System Restore (0x8000ffff) - No boot at all

I have been searching and trying to correct this error for a few hours now, and feel I should just accept a temporary defeat and enlist some assistance.

I am running a custom built PC with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, Intel i5-2500K processor, Asus P8Z68-V motherboard, G.Skill Sniper 8GB (4GBx2) RAM, NVIDIA GTX-550Ti, 2TB WD-Green HDD.

There have been 0 hardware changes, and this occurred sometime throughout the day while I was at work.

I set Avast! Free to run a full system scan while I was away, because it seems a virus got onto my PC (I blame my girlfriend), and when I came home it was stuck in a half-boot cycle leading to System Recovery. Repair fails every time I run it, I've tried 10+ times in a row even. I can not boot into Safe mode, the POST beeps then it recycles back to the "Launch Startup Repair" or "Start Windows Normally" screen, which fails the recovery once again. Trying to do a System Restore brings me the 0x8000ffff error code, which is such an outrageous code since it isn't specific in the slightest. I have no Image to recover from, so that's out of the question. Windows Memory Diagnostic seems to be working, then the computer restarts and we're back to square once again.

I tried using SFC /SCANNOW and a few more specific variations of the command from the System Recovery Options Command Prompt, but to no avail. BCDEDIT forcing into safemode doesn't work either.

I have yet to try any form of USB boot process, as I'm not sure which would be able to help me. I found a program called PowerSuite Golden, but I have a feeling it needs to be installed onto the computer.

TL;DR - No startup repair, no recovery, no safe mode, no SFC /SCANNOW** or BCDEDIT, what can I do from either a command prompt or a USB boot.

** Doing 'SFC /SCANNOW /OFFBOOTDIR=C:\ /OFFWINDIR=C:\Windows' produced a "we found something broken and fixed it", but I was still in this loop of nothing working. Would I need a different directory than my original boot to use as the directory? Such as would using D: to point toward the disc's directory fix the C: errors as long as my CMD is as such: "C:\> SFC /SCANNOW /OFFBOOTDIR=D:\ /OFFWINDIR=D:\Windows'

I appreciate all the help I know you guys (and gals) will provide.

EDIT: I now realize this isn't the proper forum, please move this to whatever location would be correct. Thanks!

13 passes with Memtest86+ and it found 0 errors. Nothing else to try?

PSU Checks out good. Looked up the manufacturer specs and check the voltage/wattage/amperage with my Fluke Digital Multimeter. I'm not new to electronics, as I calibrate them on a daily basis.

If there is something you know of that only experience people should do, please let me know because I am capable.

indianacarnie said:

How about a repair install?

Not trying to stick my nose in where it doesn't belong, but if the virus attack was bad enough that could be the only practical solution. Imho , of course.

Repair Install

It will save your stuff, since you have no backup's.

Attempted to use Win7 repair discs I have to do a "refresh/restore" of files, and came up with nothing. I'll attempt to do this, but it looks as if you have to be able to boot and be on the desktop to do it. I can't get to the desktop, as it crashes before fully loading windows.

Also, I do have 2 backups/restore points, but they fail and give me the 0x8000ffff error everytime.