Windows 7 Home Premium won't log on at all

I came to my laptop about five hours ago and have not been able to do anything with it since. I had it in hibernate and as I flicked the lid up it shut itself down - I assumed for updates. Nothing happened.

I turned it on, started windows normally as it hadn't shut down properly and waited for the log on screen. It hung on "Please wait" for about five minutes with the circle going round and round and round, then nothing, just the home page no user no password no log on. I turned it off and turned it on again while Google'ing for answers. Seeing as I haven't been able to log in at all a lot of the answers I haven't been able to try, so far I have tried:

1. to boot normally and end up with the hanging screen.
2. booting safe mode, it loads files, finishes with \windows\system32\DRIVERS\CLASSPNP.SYS then restarts and I'm back to square one.
3. booting in safe mode with networking and command prompt - same as above.
4. F8, repair, system restore, tried all points with errors:
   System restore failed to extract the file (C:\) from the restore point. An unspecified error occurred during system restore (0x8000ffff)
   and
   System restore failed. No changes have been made.
5. F8, repair, memory diagnostics with no problems detected
6. F8, repair, boot logging
7. F8, repair, command prompt chkdsk c: /r /f
   stage 1: 0 bad files, 0 EA records, 44 reparse records processed
   stage 2: orphaned file bootex.leg <2304> into directory file 5
   orphaned file WerFaultSecure.exe <202457> into file 184601
   orphaned file ntdll.dll.mui <208996> into file 185298
   ntvdm.exe <238475> into file 184601
   stage 3: security descriptor verification completed
   CHKDSK is verifying Usn Journal 22 percent complete <0 of 34752368
   USN bytes processed>
   Repairing Usn Journal file record segment 34752368 USN bytes
   processed.
   stage 4: 24 percent complete <224200 of 289008> this is where I am currently at

During booting I get the black screen Checking file system on C:

The type of the file system is NTFS
Volume label Vista
One of your disks needs to be checked for consistency.


It has checked E: also but results in a hanging screen anyway.



I have seen the BSOD a couple of times with:
A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.
UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME..."
"Technical information:
*** STOP: 0x000000ED (0xFFFFFA8004A8F140, 0xFFFFFFFFC0000185, 0x000000000000000, 0x0000000000000000)
but that has been after the hanging "Welcome" screen.

I downloaded Windows 7 about 18 months ago from a student offer while I was at university - I was sent a CD/DVD and put it somewhere very safe, so safe I don't even know where it is!

If it is any help, I also hear a ticking noise from the laptop when it gets to the start up screen just as it begins to hang, it then stops and I end up having to turn it off or it restarts itself.

Any and all help will be greatly received.

Thanks Brianzion, I tried taking the battery out and pressing the power button to no avail. It just seems to be going round and round in circles booting up and restarting itself.

I'm making a start on your next suggestion and will post any progress made :)

Test your HD with maker's HD Diagnostic extended CD scan.

Then follow these steps to know you've done everything: Windows 7 fails to boot

Do you have the Product Key which came with Win7? What is the licensed version and bit rate you installed?