Windows 7: Cannot start Windows - Startup Repair problem

Hello,
The following has just started to happen on my PC running Windows 7 Pro.
When I boot up it goes through Startup Repair, but Windows does not start and throws this message:

Problem Event Name: StartupRepairOffline
Problem Signature 01: 6.1.7600.16385
Problem Signature 02: 6.1.7600.16385
Problem Signature 03: unknown
Problem Signature 04: 21201081
Problem Signature 05: AutoFailover
Problem Signature 06: 22
Problem Signature 07: CorruptFile
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033

Now, I've tried everything I know to fix it short of reinstalling the OS from scratch.
I've tried all options from the System Recovery Options menu with these results:
Startup Repair - gives the error above
System Restore - I have 5 restore points and all of them fail with the following message: An unspecified error occurred during System Restore (0x80070002).
System Image Recovery - I don't have one, so not an option for me.
Windows Memory Diagnostic - checks out fine.

From the command prompt, I've tried the following:
sfc /scannow
Results in this error: "There is a system repair pending which requires reboot to complete. Restart Windows and run sfc again."

chkdsk cannot run, because it the drive is mounted, so I set it to run on reboot. However, when I reboot, I get the same Startup Repair loop.

When attempting to boot into Safe mode, I end up with same Startup Repair loop with the above error.

When attempting to boot Last Known Good Configuration, same Startup Repair loop.

I have tried to see if I can re-install Windows using my OS disc, but it says that I cannot do an upgrade install, only a clean install. (My OS was upgraded from Vista.)

BTW, I've ran some hardware diagnostics that are part of BIOS that HP has on this PC and all is fine. Both of my hard drives are ok with no bad sectors etc. So, this is not a hardware problem.

I've managed to copy all my files to my external hard drive using command prompt, so I can do a clean install, but I really really really hate wasting hours of re-installing OS, drivers, programs, files only because one file somewhere in Windows is corrupt!



Do you guys have other ideas before I re-install Windows AGAIN?!

Can someone tell me how to find this corrupt file that Startup Repair is reporting? Is there a log file I can access to tell me this?

Thank you very much.

Any ideas on how to find the corrupt file?

Go to Start and type scannow /sfc, when it appears in the upper window right mouse click on it and run as administrator, if there is a corrupt file, or files, it will try to repair them, if it can't you will be given info on what you can do.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but its sounding like a clean install is going to be necessary ... Once you get it all set up, IMAGE YOUR SYSTEM!! (caps added for emphasis) It is far easier to restore an image than it is to reinstall your OS...

Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

How to Create a System Image Backup in Windows 7

You may have alot of junk left from the Vista install.
As you have backedup all data, do a clean install.

Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

I cannot get to Windows to be able to do that.

Thank you. It sounds like that's what I'll have to do.
I just did some reading on the built-in Windows 7 backup of system and user files and that looks like the way to go to be able to quickly get the OS back. Thank you for that pointer!

I assume that periodic system backups also update the image with any recently installed Windows updates etc., so if I re-image the system with the latest backup in the future, it should have the latest drivers and updates inside the image, correct?

So, the only thing after restore from an image in the future is to re-install applications? Or are those backed up too using the Windows 7 solution?

Thank you very much.

Your image will include everything that was installed at the time the image was created...