well folks what can i say!
thank you!
the computer is still crashed, but i dicovered that the first option on the Dell win xp reinstall CD, which seemed to be the "clean install" has in fact also a "repair" option that allows to save the data! So that's waht i did, BUT it says unable to finish the reinstall of win xp because the "asms" file is missing on the dell win xp cd. I am bummed. Stuck again. Searched online, and the miicrosft help site has a long explanation as to why it needs the "asms" file, and that if it is missing, you should use the original Win XP CD with hologram...well that is fine, except Dell never sent it when i purchased the computer.
the saga of that stupid event still continues
i wrote down all the good advice.
@ Justin SGT T. if your patience with such an unsavvy amateur is not used up, i am open to more suggestions, especially as to how and where to get the "asms" file, which could perhaps solve the problem.
@ Monster, in fact i do have an external USB hard drive...but it is at the bottom of a drawer. I will of course pull it out and see about the XCOPY32 you mentionned.
@ Dustin, that was indeed a weird fix. But what are the consequences if i try to pull out that video card ? Interstingly it happened on a very hot day, which fits with your overheating supposition. I now cleaned the inside of the computer, dusted everything.
@ Flange, i am in the foothills 30 mn south west of Yosemite National park. I guess the weather is also different from Saco, no? Actually i am from central Europe originally, so i am kind of missing some "real" weather.
@ Tee, no no, i didn't get the computer drom Dustin
but i saw his posting with the same code, and that is how i luckily discovered Dodgeboard.
@ gunnar 1073, the problems began after downloading a new version of windows media player, which didn't work, and in the attempt to recuperate the old version, i made a "restore system to previous date" operation, resulting in jamming and "blue screen of death". Could it be related to the fact that i didn't turn off the anti-virus before doing that "restore system to previous date" thingy?
@.....wow this gets so long winded, i better wrap it up
still stuck, but a little further on the road to recovery.