Windows RE with 0x8000ffff error

[musicmouse]

I have an Acer Aspire 5736Z computer with Windows 7 (I am not sure whether 64 or 32 bits). When after an automatic upgrade the computer showed too long the same screen the user switched it off by pressing the on/off button for a few seconds. Since then when the computer starts up it reports an error and restarts in the Windows Recovery Environment. However, automatic recovery does not work ("the computer cannot automatically be repaired") and when I go to the Advanced Options and try to roll back towards a recovery point I always end with error 0x8000ffff.

I did some research on internet and found that there is a bug with Windows RE that results in the error code 0x8000ffff (see for example "0x8000ffff" error message when you try to restore a Windows 7-based computer by using System Restore and "E_UNEXPECTED 0x8000ffff" error when you try to restore a system by using System Recovery Options in Windows 7). However, the solutions that those Knowledge Base articles suggest (installing Windows Automated Installation Kit and operating in administrative mode) seem impossible within the restrictions of the Windows Recovery Environment.

Does anyone have suggestions how to get out of this?

 

[fireberd]

If you installed the Tuesday updates, this past Tuesday one of them caused many different problems with Windows 7 systems.

Microsoft has issued KB3024777 that will remove the problem KB3004394 from your computer. I don't know if that is your problem, but worth investigating and even downloading and installing the fix KB.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/3024777

 

[musicmouse]

Impossible. I am stuck in the Recovery Environment and cannot install upgrades.

 

[fireberd]

Sadly, it sounds like it will take a reinstall. But the KB I referenced could have been the problem. It has caused many different problems.