Need urgent help ! computer wont boot at all.

When you use Windows Explorer to look around in that Hard Drive, various of the Drive Letters will probably have changed. Select the Main (root) Directory Drive (used to be C:\) Click on "Documents and Settings" and it will display the various UserNames - Guest, Administrator, YourUsername, OtherUsernames, etc. Click on the UserName to get into that Account and you should then see your expected file selections. Keep us posted with your progress. Best Regards

when i try to go to my documents under my user it comes up e;/documents and settings/owner/mydocuments is not accessable the file or directory is currupted or unreadable.

I can't really print the sound my voice made when I read your last post. Bummer. But all is not lost! Let me think about this situation a bit more. I'm tempted to just recommend a free software "data recovery" utility for you, but want to check on some other factors first. If you happen to be thinking along the same lines, and take/or have taken the initiative to get a data recovery software……… Be absolutely certain that you are not "running" the "data recovery software" on/from the defective Hard Drive. Run it only from the "known-good" Hard Drive! Back to you later. Best Regards

not quite sure what u say by the recovery thing. paws had me run some thing with the chkdsk in a command section, didnt work. not sure what to do. what ever you think dough let me know

ok i put the drive back in the broken pc. i was able to get some files, i could not get into "my pictures" i think it is read only and wont let me change it. also i can not get microsoft works to work i get this error - Works cant access 1 or more required files the files may of been deleted renamed or moved. and with the picture is says c://doc and sett/owner/mydocs/my pics is not accessible access denied

Ok, sounds like you were able to recover some of your files. I don't know why you would need to have Works running. All you need to do is copy/paste the files you want to save from the damaged Hard Drive to the known-good Hard Drive. You can do that with the Windows Explorer that is resident on the known-good Computer. Same with the pictures. You don't need to open them, just copy/paste them all and sort it out later, same with the Works documents. _____________ But now you are back to having the damaged Hard Drive in its original machine? Does that mean that you do not wish to salvage any more of your documents, files, pictures? The Recovery Program that I have been considering is for DATA Recovery when files have been deleted or otherwise damaged. There are a few brands of DATA Recovery software that do a good job. Some are free. Some cost in the neighborhood of $60-$70. I'd start with the free ones. There are Professional DATA recovery services that cost much much more and may not be cost effective for you. Let us know if you want to take further steps in recovering your important files. And if you've recovered all that you truly want, and are now ready to get your machine up and running again, tell us that too. __________________________ Here's an idea that may help you do both. —- Hard Drives are relatively inexpensive. Buy a new one for the original machine. Install XP with any of your installation CD's using the Product Identification Key Code on the Machine's sticker. Activate and update it. Keep the old, damaged Hard Drive out of the original machine until you have a good operating system installed and the machine is running the way you want it. At that point, I'll recommend some data recovery software to retrieve the rest of your "not quite lost" files, documents and pictures. Let us know what you think of that plan. Best Regards

When i put the drive back in the broken machine that was when i was able to actually get and salvage some files. when i tried to move the pictures anywhere it said access denied. i have the works documents all on my computer now but the thing is i no longer can open up works. i would like to get out the cheapes way possible as i have been sinkin alot of money in the pc and i should of just bought a new one. the pictures are not that important but i would like them if i can. as for microsoft works i kinda need that program

Let's try again to repair that corrupted XP installation, but with a different (and safe) method.

Boot your machine Normally, into the original "corrupted" XP.

Next
Go to:
Start - Run - (type)sfc /scannow - Press Enter <— notice the space between "c" and "/"

Have the borrowed XP Installation CD available, since SFC will probably call for it to be inserted into your CD-ROM drive in order to copy original files to replace any that are missing or corrupted.

Keep us posted on your progress.
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If that doesn't help, you can run a Repair Installation of the same "corrupted" XP from the Recovery Console.
(Don't install yet another copy of XP, rather run Repair Installation ® on the "corrupted installation.)
Repair Installation is designed to be "non-destructive" and it is expected that your files and documents will remain untouched. …. but no guarantees.

____________________________________
Next
Do you have access to an MS Works Installation CD set?
MS Works will have its own Product Identification Key that will be printed on the outside of the Installation CD box or envelopes. You can probably use that Product Identification Key to install Works. Microsoft hasn't been very worried about Works, since they are more worried about pirated copies of the more expensive Office.
If you have the installation CD's for Works, we can try Uninstalling Works and Reinstalling Works
Doing so may help you gain access to the files you wish to retrieve.
___________________________

Next,
about actual DATA Recovery (finding and retrieving deleted or corrupted files like documents and pictures)

There are (free) utilities that you can use, and (paid) utilities you can buy to use.
Here's some recommendations:

Restoration from SnapTools (recommended by Woody Leonhard, of Brian Livingstons Windows Secrets NewsLetter)
You can Download Restoration, here:
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/restoration.html (free)
“Restoration” is a good utility, and free, but only allows for restoring one file at a time and has a somewhat awkward user-interface.

Another (free) utility that I have used successfully is:
PCInspector (Free)
http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/UK/welcome.htm

Of the Paid utilities:
RecoverMyFiles from GetDATA is the best, and medium priced at $69.95
You can download a trial version that will allow you to "view" recoverable files, but not actually "save" them until you pay the fee and activate your Trial Version - to Full Version status. So you get a "preview" of what you will be paying for if you decide to purchase the product.

http://www.recovermyfiles.com/

_______________________________________________

If you decide to try out some of the free or paid File Recovery products:

If you decide to run a Software Restoration solution, please remember to do so from a separate Disk.
You only want the restoration program to “read” from the drive that has your lost data.
You do not want it to be installed over or over-writing the very information that you are trying to recover. The more times your data gets over-written, the less likely you can recover it.

You can run File Recovery products from a "separate disk" by installing the product into the "known-good" computer that you have available, then place the "corrupted" Hard Drive back into that known-good machine as Slave. Run the File Recovery product from the known-good computers C:\ drive while "searching" on the corrupted drive, so that you don't "overwrite" any files you wish to recover.


Best Regards

thanks dough, i should be good from here. i appreciate your time