Gee Mike...I feel for ya :(. This very same thing happened to me a few weeks ago. I know how heartbreaking it is. Try what Sharen said. It's worth a shot and hopefully your computer is just "pissed off". And damn computer manufacturers and their "restore disks"! I KNEW there was a reason I build my own! I had a Compaq once and it was the 1st and only prebuilt computer I've ever had besides a Mac. We'd put the restore disk in to get it booted up, and then quickly did a format and clean install with a Windows 95 disk. Who needs all that extra junk!! Chin-up guy :( Laurie