i have a laptop it is a toshiba techra it came with windows xp pro.
a kid was using it and windows was gone when i tried to log on again. Unfortunately I bought it used and it didn't have the windows xp disk with it but i do have a home version of xp on my desktop but it is an HP and the startup disk only works on hp products. Is there anyway to copy xp from my desktop to my laptop?

Help,
Jimmy

what makes you so sure that it is erased?
windows will not allow itself to be over formatted or deleted while in windows.
Perhaps you just lost the availability to boot the operating sytem.

What error messages does it give? or what does it do exactly when you turn it on...

actually last night it finally came up and said "windows could not start because the folowing file is missing or corrupt
\windows\system32\config\system

you can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows setup using the original setup cd-rom.
select 'r' at the first screen to start repair."

and did you attempt that repair option as stated?

What has probably happened is that the pathe to that folder got corrupted which happens from time to time. The installation disc will allow you to repair the problem by overwriting the missing file(s).

no. i don't have the install disk.

Can you borrow one? if not it is off to the neighborhood fix it shop