Repairing a Program Installation in Microsoft Windows

The Microsoft Windows operating system allows you to repair the installation of many of the different programs installed on a computer. If a particular program has developed an error, for example, performing a repair can actually be a great way to fix the issue without actually uninstalling and reinstalling the software. A repair essentially reinstalls the software over top of itself, which fixes any corrupt or missing files the program may be trying to use. You can repair a program installation in Microsoft Windows using the Control Panel.

Step 1

Open “Programs and Features.” To accomplish this, open the Control Panel via the “Start” menu and look for the icon labeled “Programs and Features.” You can also type the name of the utility into the “Search” bar of your computer (either on your taskbar or in the “Start” menu) to open the program.

Step 2

Locate the name of the program that you want to repair. Keep in mind that not all programs support a repair. Some will only support the “Change” and “Uninstall” options. If your program does not support this feature, you will have no choice but to uninstall and completely reinstall the program to fix any errors you may be experiencing.

Step 3

Click once on the name of the program you want to repair. A series of options labeled “Uninstall,” “Change” and “Repair” will become available in the toolbar that runs across the top of the screen. Click the button labeled “Repair.” The program’s original installation utility will load on your monitor.

Step 4

Select the option labeled “Repair” from the installation utility and click “Next.” Continue to click “Next” to advance through the utility until the repair process begins. You can track the repair progress using the status bar on screen. When the repair is finished, close all windows and try to open the program. Any issues that you’ve been having should now be fixed.