Windows Vista [Vista startup failure: STOP: c0000102 {corrupt file}]

Yesterday my laptop(ACER) which was bought with vista already installed wouldn't start up at all. Every time I tried to start it a blue screen popped up and said STOP: c0000102 {corrupt file}
The file or directory X:\$mft is corrupt and unreadable please run the chkdsk utility. Now I can't run anything or go to any other screen to follow advice I've gotten online. I don't have a vista installation disk since the laptop already had it installed before purchase. Can some one help me figure my next least expensive step to take.

 

won't allow any other screen than the blue one and there are no flash drives plugged in. Problem started out of nowhere.

 

What is the model of the laptop?

Try using F8 at startup to go to the Advanced Boot Options. Can you run any of the options? (Including Safemode with Command Prompt, you could run CHKDSK /r from there.)

Do you have the User Guide/manual? See if they have "recovery modes" that are not destructive. You need to be able to run CHKDSK.

You can take the hard disk drive out and connect it into a (Vista) desktop computer to run CHKDSK on it, but you will need to check that the HDD has a SATA connection (most likely), not PATA. If you are interested in backup, so that you are not stuck like this again, get a (USB) external enclosure and even another HDD for backing up. Then you will have several options, one of them might be that could you clone the system onto the new HDD, run the Acer Recovery system, then get your data off the old HDD. Check the new HDD manufacturers drive setup utility instructions.

You can try making a boot disk. Do some websearches, you should get a good one free (at least to run CHKDSK),
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VistaPE
http://www.ehow.com/how_5558482_create-boot-disk-vista.html
and there is one around that is supposed to be for this situation (try neosmart.net).

Microsoft only talk about X:\$mft in reference to Windows 2000. Would you have any software installed for Win 2K?

Disconnect any hardware, not only drives...printers, scanners, anything.

Matt