmm, I just found a newer 14.x driver and a 15.x from July 2015. I will try them out.
MilesAhead:
BTW, I have another PC where I also have had trouble updating the AMD drivers, and the only way the installation was willing to go ahead was when I caved in eventually and selected "AMD Gaming Evolved App"--which I didn't want to do and for which I have no use whatsoever.-dr_andus (September 07, 2015, 05:42 AM)
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Can't say I've ever had that problem, actually I can't say I've ever had a problem with ATI/AMD drivers at all.
If you want to get rid of the Gaming Evolved thing, look for Raptr in Control Panel->Programs and Features and uninstall it, (had to do it yesterday on my parents machine).
-4wd (September 07, 2015, 07:33 AM)
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Installing the 15.x beta I did get an issue with the driver install hanging at around 97% done. If it is a conspiracy or just tired hamsters I do not know. :)
dr_andus:
Miles, 4wd, many thanks for the suggestions, will give them a try.
Though at the moment I do have a fairly recent AMD driver installed (v. 15.200.1046.0), and my 3 monitors are working as they're supposed to, so that's not the issue. The problem is that the rest of Windows is acting up (probably due to the failed System Restore operation). E.g. I can't launch the Control Panel and Programs and Features, which suggests to me that I need to reinstall Windows, right?
I also just checked the Event Viewer and it's full of error reports, since the date of the AMD installation and System Restore failure. E.g. one of the error messages says:
The file system structure on the disk is corrupt and unusable. Please run the chkdsk utility on the volume Acer.
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I tried to run the chkdsk utility, and it seems to have identified some errors, but then it itself just disappeared, so I couldn't record the results.
Also, just noticed that if I call up System Information, it says
Can't Collect Information
Cannot access the Windows Management Instrumentation software. Windows Management files may be moved or missing.
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4wd:
The problem is that the rest of Windows is acting up (probably due to the failed System Restore operation). E.g. I can't launch the Control Panel and Programs and Features, which suggests to me that I need to reinstall Windows, right?-dr_andus (September 07, 2015, 08:39 AM)
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Given the nature of your problems, yes I think an In Place Upgrade is going to be the minimum way to recover it short of a full re-installation. Just make sure to do at least one full disk image before starting, (two onto separate media if possible - test them after), because if you lose any files during the process you should be able to mount the backup images to recover them, (at least with Paragon or AOMEI Backupper, don't know about Macrium Reflect - @Miles ?)
dr_andus:
Thanks for the advice, 4wd. Though the irony of my situation is that I will be creating an image of a corrupted Windows installation--still, at least my machine is working currently, even if some features are unusable.
I do have recovery media I created when I bought the machine, but then I wouldn't want to restore it to that state, as that would mean losing all my settings and software I installed since then. I guess that is my last option, if everything else fails.
OK, I'm about to get started on this. According to some of the comments on the www.winhelp.us website this can take several days...
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