xp wont load

When my husbands computer boots up, it will not go to Windows, it just keep restarting...it wont let him go into safe mode or anything...PLEASE HELP!!! All my information is on it...I cant lose it

 

Try a repair installation.

Do you have the full XP CD? If so, boot from it. Do not choose the first "R" for repair. Continue. After the license (F8), you should see your XP installation listed. Follow those directions and press "R" then.

 

Do not choose it, or choose it? I am confused because you say continue...

 

Nevermind...it ownt even boot from the cd...is it possible to take the hard drive to a computer store and copy the data? and of so, how much do you think it will cost...

 

You have to go into the BIOS to be sure that the CDROM is higher in the boot order than the hard drive.
Your's must be failing to boot from the CD because of that.
Do you have a manual that will tell you how to get to the BIOS?
Usually you press the Delete button at a certain point (it will tell you) after pressing the start button.

 

Do NOT choose the first "R".

If you can't boot from CD, use this boot floppy set to start setup from the floppy drive and it will then switch to the CD if you don't know how to make it boot from CD. Get the XP setup set for your version of XP.

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

 

Will I lose my information? We have tried everything, would it just be easier to take it somewhere?