Windows Won't Restart After Yesterdays Update - Can't Repair Or Start In Safe Mode?

Hi there, I am in desperate help of advice, as I am leaving for a business trip tomorrow. Before you read, I have troubleshooted a couple things.

1. F8 Safe Mode - windows still can't start even when I start in safe mode. So maybe safe mode needs Windows too.
2. ESC/Boot from CD/DISK - Yesterday I attempted to change the boot order, and the found how to Boot from CD directly. Would not repair either

* This problem occured yesterday, but some issues have occured over the last two weeks.
If those details are helpful, scroll down to the "LEADING UP TO THIS - PAST TWO WEEKS"

I have an HP dv3500 laptop that came with VISTA but I am now running an upgraded copy of windows 7 Home Premium x64.
Yesterday, a WINDOWS UPDATE took place while I was on the phone.
When it re-booted, it came to a black screen titled "Windows error recovery."
Below that it read "windows could not re-start."

I was then given the options to:: launch start up repair, or start windows manually.
I of course, chose launch start up repair.

It goes to a gray box saying "start up repair is checking the system" as a scroll bar is processing along the bottom.
After a minute or two, it takes me to a "final status update" from the test saying "Start up repair could not repair this computer automatically."
It then has two boxes to choose from about sending info to microsoft so they can learn more about these issues.

But below that it says; view problem details.
When i click on it a drop down box opens, and its titled Problem signature.
it lists 8 or so problem signatures one right after another. the problem event name says: StartupRepairOnline.

signature 1: 6.1.7600.16385
Signature 2: 6.1.7600.16385.
Signature 3: unknown.
Signature 4: 21200757.
Signature 5. AutoFailOver
Signature 6: 10
Signature 7: Bad Patch
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033

Then i click "hide problem details" to make it disappear.

I then hit "send information about this problem to microsoft" and then it processes it and takes me back to the original "start up repair Window" where it says that windows cannot repair this computer automatically. But at the bottom of the box, there are two links you can to click on:

#1. view diagnostic and repair details and
#2. view advanced options for system recovery and support.

When i click on #1: view diagnostic and repair details, it shows me a running detailed test of each time I ran the "automatic repair system." All the tests seem to have come back successfully, until you get to the end and it says:.....

......"root cause found, Start up repair has tried several times but still cannot determine the cause of the problem."

When I click on the 2nd link, it takes me to a systems recovery option screen, and there is startup repair, system restore, system image recovery, windows memory diagnostic, and command prompt. I tried system restore, but it says no restore points were ever created. I click on system image recovery, but it says that windows cannot find a systems image on this computer. I did run the memory diagnostic test, but nothing came of it...so it didn't seem to be a memory problem. And i don't know what to do with command prompt.

I did think of trying F9 and ran the boot manager, but nothing seemed to come of the checkdsk process. I tried f8 and tried to run it in safe mod, but I get back to the same screen that says Windows cannot start.

LEADING UP TO THIS: (Past Two Weeks)

One more thing to point out, leading up to this incident over the last two weeks, i had an inciddent where the computer started to freeze and become increasingly slow. Opening documents, opening webpages, etc...the cursor would just spin and spin while the background would turn gray. A friend walked me through an entire process where we removed anything that shouldn't be there, cleaned up memory, unistalled and re-installed anti virus and more. Ran a complete scan, did clean disk, etc. And the computer was back up to normal.

So i thought, until i would receive a "Blue Screen" on my computer titled "a problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer." Then it would read: KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR.

We googled it and it looked like I needed to run a CHECKDSK as it may be something with the hard drive. I tried running on Saturday, but the steps I was following wasnt working. So i thought I would regroup with my friend and come back to it this week...but of course, this issue happens yesterday.

I am not a novice in using a computer, but when it comes to fixing them, I don't have a ton of experience. But i can follow steps very well, if people have any suggestions on what I can try. At this point, I have no idea where to take this, and i am concerned about all my files, etc. ironically, i ran a backup 2 weeks ago when it first started showing signs of strange behavior, so I have most. But i have been working on a lot of things since. i know I don't know any of you who are reading this....but would be so grateful and thankful for anything you feel i need to do. My personal email is (email address removed BCB) if there are attachments or screenshots that may help.

I can't thank all of you enough. i have a 6 hour train ride in a couple hours so hoping to test as much as i can.
Johnny

 

There are 2 qucik things you may want to try. When you get to the Advanced Boot Options page try "last know good configuration" and if that fails go back to the repair my computer and select a system restore to a point before all this began to happen. If that works you will lose any updates or programs you installed since then but your data will be safe.

Sorry for the late reply it was inadvertent.

 

I'll try not to confuse things more than they are for now, as your getting help over here - http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-system/computer-received-a-windows-update-and-now-windows/943c9f4d-3a86-4d96-a30b-70af1955ec15

It sounds like the registry or MBR are corrupted to stop you booting into Windows, the support engineer (in your thread linked above) was right to suggest the Bootrec.exe tool, to answer your question of what option to choose in the Bootrec tool, try the /FixBoot option first and see if that solves the problem otherwise use the /FixMBR option.