XP start windows normally does not work

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My Windows XP laptop has stopped booting successfully today. Start windows normally, safe mode etc - all of these options will not work. I have read that the repair option on the xp recovery disk will sort this out, but will I lose all my data using this option? I have a lot of family photos that I do not want to lose if possible. Any help/advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Help please

I have tried booting from the xp disk and running R for recovery, but it then takes me to a dos prompt and states type EXIT to exit recovery and restart computer. Am I doing something wrong?
 
You likely have another hardware problem that has caused this issue. It would be wise to find out what it is... bad hard drive, bad power supply, bad CPU fan or other issue.
If your data is valuable, I would save the hard drive to later rescue your data via a USB external enclosure.
Hard drives are relatively inexpensive nowadays. I bought a bunch of 80 Gb drives for 35.99 each this morning... 250 GB for $54.
Install Windows to the new drive, then rescue the critical files via the enclosure, then go back and attempt to fix it.
Why take the risk of running the repair mode to a drive that may already be defective.
 
I think it may have a problem with the fan as it used to shut down regularly when hot. Thanks for your replies.
 
I have tried booting from the xp disk and running R for recovery, but it then takes me to a dos prompt
When using the Repair option (detailed steps listed in above link by me)
You select the second R Prompt not the first one
Just follow that guide precisely
 
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