when i boot up i get a message mussing or crrupt file\winnt\system32\conf\s?

Please don't take any notice of DB's rant - it's rubbish. For example, often PCs don't come with recovery disks.

All that is wrong with your PC is that one or more of the Operating System files on the hard disk have become corrupted somehow.

The Laptop will have a Microsoft label on it saying which Operating System has on it. (From that message, it will be: Windows NT, Windows 2000 or Windows XP.)

You need to get a copy of the correct Windows CD and repair the operating system. If you can't do it ask a local computer shop how much they will charge. I do this all the time but I am in the UK, so the call out charge will be high.

T
October 2011

A piece of advice, never ever buy any electrical item off a yard/boot sale unless you can test it there. Someone certainly see you coming, didn't they. No matter how cheap it was, it's a load of junk, why do you think they were selling it? The next time you buy a computer, make sure you have all of the original driver discs and the O/S disc.

DB
October 2011