this thread is useless if the hard disks cant be populated which mine couldnt. re-installation is stupidly almost impossible without the system being restored first but even with system restore not working while you are logged in normally, system restore
can still be used.
X - press F8 to enter the recovery options while just after switching on
X - select the "repair your computer" option
X - obviously choose your keyboard layout and log in as you normally would
X - then select system restore to restore your system
X - additionally it may tell you after a short while that the restore hasn't worked but repeat this again using a different restore point if one is available, otherwise there is the option to scan the image too for any errors
shortly after you can continue on using the backdated restore point or your could re-install windows again to make sure
thanks all, hope this helps :D
P.S the thread refers to dena's referral about the re-installation, its useful for those who are not in as deep a problem but doesnt initially help those who worse off, eg no internet connection, unable to install or un-install, no access to vital functions
like control panel or windows update...and so on