User Profile problem

[Trevor]

I have a PC with XP Prof and Laptop with XP Home connected through a wired network at home. Just logged on to laptop (not conneced to newtork) and it is giving 2 error messages about my USER PROFILE being faulty and setting me up with a temporary one.

Now I can't log onto my PC via the newtork to go onto the Internet (Broadband). In addition when I connect my laptop to the net by good old fashioned Dial Up all my email accounts in Outlook and my address book were gone.

Have managed to copy over from the PC the address book from the PC but not the accounts.

I assume once I can re-create the User Profile it will find my email accounts OK.

What caused this problem ?
How can I get re-connected again ?
How do I avoid it happening again.

Thank you.

[glc]

I think the first thing I'd try is a system restore.

[Redfallon]

The profile corruption in XP is a documented problem. Some have found system restore to work, it didn't cut it for me. I had to create a new account and set everything back up. I've searched for possible solutions and have tried the few I've found.