I had to use the installation cd to recover the system, refreshing my
start
up files.

You returned the machine ot OOBE state (condition it was in when you first
turned it on.)

Your OE data is gone. However, there's a possibility that running DBXpress
in "extract from disk" mode may be able to recover some of it:
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx

NOTE: You now have the equivalent of a "new computer" so see...

5 steps to help protect your new computer before you go online
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/com...nced/xppc.mspx

Steps To Help Prevent Spyware
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/com...e/prevent.mspx

...I had an issue starting windows xp home after installin service
pack 3.

Error message after you upgrade a computer that uses a processor other than
an Intel processor to Windows XP Service Pack 2 or to Windows XP Service
Pack 3: "STOP: 0x0000007E":
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953356

Free unlimited installation and compatibility support is available for
Windows XP, but only for Service Pack 3 (SP3) and *only until* 14 Apr-09.
Go to http://support.microsoft.com/oas/def...spx?gprid=1173 | select
"Windows XP" then select "Windows XP Service Pack 3"
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

jamesholley wrote:
Hi, I recently had an issue starting windows xp home after installin
service
pack 3.
I had to use the installation cd to recover the system, refreshing my
start
up files.
When it restarted, I noticed that alot of the desktop icons had gone and
more annoyingly, my outlook address book and all my saved mails seem to
have
gone, and I cannot import them back into outlook, as I cannot find them
when
searching for a .dbx or .pst file.

Any ides?

Thanks

James