Blue error screen on Windows XP boot. Can't start XP.

[Jeff]

I'm hoping that someone here can give me a hand with a Windows XP problem
I'm having.

Somehow, a program called Search Extender was installed on my computer. I've
been trying to get rid of it, but my anti-virus software keeps deleting the
same files over and over again. The program seems to reinstall itself
somehow. When I reboot, there are the files again in the System folder.

I was following some instructions I found on the net that said to shut off
the System Restore and reboot in Safe Mode, then run the anti-virus software
again to remove the files. As I was closing XP, the anti-virus software
found the Search Extender files again and started deleting them. The
computer froze up and I had to shut the power down to reboot. When I tried
to reboot, I got a screen that says my configuration has changed and will
not boot and that I should try the most recent working Windows boot. I tried
all the different options (Safe, Safe with Networking, Last Known Good
Configuration, Start Windows Normally), but I get a blue error screen every
time with a long message that ends in a bunch of numbers. None of the other
boot options work.

I tried to run the setup disk and repair Windows, but it tells me the drive
is unreadable and that I'll have to format the disk. It won't let me view
the contents of the drive in the Recover Console or run the repair XP
software. What can I do? Is there anything at all that I can do to salvage
the data on my HD?

It would really help me if someone could give me a hand with this mess.

Thanks!
Jef

 

[Guest]

Try running chkdsk at the command promt....
Type: chkdsk /f
chkdsk /?

 

[Guest]

at command type:
chkdsk /f
chkdsk /? (info)