If you dont mind reinstalling your programs boot from a floppy and delete the windows directory and the Program Files directory. Rename 'documents and settings' to something else so you'll still have your my documents folder, links, etc. Then boot from the w2k CD.

edit: if you use windows encryption on any of your folders turn that shit off before you reinstall else you'll lose all the data in them permanently.

 

If those movies and other data are very important, go to the store and buy another hard drive. Pull the old drive out and install the new drive. Install fresh OS of choice, then install old drive as slave and have all of your data available to transfer over if you wish. At least you would be guaranteed not to lose any of your data.

IMO, I would never recommend upgrading any OS. It will run like ass if you do. Always format drive perform a fresh install if possible.

 

You do not need to format or install 2000. I'm pretty sure your XP can start working again.

Go to Start > Run and type "cmd". Once in the command prompt, type SFC /scannow

This will replace any corrupted system files with the original versions, should fix your OS issues. If that doesn't work, put the XP cd and boot to it. Go through the option to install Windows XP, and you should see an option to do a repair by pressing "R". That will also replace the corrupted files. None of these will have you lose files.

 

so you're using an os you got from school- doesn't happen to be a trial version or something does it?

anyway, the easiest way to get rid of all your problems is a fresh install. save all your old files you want to keep to cd or something and during setup, just delete all the partitions you currently have (if it's a default install should only be one).

 

No, he said he currently has XP running, and its messed up. The only Windows disk he has in a Win2k disk he got from school, and he should probably have a WinXP recovery disk that came with his computer.

The best thing to do is to just let someone that knows what they're doing mess with it, it's hard to explain all the steps to someone.

 

reading comprehension owns me.

i agree, have someone look at it.

 

yea, i'm going to to have a professor on campus look at it. Tried to do it myself to keep from lookin like a dumbarse.

Thanks guys

 

i'll fix it..lol thats all i freakin do at work is fix computers

 

If you had WINPE, BARTPE, or ERD Commander you could boot to those cds and then save your file to disk or thumb drive . Oyou you could use ERD commander to fix the problem.

 

or jus wipe ur machine and install win2k, which is a 20x better O/s then shitty XP, Do not argue with me on this, YOU WILL LOOSE!