There was indeed an update last patch Tuesday that did cause problems in some computers so she could be right. If you can get to add remove programs and have it show updates you might be able to remove the ones dated installed then. Susan Bradley wrote an article in windows secrets newsletter about this update problem, you can look it up.

Here's her articles

Here is a link that might be useful: Link

Oh ok, don't know if I could get to add remove programs. I was able to get to the C drive and users and my documents in there and I did see where I could click for desktop some where. Will play tomorrow after we get everything she needs off. I have a laptop and a desktop running win 7 and IE9 and I know I had updates recently but didn't have any problems. Mary

Avira recently in the news... had an update that stops windows from booting. Major widespread problem.

She went and bought another external drive this morning and is backing the rest up. She has one external drive but it was almost full. After this then will see what I can do. Mary

Well we had to let that thing run half the day and got more backed up so she is gonna finish this weekend then I am gonna see if I can try and remove the MS updates Monday to see what that does.

I keep very little on my computers so if it were to die right now I would not be crying over lost stuff and I am so glad I do things that way. I keep telling people to back everything up as you go along. She didn't even have an image created either. Sadly this is not the first time I have helped someone in the same situation. Mary

Ok thought I would post an update to give you a laugh for the day. Now I know some about computers as I learn stuff from boards like these and my guess is getting into control panel might have fixed it and if not I would have pushed the button to refomrat and take it to out of the box state.

So my friends husband who knows nothing decided to fix it this weekend for her. His idea was to go to best buy and ask the geek squad. He expalined exactly what was wrong and you know what they told him? The only way to fix it was to buy a $200 copy of windows and put it right over top. I kid you not so that is what he came home and did to solve it.

Personally pushing the button to take it to out of the box state which is free would have been a lot cheaper in my opinion but what do I know. Then her wireless did nto work after as what ever he did the drivers went missing so we got those from the toshiba site. She now has windows old and windows new it says on the computer. Hey at least he tried to help.

I just don't understand why the geek squad would have said that and they didn't even say reformat or repair install or anything she said they just told him to plop it in and install right over top. I thought that was not recommended or have things changed? Mary

well seriously that does not surprise me one bit to hear that lovely bit of advice from Geek Squad their extent of knowledge is here put this cd in which will cost you $$$$$ or bring it to us and we will format it for you which will cost you $$$$$$$$$$$.
PERIOD that is what they do. And they don't even bother to try to save your data for you first which can easily be done in most cases using a linux cd but hey that would require them to even know what linux is. Which they do not.

I have never used the geek squad so the only thing I knew is another friend needed a laptop fixed and took it there and I believe it had to be sent out if I remember right so was not fixed right in the store which puzzled me as to why that was.

I use a local place by me that has been in business about 25yrs and everything is done right in the shop. They are not real cheap but they are real good and would not just have sold them a windows disk.

I was lucky when the old desktop died a few months ago I had everything backed up but when my son came home he pulled out the hard drive, ordered a case and made me a nice external drive and I could get at all my stuff if need be but I don't need it with all the old junk on it so thing I am just going to format it and use it to store stuff. Mary

Absolutely the best fix is to do a non-destructive reinstall from a full install windows DVD. By far that is the most simple way & Quickest fix with fewest updates & still retains all the user personal files.

Your friend needs to contact the store manager at Best Buy or better yet write to head office. The tech(?) should have known perfectly well it was not necessary to buy another copy of Windows.

Assuming this is a brand name computer all that was needed was to borrow someone's copy if recovery disks were not made and do the install. The difference is when you are required to enter the 25 digit key you use the one on the tower, or underneath if a laptop, NOT the one that came with the DVD. This is perfectly legal and only works with factory builds where the key is embedded in the BIOS of the motherboard. They could/should have done that with the new DVD they used even.

As regards the repair feature mentioned in the original post I found that never worked but just caused greater frustration.

Well the repair disk got me in to see her files so she could get them backed up on an external drive anyway. She doesn't even back up her email contacts. I find it all very annoying that someone has like hundreds of files not backed up that are important espeically when they have the external drive that probably will back up every night for her but she doesn't take the time to learn how to use the darn thing. I have no clue if her husband even used the windows disk right but she said she now has 2 copies of windows 7 on there it seems, old and new. I would complain to best buy too but that is their business and I have washed my hands of it. If her computer completely dies one day she is in for a rude awakening that's for sure. Mary

One thing about using an OEM copy of Windows on any laptop vice the restore disks, is that you must go to the manufacturers(Toshiba etc) site and get the appropriate drivers for that particular model