I was over clocking my CPU and had done a few improper restarts (reset button). Well, i log onto windows xp and i get an error message saying something along the lines of "Your user profile is corrupted" so i log on an old profile, and try to restore my files from my old profile, to the new one i had to create. Well, i get an error message stating that a windows file was corrupted, and to run chkdsk. I was about to restart my computer after setting the chkdsk on reboot option, and my screen went black. I rebooted my pc and everytime i logged selected xp in my dual boot menu, i got the same black screen with no cpu activity. Long story short, i ran fixmbr and fixboot in recovery console, only to find out all i needed to do was run scandisk. Whenever i booted up xp after the fix and chkdsk commands, i got a hal.dll file missing error. So i tried a boot disk with boot.ini, ntldr and ntdetect.com, all to no avail. Then i tried to copy the boot files from the boot disk to my windows dir in recov console, and got an access denied error, and i was not given the option to login, nor could i logon with the command. So i resorted to putting a new windows xp install on the same drive. All was well, untill i boot up my new os install (with the original install both intact and in a seperate install folder) and find many of my folders, program files folders, including a very important folder under my old user account, not even on my hard drive. HOWEVER, i still have the same drive space as before my new install. This leads me to believe that: 1) even though i cant see the old windows, documents and settings folder, or my old program files, that they are on the drive. and 2) they are recoverable. This is so frustrating, please help, all i want to do is restore my old files, or old windows xp install so i can keep my files and internet favorites

Nathan E, That is exactly why i always back up everything to disc before i go playing around with something. You got your work cut out for you. You have done so much and so many different things. How big is your HDD? Your concern is the old files that you have lost and i don't know if you have enough room to do what needs to be done, so I am going to suggest that you get another HDD andinstall it with a clean install of xp pro. Then find you a file restorer program( google for 1 ) and then set up your old drive for slave and restore your old files and programs to the new one. Believe me when I say this is your fastest and best way out. You will never get the old operating system up and running properly. It will just drive you nuts. So either forget the old files and reinstall or do this like I said. Then you will have something to back up to when you go playing around the next time, rc