Boot/startup Problem

Did it show an installation to repair when you booted into Repair console?

Make sure Win7 or it's 100mb System Reserved boot partition (preferred) are marked Active, using DIskpart from Repair console Command Line, or free Partition Wizard bootable CD:
Partition - Mark as Active
Partition Wizard
Then run Startup Repair 3 times with reboots to see if it will repair. If not, change the Active flag to Win7 partition itself (if it was on 100mb) then run the Repairs again.

If needed you can copy out your files using Repair console this way: Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console

Then if you slipstream SP1 into the installer it will minimize your workload quite a bit in Reinstalling Windows 7.
Slipstream Windows 7 SP1 into a Installation DVD or ISO File

Could be a disk issue.

Might be worth running checkdisk - tick "Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors"

I almost didn't try this because I thought there was no way that it could be a disk sector problem and that Startup Repair would not have rewritten the bad file. But that's exactly what happened. I ran chkdsk with the /B switch and it replaced one of the boot files that it said had damaged sectors. I wish I remembered the file name but since it ran for so long, I only periodically came into the room to check it. I figured the command prompt screen with chkdsk's final entry would be on the screen when it finished, but it rebooted and when I came in, Windows had started up and showed the user icon selection. Just to make sure I did a restart and it booted right up.

Thank you so much for the help.
CASE CLOSED!!

If you will be at TechEd in Atlanta next month, stop by the GITCA booth in the Community Lounge and say hello.

Harvey Schoenman
GITCA NorAm Board

Si, what was the clue to a disk problem? Repair results sig code?

Thx to all.

I'm glad you persevered- and Happy it worked for you.

Thanks for the invite - but it's a little far to travel as I am across the Atlantic :)

It was just a hunch Greg. Or maybe magic