If you do a full sys restore, it will wipe out all old data..
What you need to do is boot up on a CD first and try to repair the MBR (Master Boot Record)
Look here - 4th one down.. to download a Boot /repair CD image to burnto a CD
http://www.answersthatwork.com/Downright_pages/Boot_CD_and_Boot_Disk_images_and_ISO_free_downloads.htm
Read all instructions with it.
OR need to find someone who can loan you the WinXP CD . Or a copy of it. (Or download an ISO (burnable copy) to create one) It is the serial number that validates the Windows install. They don't have to give you the serial as you should have your own on a label under the notebook.
Actually the chances are not good for recovery while in the notebook. You will have a better chance to recover files if you are able to remove the hard drive and install it aas a slave in another (desktop) PC (will come up as D or E drive
When you've finished recovering file, it will be easier to format the HD before putting it back in note book. If the Recovery partion is still intact, do not wipe it out as you can maybe still use it to reload windows.
Worst case - the HD read write heads are damaged and the drive is toast. That will mean no file recovered and replacing HD with new (or used) and reloading windows from scratch.
Here's some more info on fixing the MBR. Borrowed from Bob Rankins site. What a horrible web site, pop ups and ****, but his advice and knowlege are good........
Your Windows XP setup CDROM has a tool called the Recovery Console, which is designed to help you repair a damaged master boot record or boot sector. To start the Recovery Console and fix your damaged MBR, follow these steps:
Restart your computer with the Windows XP Setup disk in the CDROM drive.
If you are prompted to press a key to start the computer from CDROM, do so quickly. Otherwise it may try to boot from the hard drive.
After a few minutes, you'll see a prompt to press the R key to start the Recovery Console.
When Recovery Console starts, it will prompt you to enter a number corresponding to the Windows XP installation that you need to repair. In most cases, you'll enter "1" (which will be the only choice). If you press ENTER without typing a number, Recovery Console will quit and restart your computer.
Enter your Administrator password. If you don't enter the correct password, you cannot continue.
At the Recovery Console command prompt, type fixmbr and then verify that you want to proceed.
Your damaged MBR will be replaced with a shiny new one, and you should then be able to boot your system normally. In some cases, you may need to repair the boot sector in addition to the MBR. If your system still doesn't boot properly, repeat the steps above, but issue the fixboot command instead.
NOTE: These procedures assume that you have only one operating system installed. If you are an advanced user and have a multi-boot system with more than one operating system, you may need to do some additional reading about the fixmbr and fixboot commands at the Microsoft website.
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