Sharon,
Thanks for the reply. I used the backup utility that is part of the System
Tools. I would assume that it is through Misrosoft.
Ray, it probably was the Microsoft tool but OEMs have been known to weave
their own tools throughout XP help and the control panel. In other words,
it could just as easily have been a different program.
Typically, a program's title is displayed in the top bar of the program
window. Glancing at that whenever you run a program is a good habit to get
into. Especially when working with applications that you don't use on a
daily basis. When you get in a spot like this, you can at least go online
and start looking for more specific answers.
Another good habit to get into with backup programs is to use their
"verify" routine. This takes a bit of time to run but is well worth it. It
checks the integrity of the files in the backup. If it succeeds, you know
you have a "good" backup. Consider making a second backup or a copy of the
successful one. If one copy is damaged (a CD gets scratched, the cat spills
your coffee on the disk, you roll over it with your computer chair or
whatever), you'll have a second one to fall back on.
If the verify fails, try another backup. If it fails too, you know that
something is not right. A clue to start looking the system over more
closely - memory, overheating, hard drive failure, worn controllers, etc.
Those little tips aren't going to help you now but are good to keep in mind
for the future.
Below is a link to an article about NTBackup the tool that comes with XP.
Hopefully you'll find something in it that can help you to regain your data
files.
How to use Backup to restore files and folders on your computer in Windows
XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309340/en-us