Repairing Windows!

[meakakau]

Hi everyone...hope you can help me save my computer! One day I turned on my computer and it says windows won't work. So I put in my Windows XP disc and hit enter to install windows and F8 to agree. Instead of coming up on the blue screen that people typically show for the example picture, it comes up saying:

The following list shows the existing partitions and unpartitioned space on this computer.

Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to select an item in the list.

-To set up Windows XP on the selected item, press ENTER.

-To create a partition in the unpartitioned space, press C.

-To delete the selected partition, press D.

And then there is a box containing:

38155 MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on a bus 0 on atapi [MBR]

-: Partition1 [FAT] 39 MB < 31 MB free >
C: Partition2 [NTFS] 35032 MB < 1741 MB free >
E: Partition3 [FAT32] 3075 MB < 683 MB free >
Unpartitioned space 8 MB

and at the bottom,
ENTER= Install C=Create partition F3= Quit

-------------

So is there anyway I can get into windows to backup files on an external hard drive? What do I do at this screen to get there without loosing all my data??

HELP, please!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mLAN]

On which partition is installed your corrupted windows XP?

Choose that partition and setup will detect previous installation and it will ask you do you want to repair old installation or to install fresh windows.
Select Repair. Setup will repair your corrupted system files and all your data should be safe.

 

[meakakau]

thanks, did that, but i don't have the options you mentioned.

now i have

Setup will install Windows XP on partition (C

C: Partition2 [NTFS] 35032 MB <1741 MB free>

on 38155 MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi [MBR].

Use the UP and DOWN ARROW keys to select the file system you want, and then press ENTER. If you want to select a different partition for Windows XP, press ESC.

(options)
Format the partition using the NTFS file system <Quick>
Format the partition using the NTFS file system
Leave the current file system intact <no changes>

 

[addle_brains]

Yeah, often XP setup will not offer to repair an XP installation.

A way would be to use 3rd party software to ghost from the installation partition to the external drive. You can then Reinstall a clean copy of windows and the restore the files you want to keep.