Aaaarrrggggh! My Computer!

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....which is what I said when I totally wrecked my operating system.

That's what I get for trying to participating in some graphics-heavy virtual community site on a computer that's probably been around since the sack of Rome. You know, There.com, which makes you get software that allows you to chat using a Sims-like format. I dutifully downloaded the software (which took three frickin' hours on my dial-up connection) and it failed to run indicating I needed to get some obscure kernel file.

After downloading the kernel file from another site, I restarted my computer.....and got a message saying that Windows failed to start asking me if I wanted to go into "safe mode". After attempting safe mode, my whole dern computer went dead. I turned it on several times getting the same result, deader than Enron and Ken Lay.

Now I'm gonna have to get my uncle to re-install Windows, thereby losing all the files I've collected in two years and with Christmas being the busiest time of year where he works, he'll take forever to get around to repairing my po' P.C. Boy, I've never been so P.O.ed at myself for being so stupid.

You should try installing a another hard drive and boot from it. Hopefully you'll be able to access the data stored in the old one.

Which kernel file? It matters...

Also if you can use the Internet and post here, it can't be that bad - which means I might be able to diagnose the problem (I used to do Technical Support as a job).

Any error messages?

You can try using Start->All Programs->Accessories->System Tools->Disk Cleanup to clear up temporary and compressed files (believe it or not it CAN make serious problems better).

The other thing is to clear out the Page File... I've written out some quick instructions below, but only attempt it if you're fairly confident with Windows:

Do this by Right clicking on My Computer, select Properties. Select the Advanced tab. Under 'Performance' click Settings. On the new Dialog select Advanced tab and look under the heading on 'Virtual Memory'. It will display the current amount of for 'paging file' (maybe 512MB or 1024MB). Note this number down*. Click 'change' button. Select the C: drive in the white box on that new Dialog box (or whatever drive you have installed Windows to). ** Click on 'No Paging file' from the radio options below, and then click 'Set' button. Restart the computer. When you enter back into Windows (go into safe mode if possible) it will complain it doesn't have enough Virtual Memory. Ignore the complaints. You need to follow the same instructions to ** above, except this time, select 'Custom size' from the radio options, and put in the number(s) you noted down at *. Click 'Set' button. Click OK. This will have cleared your Page File as it may have contained errors in it.

And besides, if your uncle knows what he is doing, ask him to retain the files you want :) Shouldn't be hard...

I'll light a candle for your comp.

What would be optimal would be to get a new, or newer computer providing that you have the cash in order to do so, then salvage the old HDD and slave it to the drive in the new computer, (provided that the new system has an IDE interface) or get an outboard USB Drive case and install the old drive in that. --If you do either of the two things that I just mentioned, you'll be able to salvage all of your files.

Another option that may be cheaper, would be to get a USB Drive case, install the drive in that, get some blank CDRs and find access to a computer that will allow you salvage files from your old HDD,and back them up onto the CDRs.

To get the data off, try booting up into DOS mode, and then copy all your pertinent data you want to save over to the "my documents" directory. Have your Uncle delete ONLY the windows directory and the program files directory and then re-load your O.S. and your sofware. Your my documents data should stay there without being touched, and the new load of windows will icorporate the data right back into it

Or if its windows xp you can normaly press alt - f4 while bios is loading up and restore to last know good setup.. If it is :/

for the problem of not able to boot it might be a problem with the boot sector(i had a problem similer to this after deleting some stuff with the help of system mechanic 7) also when you do get into safe mode finally have the computer do a scandisk (this will happen on next reboot of machine)

ok about boot sector, during boot go into the boot menu and select command prompt, when you are there type in "fix mbr" this will repair and rebuild the boot sector so it will try to start normally.

also you can try system restore to a previous date, if you have win xp every 24 hours it will set a restore point, to get to this, you may have to boot into the D: drive (recovery) or "recovery console"

also them mmorpg game or chat things they can mess up a computer if the file or download doesnt meet the computer's specs.

try my above suggestions, also if u have anything on backrup recovery try booting pc from the disk and have the bios settings to boot from optical drive(usually E:)

please , please try my suggestions,

good luck

Windows 2000/XP Home/XP Pro/Vista: Try to start with Last Known Good configuration.

You do this directly after BIOS screen goes out and boot initiates by hammering F8.

Select last known good configuration.

This is the last known good configuration in the means of You have properly reached beyond login and system has completely started up including drivers.

If you can't start in LKG, you should consider hardware failure.

But don't despair, most things can be fixed and I've been recovering data from RAID arrays with fire damage so... It's just how much of worth you had in the system.

I still don't know what operating system you used, if it was a PC or Mac or Amiga or PS3 or SGI or.... So please fill us in!