[SoftballMominVA]

You are being more exact than I - yes it did kill the operating system. What it did was to disconnect the .dll from the OS, which makes the computer non-bootable.

In my opinion, the comp is in all effect ‘dead’ because it cannot be booted up in any way, shape, form, or manner by someone such as I with limited information

[AppyPappy]

If you got the money to burn on a used computer (always a bad idea), you got the money to pay some kid to put Linux on a computer.

The computer is bootable. Booting is a hardware application. A person will a minor knowledge of things can get your computer back and save your data. I do this constantly and I would never buy a used computer.

Here’s a hint for everyone. Computers consist of several parts. Every one of those parts cost less than $50.

Motherboard - $50
Processor - $50
Hard drive - $50
Power Supply - $50

If you go here, they will tell you or someone you know how to fix the problem

http://www.techimo.com

If you just want to spend money, that’s OK. But don’t fool around. Spend lots of money and get something that will work. Don’t buy someone else’s problem. You already have a used computer. Don’t get another one.

[FateAmenableToChange]

In my opinion, the comp is in all effect ‘dead’ because it cannot be booted up in any way, shape, form, or manner by someone such as I with limited information

knoppix is an open source cd-bootable linux build that you can use to fix file problems on a windows computer. You might be able to replace the .dll file and still have windows functionality. http://www.knoppix.net/get.php

[MediaMole]

Can’t you boot the system from the original CD and reinstall Windows?

If your computer died because of a software issue, you should be able to reinstall Windows over the current installation. (assuming you have a real install CD and not a “recovery” CD.

You may have to go into the BIOS and change the boot order so that the computer will boot from CD drive rather than the hard drive.

[Tribune7]

In my opinion, the comp is in all effect ‘dead’ because it cannot be booted up in any way, shape, form, or manner by someone such as I with limited information

You might want to download a ubuntu (linux) disk and give it a shot. Ubuntu is free and will boot from the CD you make. It might solve everything -- if all she wants is word processing & internet -- without spending a nickel. I'm not sure if iTunes is available for Linux though.

FYI, you will have to spend $120 or so for MS Office for Mac (I'm guessing your daughter is a student and gets a discount) if she really needs it.

For the record, I'm a Mac user and I use TextEdit and NeoOffice (free) for my word processing needs.