DDan

Good advice! Just shows how a moments lapse......

On the hardware side, Dell diagnostics has shown that everything is working. I can boot up the recovery console on the MSoft CD, but as I do not know what has caused the STOP error, it does not really take me any further. Unfortunately I do not have an XP boot disc Regards

I cut and pasted 147 jpg files from my SD CARD (through the camera) to my PC. Moments later after installing a driver, my PC refuses to boot (whether in Safe or any other mode) due to a STOP: error. I am trying to get MSoft to tell me how to get out of that. If I have to do a re-install I do not want to lose the photos. I thought that I should be able to 'Recuva' them from the SD card, but although all 147 files are marked as "State: Excellent" when I try to recover the files I get the message - "The volume for a file has been externally altered so tha th opened file is no longer valid" Any ideas?