Hi Tarelgeth, Very funny that I too had the exact same problem last week, (Is Ms slowly "killing" old versions of XP?). I tried all the things you did and more without any luck. I decided to install Windows 7 (Family Pack 3 Licenses) and was able to backup all my files by removing the HDD and connecting it to my desktop using a USB IDE/Sata connector. Again lucky for me I had a spare Full Windows XP CD and was able to upgrade to Win 7. What surprised me was that Win 7 installed most of the drivers for my laptop during Windows Update. My laptop over the last 4 days is "flying" quicker than it ever did! My advice would be to ask a friend or colleagues if they have an old Full XP CD. Hope it works out for you.