when you bought the computer did you also get a recovery disk?

you could try the Windows XP 6 Floppy Disk Setup: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310994 and see if you can acess the recovery console with that, not sure if you can and you may not be able to fix the problem w/recovery console anyway... especialy without the disk.

Originally Posted by spud

please reread this again

"Did this computer come with XP installed or did you install it?

If the former check the manual for using your Recovery Disk"

i have now found the disk, got feeling it not the one that came with this pc but with a previous one i owned (hope this wont cause any problems)

please can you assist, i would love to be able to get back into my system without losing any information.

any way to 'fix' the disk?

thanks

What is the exact make & model of the laptop?

If you do not have the manual then search google for the manufacturer then search their site for your model. Look for a support or download section. Look for the manual or Recovery Options.

If you have problems with this then post us your exact make & model & we can asist in the search.

You will need a Recovery Disk made for your computer. At least it will have to be the same manufacturer. Also some manufacturers put recovery options on the hard drive. If this is the case you will need to find out which keys to press. This info should be in the manual or available from online support.