Debbie--

"We have tried rebooting insafe mode and everything" Do you have an XP
CD-ROM? I want you to boot from the CD-ROM if you cannot F8 to a screen
with options. If you can boot to the screen with options (and it doesn't
sound like it), try Safe Mode and then System Restore or as a last ditch try
Last Known Good Configuration--two disadvantages--it goes to the last time
you booted which could have been many settings ago, and it seldom works.

I'm not sure what else you have tried. I don't know if the "and
everything" is a figure of speech or stands for other things you tried you
haven't told me. If you can't F8 to the Windows Advanced Options screen
that includes trying to boot into Safe Mode, then depending on who is the
maker of your bios find out what key you tap to get into the bios setup.
Find out from your friend's computer manual or maker website who makes the
bios or what key to enter. You can usually get a screen with the maker of
your computer, the Firmware or POST screen that will tell you on the top or
the bottom what key to press. If you don't have that screen or a manual,
and don't know, you can use this to find out who makes the bios--hit the red
download hyperlink:

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

After you download this, clicking the icon will give you a listing of your
hardware and software and you'll know the bios maker. Then you can use one
of these to find out what key to tap when you turn on your computer. See if
pressing the button will give you the firmware screen or start any screen at
all and tap the key these advise to use:

http://www.usbman.com/Guides/bios_update_sites.htm

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_b.htm

Change the order so that you can boot from your friend's XP CD. Then follow
the directions here to do an inplace upgrade. This will not format or lose
information, but should get you back into setting up XP with your data and
settings intact. Then you can try to download and install SP2 after your
friend is thorougly backed up.

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

How to perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;q315341

Doug Knox on Repair Install
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_install.htm

Here are some screenshots of the repair/upgrade no format install to help
you context--whether you have Home or Pro it's going to be the same.

http://www.windowsreinstall.com/winx...pair/index.htm

Also as a general reference for Emergency Recovery:

Resources for troubleshooting startup problems in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default...&Product=winxp

A Repair Install will replace the system files with the files on the XP CD
used for the Repair Install. It will leave your applications and settings
intact, but Windows updates will need to be reapplied.

If the inplace upgrade does not work, and it should, then you can do a
parallel install of XP to another folder or partition, but that is
considerably more time consuming because it entails extracting your data
from the other partition. A parallel install is detailed he

How to install or upgrade to Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default...&Product=winxp

hth,

Chad Harris
__________________________________________________ ____________


"Debbie" wrote in message
...
We downloaded the service pack on our friends computer
and then she started having trouble with the reboot it
would only come to the first screen it would not even get
to the window xp screen but a message on along the bottom
showed up with hit tab for exit and hit delete for setup.
I went into the setup section by accident and hit
something now the screen is completely blank. Nothing
comes up. We have tried rebooting insafe mode and
everything PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Deb