Can't boot into Windows
What started out as a minor problem has become serious. I was copying some pictures from my sisters SD card to my parents desktop. Although the copying had finished, I still had the window open (but minimised) I was moving the temporary folder to a different location when sister pulled the SD card out of the reader. I then found that the folder had moved to the new location, but left an empty folder behind, and that I couldn't delete it. I tried re-booting but got in a circle where it wouldn't fully shut down, or fully load - the task bar icons never appeared.
Eventually I held the power button down to close the P.C. Then restarted in safe mode and manged to delete the errant folder. Then rebooted normally and all initially seemed O.K. until father tried entering some details in his weather diaries (a spreadsheet and database). No numbers appear when typing. I restarted in safe mode, and used system restore, which ran through its sequence, and then re-booted. However it gets as far as the Windows welcome screen, I enter the password and then the screen goes black and all progress stops. The HDD activity light stops flashing and nothing else happens.
Once again the only way to shut down is to hold the power button, and I've rebooted in safe mode again, and found that the basic programmes work O.K. I am now backing up our most recent files to the external HDD, on the assumption that this is not looking good.
It's an "E System" E201 running XP2.
Advice please!