PC faulty after system restore due to Avast Update messing my browser files

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Did all the above, turned off, restarted and goes through to the critical process died blue screen. Hmmm....

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Here's something. In the bluescreen process after booting through USB, i tried the refresh system option, and it asked me to insert either installation or recovery media. But the USB was already in. So I removed it and reinserted it and the line 'The media inserted is not valid. Try again.' I also remembered that after the cmd bootrec /scanos, it read 'no operating system present'.

[essexboy]

That report does sound a bit ominous as bcd searches for relevant operating systems and if it cannot find it then a re-install will probably be the only option

If you have the windows key then you can download a disc of 8.1 from here http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki/windows8_1-windows_install/download-a-bootable-windows-81-disc/17207153-902f-4b94-bf95-85ab70ca7064

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So, say if I was to buy a Windows 7 installation CD and boot PC from disc, I'd be able to install 7 without encountering any hurdles? Or would I be best off going back to the original Vista as the COA/key is present on the base?

[essexboy]

If you get a retail version of any windows that will work perfectly.  You will need a Vista disc (not OEM) to re-install Vista 

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Cool. Many thanks for all your help and best wishes to ya

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I assume from thread your PC is Vista 32-bit ?
If so: https://www.raymond.cc/blog/how-to-burn-downloaded-windows-vista-to-dvd/

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Hey thekochs! Didn't see your post until yesterday, but thanks to your link I've got Vista up and running on the (once) ill PC. Just about to install SP2. I've got W7 on order anyway but at the very least I've got a functioning machine and Vista isn't XP. Great result so many thanks for all your endeavors chaps