# Program&Driver installation problems after System Refresh



## dJayc (Aug 27, 2013)

I recently had to do a system refresh on my pc. When it does this it deletes any program that did not originally come with Windows 8 on the computer. So I figured fine, I'll just reinstall all my programs. But, the problem is that some programs I try and re-install fail and they all give me similar notifications like dll file not found or some things having to do with the registry. I am also attempting to re-install drivers for hardware I use such as my hdpvr but it always fails. Even off the installation disc. I tried downloading the driver of the web and installing that way but it still doesn't work. Whether I'm installing a program or a driver from scratch with no visible remnants of it being on my computer before the system refresh, I always get a failure message saying it couldn't find a file or a location.

I know this had to have happened because of the system refresh because I have never had these problems before.
So here are some questions.

1. (obviously) how do I fix this?

2. Is this only happening with certain programs and drivers that I had before the refresh? (meaning that if I install a program I have never had before, will it not encounter these problems? And is there some remnant or effect of the program that windows did not get rid of during the refresh causing confusion with re-installation?)

3. Or is it some setting that got screwed up that I have to deal with. 

I know all of these issues have to do with a similar problem. There is no way that coincidentally these programs are having issues installing because of there own specific problems.

Just in case, the computer I have is an ASUS desktop pc


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

Since you have just done a refresh, which deletes your non-"modern" apps anyway, and you still have troubles, I'd just boot from the Win 8 DVD/USB and do a reinstall. Unlike with a Windows 7 install, which could take most of an afternoon to complete, a Windows 8 install is usually done in an hour.

Windows 8 also is very good about finding and installing the drivers needed by your system. The last time I installed the OS it found and installed all of the necessary drivers, including one for a sound card that I had previously manually installed because the manufacturer had not yet written a driver specifically for Windows 8.


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## dJayc (Aug 27, 2013)

the problem is i just got this computer recently and it didnt come with a windows 8 installation disk or anything. i have a usb stick is there anything i can do with it


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

If you have an OEM system, look to the manufacture's site for instructions on how to do a factory reset for your specific model. Unless the instructions specifically tell you to just perform a standard Win 8 refresh or reset, doing this may cause you problems if the system is not set up to also reinstall the OEM's drivers and software.

If you have a user-built system you can just follow the general Win 8 instructions for creating a recovery disk and for reinstalling from said disk. Or, you can use your product key to download Win 8 from Microsoft and either install it directly or create a USB drive or disk.


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## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

How did you do the Refresh? Some people confuse Refresh and Restore/Recovery. Did you do a Restore to Factory image? (eg) by restarting the computer and running the Recovery Partition or using a Restore CD? If so, this would set your computer back to Factory Defaults like it came out of the box. 
If you are still having problems go to Search and type *CMD* right click the *CMD *results and *Run As Administrator*. In the *Elevated Command Prompt* type *SFC /scannow* and press enter. This will replace any missing system files.


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## MPR (Aug 28, 2010)

In Windows 8, the refresh option is more comprehensive than sfc/scannow but is less comprehensive than a Windows 8 reset, which is a clean OS reinstall (actually, I see now that "reset your PC" has been renamed "remove everything and reinstall windows to avoid confusion).

The OP has already done a Windows 8 refresh, which repaired the OS but removed his OEM applications, which can't be successfully reinstalled. An OEM factory reset is probably in order as it reinstalls the OS plus the original OEM software and drivers.

With newer Asus computers, a factory reset usually involves pressing F9 on boot, selecting Troubleshoot and then Reset your PC. See the user manual for your specific model though.


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