[Bill]

Presumably you mean a "repair install"?

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...r-install.html

Sounds a bit nervewracking.

Tip
ITEMS THAT WILL BE RESET TO DEFAULT OR AFFECTED:

• Sounds
• Services
• Visual Effects Settings
• Device Drivers - Be sure to have these handy to reinstall. They do not always remain after the repair (upgrade) install.
• You may lose the ability to sign on to MSN Messenger, to solve this problem have a look at this thread Unable to sign in to WLM.
• You may lose your custom themes due to not having permisions set on the old themes. Go to the hidden themes folder at C:/Users/(User-Name)/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Themes, then Take Ownership of the themes folder and you will now have all your themes back.
• It has been reported that you may also lose your Media Center gadget after doing the repair install.
• Windows Updates will need to be checked and reinstalled again.

Warning

• You will not be able to use a OEM Windows 7 Factory Restore/Recovery type of installation disc that came with or created from a store bought computer to do a repair install with. These can only be used do a clean install instead.
• You cannot do a repair install with a System Repair Disc. A System Repair Disc is not a installation disc, and will only boot to the System Recovery Options screen.
• If you have a 32-bit (x86) Windows 7 currently installed, then you must use a 32-bit Windows 7 installation disc to be able to do a repair install with.
• If you have a 64-bit (x64) Windows 7 currently installed, then you must use a 64-bit Windows 7 installation disc to be able to do a repair install with.
• If you have Windows 7 SP1 installed, then you either must use a Windows 7 SP1 installation disc to be able to do a repair install or uninstall SP1 to be able to use a retail Windows 7 installation disc to do a repair install with.
  • You can use a Windows 7 SP1 installation disc (ex: Technet (available), MSDN (available), or retail (when available)) to do a repair install with on a currently installed Windows 7 SP1.
  • You cannot use a slipstream Windows 7 installation disc to do a repair install with on a currently installed Windows 7 SP1.
  • You cannot use a slipstream Windows 7 installation disc to do a repair install with on a currently installed slipstream Windows 7 SP1.
  • You can use a Windows 7 SP1 installation disc (ex: Technet (available), MSDN (available), or retail (when available)) to do a repair install with on a currently installed slipstream Windows 7 SP1.
• You can only do a repair install from within Windows 7.
• You cannot do a repair install at boot or in Safe Mode.
• You must be logged into Windows 7 in a administrator account to be able to do a repair install.
• You must have at least 8.87 GB of free space, more if you have a larger installation, on the hard drive/partition Windows 7 is installed on to do a repair install.
• If you changed the default location of the Program Files or Programs Files (x86) folder, then you will need to change it back to the C: drive, and change any shortcuts that pointed to the other location to also point to the C: drive before doing a repair install.