System Recovery fail. Full reinstall the only option...

First question. My Vista cannot be recovered using System Recovery.
Startup Repair comes back with "Windows cannot repair this computer automatically"
(I cannot do a Complete PC Restore and there are no restore points. See**)

So why can I not run an update install? The installer says "must be run from windows". But I cannot get in to windows...Surely there's a way of running an update install? (media is full OEM version)

HISTORY (long, boring...)
** I have a raid0 dual boot of XP32 and Vista64; XP32 looks like it has knocked out the restore points (known issue)

1. dual boot has been fine for 6 months (takes a couple of goes to boot some times)
2. didn't use machine for 3 weeks
3. couldn't boot at all, lots of randome boot problems...
4. looks like one problem was MB battery was dead (ASUS P5NE-SLI)
5. since new battery boot to XP is reliable but Vista is broken; surprised I cannot do an upgrade install from OEM Vista64 media (option is greyed out and says it can only be run from Windows)

The actual error I get with Vista is :- Windows failed to start...Status 0xC0000001 An unexpected error has occured.

TIA.

No restore points, Try putting your boot disk into your computer, then go into boot menu and make your computer boot from the startup disk. Next run Check disk, but I forget what the command for that is, just check the forums.

Think this is fixed... I've had 2 separate stability issues with my P5N-E SLI. First, the MB battery was replaced which solved boot instability. Then I reseated my CPU with less TIM (used way too much before) and has improved overclocking stability.

Hi,
I've got this same predicament, (bar the battery bit), can anyone help?

My background
1. Vista won't boot. "updates were not configured correctly. Reverting changes"
2. Same as 1. ^ when selecting 'Safe Mode'
3. I have no Vista restore points thanks to this
>Using my Vista DVD..
4. Selecting 'repair' just says no boot problem found
5. Vista won't re-install because I have to be in Windows!
6. My PC dual-boots. XP works, so my hardware fine.

Million Dollar Q?: 'Is it possible to uninstall the dodgy MS Vista update from XP??'

Thanks in advance,
Matt D