computer won't go to log on screen

Hi I have an hp notebook, with windows XP home ed.The problem is after I turn the computer on it goes to a screen where you can choose safe mode or normal mode and stuff, and when you choose either of those before going to the log on screen, a blue screen flashes about dumping of physical memory and systemroot/system32/config/system being absent or corrupt, and then it just restarts. Is there a way for me to fix this whitout reformatting, or at least to be able to save the data on the hard drive?

Thanks.

 

The question is if you have a Windows XP CD or a restore CD you can boot from?
Often times HP likes to set aside space on the partition of your HD to hold a restore option and the only choices are destructive restore and non-destructive restore.
If you can boot into the setup portion of Windows XP, try a repair or a FIXBOOT.

 

Yes I have that CD, but I've been reading on other message boards that sometimes the repair CDs format the HD, is that true? Also I read that installing Knoppix Linux could help access the files and then burn them onto a CD, will that work?

 

One thing that you can do is enter your Recovery Console with your disk, and

type up some dos like functions to retreive your files (ex. C:\copy blah copy

a:\blah ----- if you wanted to save to your floppy). If not, you can use a

windows 98/ME, startup disk.

 

Is there a way I can access the files on my laptop from another computer on my network?

 

mmmm.....the put the files on a universal network folder (where everyone can share files).