I was so hoping it was a bad dream.
OK, it's pretty immediate. Tries to boot, a blue screen flashes (too quick to read the text), and then the b/w error screen loads: failed to start, want to run start up repair? I run it, but it fails. Eventually I am taken to HP Recovery Manager.
This offers me System Restore, also Ststem Recovery to factory condition?! I did run a backup c.2 weeks ago, onto an external hard drive, but I am crazy nervous to assume I can actually restore from that - I have never checked.
I hadn't even got to the tools you suggest above, this happened directly after Microsoft Aecurity Essentials ran, found Alureon, instructed me to run Windiws Defender Offline, which found and said it successfully removed, Alureon. I was so hopeful all was good. But this happened, on reboot.
I'm in the middle of a job application, and up aginst a deadline. How scared shoud I be, please please reassure me this is fixable?!