Windows 7: BSOD system won't boot, error 0x0000007e cannot boot to safemode

Hello,
I have been looking through this site for the last couple of days.
The situation:
My Windows 7 64 bit machine will not boot. It keeps going into Windows System recovery mode. I have tried that multiple times and rebooted each time but no luck.
System specs - Windows 7 64 bit, 16gb ram. Core i7-920 with 12 gb ram. This is an OEM disc that I bought from comp store, all parts and OS are less than three years old. C: drive - windows install a few apps, Drive 1 - games and music, drive 2 - everything else on disc.
So far I have taken down the error message:
stop: 0x0000007e(0xffffffffc0000005,0xfffff880030655c6,
0xfffff88009a8b78, oxfffff88009a83d0)

1) tried looking up this error with instructions. online instructions have had me go into the command prompt to perform edits on the c: \windows\System32 folder. These do not come up in my prompt on my c: drive - where windows in installed. See program files etc, but no Windows32 folder.
2) already have run the c: chkdsk /r to try and fix the disc. It went through everything and comes back saying there are no problems. Still cannot boot to windows either get BSOD mentioned above or recovery mode.
3) Cannot go to previous restored state (one of the choices ) as it states that I have no restore points although I know that I have established at least 2 in the last 2-3 months
4) Tried inserting the Windows 7 disc and running repair from there but it just takes me to the same Windows system recovery mode which still does not work.
5) I tried hitting F8 during boot to go into safe mode but no good. it only takes me to a screen which gives me the option for boot order.
6) run the memory test from recovery console - no problems.
I have read the BSOD thread but everything there seems to assume that you can already boot into Windows at sometime and download the exe to run. (I cannot get into windows at all)
Does anyone have any suggestions? I built this one myself (4th build) and have never in the 10 years of using Windows had a problem which I could not get into at least safe mode.
I can go to maybe until this weekend but need to use my computer by Saturday cob.
If I have had no luck at that point i will have to reinstall windows (it is on its own harddrive with most all of my applications on separate drives. So that may be a small blessing.
I have had no strange occurrences while using the computer which is on pretty much 24/7.
Is this what happens when a harddrive crashes? This one is about 2.5 years old and there have been no warning signs that something was amiss (no clicking etc)
Also just ran Avast antivirus and malwarebytes with no problems this past Sunday.
I am a bit stumped if anyone could point me in the right direction I would be appreciative.



I only have access to my laptop at this point which is a Mac.
Thanks in advance.

Is a driver listed on BSOD screen? After running "startup repair" from recovery environment you see a text something like "view diagnostic details". Click on it. It lists the tests that did run. status 0x0 means success. Which tests fail and with which error?

C drive (can be named D or E) in recovery environment has lots of free space?

DIR C:
DIR D:
DIR E:

Perform also a checkdisk

chkdsk/f c:
chkdsk/f d:
chkdsk/f e:

the only test performed in the Startup Repair details that is not 0x0 (successful) is the following:
name: Bugcheck
unknown bugcheck 7e. Parameters = 0xffffffffc0000005, 0xfffff880031215c6, 0xfffff880009a8b78, 0xfffff880009a83do.
Repair action: System files integrity check and repair
result: Failed. Error code = 0x490
Time taken = 809723 ms

the one part I don't get is the first of each time I did a check. it come bak as completed successfully.
System disk = \Device\Harddisk1
Windows directory = F:\Windows
Autochk Run = 0
Number of root causes = 1
Check for updates with the result completed successfully. Error code = 0x0.
why is it looking for windows in F: drive which may be one of my cd drives?
Thanks again for any help you can provide.

Everything on the BSOD screen is printded in my original message. I have to go back and recheck. I had to take a burst picture in order to get the message in the first place.

A drive letter is .... just a drive letter. You can change it in windows and then that partition has another drive letter in THAT SPECIFIC WINDOWS INSTANCE. So it's C in your not running Windows 7. But in recovery environment it can be something else.

I see System disk = \Device\Harddisk1, do you have Harddisk0 as well ... so 2 harddisks in system? Some recovery partitions in front of what you call C?

In recovery environment ->command prompt


Replace # with the actual disknumber. Replace # with the actual partition number. list disk and list part shows the numbers available. Do it for all disks, partitions. Which partition is flagged with: Active:Yes? And what is its drive letter?

Will show you the Windows 7 disk. True?

Also just ran Avast antivirus and malwarebytes with no problems this past Sunday.
=>Did they find virusses and/or malware? Did they fix them?

Thanks again for the feedback. The virus check came back with nothing.
I did the chkdsk on all disks I could and after running through everything it did not "fix" anything that I can see.
I tried your diskpart deal and got the following. I have 4 harddrives on my system.
1 c drive for the OS- 500gb,
1 for for games- 1.5tb,
1 for everything else- 3tb.
There is also a external of old files 300gb.
Disk part info - sorry I have no way of printing this out I had to scramble and handwrite it down before i came to work today.
Disk 0 - games disk 1.5tb
disk 1 - C drive - 500gb where windows is.
disk 2 - I drive - everything else
disk 3 - old external disk

Disk 1 Type size offset
part 1 primary 100m 1024kb
part 2 primary 465gb 100mb

Disk 0
part 1 primary 1.397tb 1024k

Disk 2
part 1 reserved 128mb 17kb
part 2 primary 2.794tb 129mb

disk 3
part 1 primary 279gb 31k

NOt much i am afraid.

But which partition or partitions are flagged ACTIVE? Most likely disk1 partition 1 only.

I can't help you. no disk errors, no memory errors, no restore points (as far as I know)

I want you to do an offline SFC but startup repair did that already

ok thanks for the effort.