RESTORE FILES FROM WINDOWS XP Backup

[Amateur Geek]

Please treat me like a total amateur here. I do not understand much computer
lingo and need the most straight forward, non-technical answer.

I moved this week. I set up my computer which is a 2003 Windows XP
(emachines). When I turned it on, it kept giving me a screen to select "Start
windows normally" or in "Safe Mode". Neither of these worked and I tried over
and over. I eventually hit either F10 or F11 and got a screen that offered to
do a system recovery in a "non-destructive" way. It said I would not lose
files.

However, after doing so, the computer came alive and I thought I was all
set. Unfortunately, the computer thinks I just purchased it. ALL of my
installed programs are gone (Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint - Quickbooks,
Adobe illustrator, etc).

In reviewing my hard drive (C), I see a folder on titled "Backup - 9/4/10".
It appears to have ALL my folders and files in it. If I click any of it, it
says "the command cannot be performed".

MY QUESTION, is there any way to restore all my files and programs back to
my computer without any of the original install disks or product-key codes
(as I can no longer find any of these things)?????

 

[Pegasus [MVP]]

Please treat me like a total amateur here. I do not understand much
computer
lingo and need the most straight forward, non-technical answer.

I moved this week. I set up my computer which is a 2003 Windows XP
(emachines). When I turned it on, it kept giving me a screen to select
"Start
windows normally" or in "Safe Mode". Neither of these worked and I tried
over
and over. I eventually hit either F10 or F11 and got a screen that offered
to
do a system recovery in a "non-destructive" way. It said I would not lose
files.

However, after doing so, the computer came alive and I thought I was all
set. Unfortunately, the computer thinks I just purchased it. ALL of my
installed programs are gone (Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint -
Quickbooks,
Adobe illustrator, etc).

In reviewing my hard drive (C), I see a folder on titled "Backup -
9/4/10".
It appears to have ALL my folders and files in it. If I click any of it,
it
says "the command cannot be performed".

MY QUESTION, is there any way to restore all my files and programs back to
my computer without any of the original install disks or product-key codes
(as I can no longer find any of these things)?????

It appears that you performed a "Factory Restore". Different manufacturers
use different methods for this: Some are totally destructive and some only
partially so. The ones that are partially destructive will preserve the
user's data files while setting everything else back the way it was when you
bought the machine. This most likely means that
a) Your various programs/applications are irretrievably lost, and
b) Your data might be retrievable from the backup file you mention.

You could run the utility ntbackup.exe to examine the contents of your
backup file. In view of your limited experience with such things I recommend
you get expert help (e.g. from a friend) in order to limit the damage. Note
also that storing a backujp file on the PC itself defies most of the
purposes of a backup. The backup file could easily get lost, e.g. through
file system corruption, a crashed disk, theft, fire, user error. Backups
*must" be stored on an external storage medium that is kept well away from
the PC for most of the time.