Physical memory dump issues ... help?

[emily957]

(running xp service pack 2)

okay, so i come home and want to turn on my computer.
i turn it on and it starts up normally except that i never got to the regular login page. it just kinda froze for 3-5 minutes with a black screen and then a screen came up that asked if i wanted to open in safe mode, normal mode, etc.

i tried each option, but when i tried with safe mode a whole bunch of lines came up saying it was trying to access the the system32 folder, etc.
and when i tried opening normal mode, it went back to the blank black screen, and then came the dreaded blue screen and it said beginning physical memory dump. eventually the memory dump ended and it said to contact the system administrator....

what exactly IS a physical memory dump? any idea what i can do or what in the HECK is wrong?!?! if it's able to be repaired, will my files still be there?

help!! :-(

 

[dopefisher]

keep trying to get into safe mode and uninstall service pack 2. it sucks. otherwise you could always reinstall windows. i think that you only lose your windows and desktop files, like my documents, my music etc, and the windows folder.

 

[emily957]

i guess i'm getting it "fixed" today by some dudes at a computer shop...hopefully they'll figure it out. the only things i really needed were my desktop files oh well. thanks for your help!