System Repair repeat loop - Corrupt System32 Driver (no luck with CMD)

Hi,

At my wits end now with this - unable to boot into Windows at all (even safe mode etc), and Windows recovery/repair and restore all fail in aiding a boot.
I've been through everywhere looking for a solution, and tried countless methods with no luck. I'll explain what I've tried after explaining the problem.

Basically my entire system crashed (whilst general Youtube browsing), and became completely unresponsive with CTRL+ALT+DEL not working. As you normally would, I powered off and restarted, though to the sign of 'Windows did not shut down properly' etc etc, with the options to start normally or use use system recovery - unfortunately both of these eventualities lead to the recovery environment anyway... I was stuck in an endless loop of system recovery rebooting, with not being able to boot safe mode, and it not being able to automatically fix the problem endless times.

Since that I've used my windows disk to get to WRE, and tried everything thrown at me to try and sort out a boot.
This somehow changed something to now when it boots, I'm presented with the reason that 'registry is corrupt or missing':
\system32\drivers\vmstorfl.sys
There doesn't seen to be anything of substance on the web on this either, just instances of 'loaded driver:......\vmstorfl.sys' in debug threads...

Knowing this though, I've tried all CMD commands applicable (that I know of/found) to know avail.

1st was copying another version of the driver from BOOT X: to the drivers folder in C: - completed successfully and overwritten but no change in boot, with same corrupt error.

Then bootrec with:

>bootrec /fixboot & /fixmbr both say completed successfully.
>bootrec /scanos & /rebuildbcd say 0 installations found.

The latter trying to be resolved by countless articles/threads to do the whole diskpart and then bcdedit to sort out and recompile etc, WHICH actually presented with the final >bootrec /rebuildbcd saying 1 installation found, then had to say 'yes' to adding it to the partition or such like. BUT immediately following this though, /scanos still showed 0, and so did /rebuildbcd...

Only other thing I've done is force sfc /scannow - which came back with no integrity violations found, & 'bootsect /nt60 all' which apparently completed, but no changes elsewhere.

Startup repair details if any use:

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: StartupRepairOffline
Problem Signature 01: 0.0.0.0
Problem Signature 02: 6.1.7600.16358
Problem Signature 03: unknown
Problem Signature 04: 21200392
Problem Signature 05: ExternalMedia
Problem Signature 06: 17
Problem Signature 07: CorruptFile
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033
----------------------------------------------------------

Any help would be greatly appreciated, with trying to avoid clean install as a last case scenario.
I do have my files now backed up by USB booting Ubuntu, but the hassle reinstalling from fresh inc programs is something I'd like to avoid if possible.


Thanks in advance for your help and time. :)

HiddenC said:

The best thing to do is try and find out which files are missing or corrupt (from an error if possible?) and restore it using another computer or a second copy of Windows on the Hard Disk to boot into and try to copy missing files into the corrupt installation Windows directory if you do not wish to reinstall/reformat.

For these types of problems, I always have a secondary backup installation of Windows if any issues started to arise. (I have Windows 7 Ultimate x64 as primary, and Windows XP as a secondary backup on a seperate drive)

I've found the culprit \system32\drivers\VMSTORFL.SYS
Tried replacing the file form BOOT X:
Completed, but no change in error.
I've used another Win7 64bit machine to look for the driver but it didn't have it, which confused me somewhat...

Unfortunately no second copy of windows anywhere, and upgrade install doesn't work as I need to be able to be to boot and it to know there's a copy on the HDD already!

HiddenC said:

That driver is the Virtual Storage Filter driver. Instead of copying it from Boot, try to place another copy of the driver into the folder manually from another OS version? If you have either Linux, or another copy of Windows would do. (hopefully)

In that other machine, search Google for a new copy of that exact driver, and try to connect your corrupt Windows hard drive into the other machine as a SATA drive and copy the new VMSTORFL.SYS file into the Windows drivers folder.

I'm on x64.

I only have a laptop available with Windows 7 x64, but as mentioned, the driver is not present at all in '\system32\drivers' on that...

Currently in Ubuntu with access to drives, so that's not a problem. Locating another copy is, with nothing found on the laptop and the sites claiming to have it, to me looking very dubious.

HiddenC said:

My apologies for the late replies. I have switched to my PC from replying on my iPhone 5. It is of course entirely up to you to trust me that the file I've attached in the archive is a legit copy and is virus free. My intentions are to help users here at SevenForums get the mass majority (if not all) of their problems resolved by giving my assistance to both the best of my ability and as much as possible!

Place this file in "C:\Windows\System32\Drivers". Please be sure that you go to "Control Panel -> Folder Options -> View" and do as shown in the screenshot below. Please only change the ones in the red box.

Thanks.


I almost jumped for joy when I got further that it has been, it now loads starting windows and the logo 'assembles' and pulsates, which never happened before/got that far.

BUT, after a few seconds on that screen, it automatically restarts the system.
The same happens for 'Safe Mode', these times though, no error of corrupt file!!

Progress has been made!

As for at the moment, I've just booted into WRE using my Win7 CD and seeing now if 'startup repair' can make any headway now there is no corruption.


Thanks a lot for your time and help, it's greatly appreciated :)

HiddenC said:

Glad to have been of assistance!

Please post back results. :)

Right, it couldn't auto repair...
From what I can see, it apparently it didn't like me manually replacing the driver.

"Unspecified changes to system configuration might have caused the problem"
"Repair action: System files integrity check and repair"
"Result: Failed. Error code = 0x490"