Point 1: after one of the registry files becoming corrupt i had to reinstall windows and losing everything, the problem is that some of the keys have swapped places for example the " key is now the @ key, is there a way of solving this problem.

Point 2: unrelated to keyboards when my system boots up there is a 1min-2min delay between POST and windows xp load bar, before i had to reinstall windows this was around 20-30seconds is there a way round this problem.

Thanks

#1: You have got onto a US keyboard layout, and want a UK one. (or perhaps visa-versa)

Go to Control Panel - Regional And Language Options. Take the Language
page and click Details.
There if you do not see United Kingdom under Keyboard for English in the
lower pane, click on Add and search for it in the lower drop down, so
you have English (United Kingdom) and United Kingdom in those two panes.
Click OK. Then in the parent page, select this combination in the
Default Input language in the top drop down, Apply, OK and Apply any
time it is available on the way as you OK out. Then close and restart
to bring it into use.


#2: See if the timing improves after a few boots. Maybe just need to get the prefetch fetching. Did you install SP2? If the problem persists open the command prompt and type in chkdsk/f you will be asked if you want to run chkdsk on next boot; choose Y then reboot.


............

Thank you very much for such quick advice a lot better now!