Repair or clean install OS?

[elevNFC]

Doing laptop upgrade on HDD to SSD. Laptop has Windows 7 Ultimate x64 though originally had Windows XP Pro. HDD still functional though slows down laptop performance. Already saved a system image of the HDD, saved new system images of the SSD after successful imaging with file and setting changes, and recovered CD keys from HDD, including for Windows 7 Ultimate, with ProduKey - Recover lost product key (CD-Key) of Windows/MS-Office/SQL Server (nirsoft.net). Preinstalled CD key of Windows XP Pro still intact. Every time after a shutdown, restart, or crash, laptop couldn't boot and "Non-System disk or disk error" screen is displayed, therefore, had to reimage the SSD. SFC found that "iassdo.dll.mui" is corrupt yet couldn't fix it.

Checked out this Microsoft Learn article (How to do an in-place upgrade - Windows Server | Microsoft Learn) and these Microsoft Community forum threads (i.e. Product key reinstall windows 7 doesn’t work - Microsoft Community and Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade Reinstall - Microsoft Community). Already tried to do a repair install after successfully booting into the OS but required me to restart laptop which led to the same "Non-System disk or disk error" screen. Wonder if I can do a repair install from WinPE (i.e. Windows 7 Ultimate installation USB) after successful system imaging onto SSD. Alternatively, if I have to do a clean install, wonder if I can just clean install retail OS upgrade (i.e. Windows 7 Ultimate) directly without having to first clean install the OS that originally came with the laptop (i.e. Windows XP Pro) onto the SSD or I have to clean install the preinstalled OS and then the OS upgrade.