Do you have a virus scan software installed? Also can you boot up in safe mode without the error?

you may want to burn a linux live CD, mount your filesystem, and backup all the stuff you want from there to an external HD or flash drive, then just reformat/reinstall windows. You're better off starting over when shit's that fucked up.

Get ESET's smart security suite after you're all back up and running again

Yeah drivers are a bitch. Unfortunately, you really don't have any alternative besides downloading the drivers off their website.

yeah a re-format might be necessary You might want to invest in an external hard-drive to back up your shit every so often. Viruses and hard drive crashes arnt a matter of will they happen, its when. I just use AVG free for my anti-virus, and it works great if your not a moron about it. DietCoke is right, you can use linux's partition editor to reformat your hard-drive, or use Gparted. If you had your Windows XP cd you can just use that to reformat and reinstall it. Drivers are a bitch, my laptop came with a drivers cd but there is still newer ones you may have to download (wireless card dont forget). Did you get the windows disc with your laptop? I bought an Inspiron 1520 from dell and I got the vista/driver dvds with mine.