MAJOR help needed for boot corruption

I'm on Windows Ultimate.

I was messing with my activation (since it stated that I did not have genuine when i did) and then when i rebooted it, it said "The boot selection failed because a required device is inaccessible" and the status was "0xc000025".

I did make a recovery CD that can apply automatic Startup repair options to the boot. But it did not work (it worked last time i had the same error but different status) It claimed that my boot of the OS worked perfectly...

System restore fails to work (heck i was lucky to even have a restore point ).

I also had tried bootrec.exe by watching a youtube video and rebuilding it after backing up the original. That did not work, also...

I guess I can stand a reformat to factory settings but i cannot stand losing my files!!! And sadly, they are on the same partition..

IS THERE any way to retrieve my files? (LAPTOP) HP Recovery Manager has an option to recover files but it's only a specified list and you cannot choose, plus the method to back it up is to "Burn" all of it.

I'm wondering, is it possible to make my USB bootable into another os (win XP) and then boot it with the USB flash drive and then back up my files ? (to an external HDD)

I am desperate for any way to back up my files. Then i would do a recovery of the system.

I'm also wondering, how does Windows.Old work and can it be useful in my situation?

hey thanks for the reply, but doesnt Repair Install require you to log on to windows (from what i see on the guide)

from another thread (whihc i shouldve read first but i was freaked out)
a recent guide Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console
shows that from the recovery console (in which i can access)
i can copy and paste files
haha im getting kinda happy now x )

any other solutions??
THanks for all the help though

Copy your files out of the unbootable OS to external, another HD or DVD using the Repair CD: Copy & Paste - in Windows Recovery Console

Make sure your WIn7 partition is marked Active from CD: https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html

Then boot CD again, click through to Recovery Tools list to run Startup Repair up to 3 separate times with reboots until Win7 starts. Startup Repair

I'm actually planning to do the copy/paste option and then reformat the HDD and use Recovery CD to get back to factory settings.

WHat does making the windows partition as active do? isn't it active by default? (im assuming)

If anything knocked the Active flag off of Win7 partition, Startup REpair often will not work.

So it is always worth checking to see that it is Active then run Startup Repair again up to 3 separate times, which is what it takes sometimes to rewrite the MBR if necessary.

But a Clean reinstall is always a good thing. Do you have a WIn7 installer so you don't have to recover the factory bloatware, too?

Your OP and specs say you have Ultimate, which should self-activate if you run the Recovery. If not, activate with the Product key on the COA sticker on machine.

Are you considering a clean install with another Retail copy of Home Premium? Any retail copy can migrate to any machine or be resintalled as often as you want - as long as it is on only one at a time. You may need to make the robocall during activation.

I personally would find a clean copy of the licensed OS for that machine and install using Product key on sticker. The installer is nearly drive-complete with newer arrivnig quickly via optional Windows Updates. Any missing drivers can then be found on HP website.

The process to install XP to bootable USB is so involved that you could have copied out your files using the Repair CD or DVD and tutorial I linked above before you even get started.

ic, i shall use the copy/paste method to back up contents.

as for the operating system confusion, i had Home Premium and i Upgraded to Ultimate, so therefore the recovery discs install Home Premium

as for the edit on my previous post, to clear things up, i meant:

after upgrading from home premium to ultimate, is the home premium Key useless now

The recovery disks will likely self-activate the Home Premium that is licensed to that machine.

How did you originally upgrade to Ultimate?

Did you unlock features using Anytime Upgrade key you purchased and still have?

Or did you use a retail Product Key to clean install, or unlock using Anytime Upgrade?

Or did you use the workaround that allows one to in-place Upgrade between versions, and activate with Ultimate key?