help i cannot fix my computer

[marleyarc]

I was trying to run norton yesterday and it wouldn't complete then it said i had a virus from emails and all of a sudden restarted by itself. it started saying i had a missing or corrupt file and i can't get past the start up....the error read:
Windows\system32\config\system
I tried to run it in every safe mode it offered but that didnt work so i tried to boot it with the norton cd and now it says atapi cd rom failure ....so i installed ms dos with some floppys i had to see if i could enter some commands ....but i don't know what im doing and now i dont know how to make it not go to dos when i restart the computer.....i don't know what to do and haven't since this all started....ive just been pressing and typing things in and i hope i haven't ruined the whole computer by doing so.....i need help really bad...if anyone knows what i can do i would appreciate it but im pretty illiterate when it comes to these things....I have windows xp
PLEASE HELP!

[Basementgeek]

Did find this, unless some one else a better idea.

http://forums.driverguide.com/showthread.php?t=2004

But you may messed it up beyond repair messing around in DOS commands.

Cheers

[steamwiz]

What do you mean you "installed DOS" ?

You can get to DOS on an XP machine by simply booting with a win98 boot disc in the floppy drive.

As you don't have win98 it will stay in DOS at a DOS prompt.....you just press Ctrl-Alt-DEL when you want to boot back into windows (and remove the floppy of course)

As we don't know what commands you entered, we have no idea what you might have done.

Just had a look at the link you found Basementgeek..... looks like a good find, with clear easy to follow instructions.

steam

[Biz]

What about doing a System Restore to a time before you started having problems?

[whoozhe]

You cannot run DOS with XP They are not compatible.
XP provides the rescue utilities on the XP CD. It is called the Recovery Console.
You access it by booting up with the CD and when the menu appears press the R key.
Most XP installations are done on a NTFS partition. Win me/98 back to dos use a differrent hard drive format.
The Command Line commands seen in XP are not dos. They just look similar.
You should be able to reinstall and/or repair XP from the Recovery Console.
but I have a feeling that from what you have done you may be looking at a complete reformat.[/b]