Dena,
First, I'd like to thank you for all your help on this ongoing issue.
Unfortunately the system recovery did not resolve the issue, at all.
Nor has any of the resolutions the other kind people have provided in this thread...
The worst of the problem with all of this, is the inability to access my data on the primary partition - none of the options available allowed access to the dos prompt (i couldn't get past that file during boot to get there), nor could i remove the hard drive
because i'd lose my warranty with my computer manufacturer.
Also, they couldn't fix it in time for a presentation I had due. Which, fortunately was on the secondary hard drive.
I was forced to recover from my original recovery discs i created when i purchased my computer. - and not everyone creates those, because they are not aware they are supposed to.
As a tech myself, i am surprised that there is not a fix, instead of the band-aid that has been provided, in all this time this issue has been open since 2009.
I have had zero issues with Windows 7 until this foible occurred, and have had zero success with all the..well..."Hacks" that the other forum members have tried to provide each other - simply because there is no official fix to this. Unfortunately, something
like this, really is an OS killer, when said OS is allowed to be easily (or legally) modifiable by the public at large
My issue came about because I ran a windows update that included, of all things, ONLY the following. a Windows Genuine Advantage update, a Windows Malicious Files update, and nothing else. none of them touched the file in question.
And yes, this is an official copy of windows - purchased alongside my Toshiba Satellite P500 "lapdesk" as i call it. (this thing is huge!)
Anyway, i hope this information actually spurs some forward movement by Microsoft (doubtful, it never does) to be more mindful and dutiful to their dedicated users/supporters in the future.
Maybe, some people will be as lucky as I was, and not lose their data. most probably won't be. That is a fail point by Microsoft for not providing proper support here to fix a simple corrupted driver.
The next computer I purchase, and all computers I purchase for my customers, will probably use either Linux or Apple - they seem to be more stable and able to adapt to failuressuch as this.
Please pass this on to the people who actually take proper stock in messages such as this, for the upcoming windows 8 - maybe it will do some good. or maybe not.
UPDATE:
I have had no choice but to move forward with this faster than anyone could assist, Figured I would update here in case anyone else gets this message.
I used Hirens Boot CD (current version is 14.1, google it). backed up my data, and then did a full recovery with a nuke and pave.
There was no choice in this matter, I had to force this quickly due to job restrictions. Unfortunately nobody at my Manufacturer, nor Microsoft, had an acceptable resolution for this situation that did not include a reformat, anyway.
In short, Unacceptable - After the current project, I will be converting all my PCs to linux (again) and giving up (finally) on Microsoft. I really did think that the Windows 7 project might have turned the company around. I guess I was wrong.