Windows Media Edition hates me. I need help! :(

Hello, OS loving people you.

I've got a problem. I'm really, REALLY hoping you can help me out, becuase if you can you'll save me oodles upon OODLES of money in tech repairs. Here's the scoop.

My vgaoem.fon file, located in the winnt/system directory, is buggered. Dunno if it's deleted or corrupted and I'm not sure how (I suspect a worm, personally) but windows will not boot. Don't ask about safemode stuff, because it doesn't work (even command mode!) but I haven't tried the 'start in VGA mode' yet, though I doubt that'd make much of a difference.

I have a 2 year old Gateway Media Edition PC. Media Edition 2004 (Or was it the 2003 one, i dunno). Now the computer tells me I can fix this in recovery console, and that's all well and good, but unfortunately the OEM Gateway sent me is the 'lol reinstall everything and lose everything!' version, and I REALLY don't want to reformat for one file unless I absoutely have to.

I tried to actually make an image file of Windows, but alas, the image was bad. Here's what I'm asking:

Is there a solution to this problem that doesn't require reformatting craziness, or at least, can you direct me to an iso/image/bootcd that works? Can I actually USE a windowsXP home/pro CD for this problem, or does it have to be Windows Media edition? Considering Media edition is just home with bells and whistles, I'd assume it'd be okay but I don't know for sure.

Also, before anyone asks, I'm using SP1, mostly because I was afraid that it'd mess up my comp (and since my install pack is barebones, I didn't want to risk it)

Any help gets my undying love and praise. Seriously. My next step is to call a repair guy and he charges 100 an hour! Help me, Gamingforce! :|

EDIT: Also forgot to add I don't have a floppy drive. I DO have a USB external drive but unless you know how to make it magically show up on a gateway boot up, it's sort of useless to me. :(

And I realize this is probably better suited in help desk. DOH! Sorry, Mods :(

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Is there any reason you can't take out the hard drive and insert it into another computer as a slave and manually copy over the missing file?

That would seem the obvious thing to me. Though when my ntoskrnl.exe died out on me and I was left with an unbootable XP, manually copying over the file didn't work. It's worth a shot at least!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Roph

Is there any reason you can't take out the hard drive and insert it into another computer as a slave and manually copy over the missing file?

That would seem the obvious thing to me. Though when my ntoskrnl.exe died out on me and I was left with an unbootable XP, manually copying over the file didn't work. It's worth a shot at least!

Crap, I should have mentioned this too

I don't have the tools nor the manpower (I'm phsyically a weakling and short statured) to actually get inside the computer and make it a slave drive. I have a friend who MAY be able to help me but alas, he's not exactly super bright (Seriously, the OEM Gateway gave you will just install files! It won't go over your files!)

I also admittedly have not installed a HD before, though hm, it's a thought.

The reason I'm going so strongly with the WinXP or bust mode is because that's what windows actually recommended. I need to get to the recovery console, but you can't do that with an OEM disk.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Speaking from experience, you don't need to lift weights or anything to take apart a computer. And they sell screwdrivers at Staples. Even better, get yourself a Computer Repair Kit (just some screwdrivers, tweezers, and little plastic containers for holding screws).

All you do is open the case, find the hard drive(s), unplug everything from it (them), and then remove the screws holding it (them) in place. My hard drives have a little diagram on them that shows where you're supposed to move the jumper. If you need more pictures, Google is your friend.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Magic is spot on. I remember back when I went inside a computer for the first time, but it turns out really simple.

I put this computer together using nothing other than a butterknife ^_~

I was speaking idiomatically.