Windows XP errors

[iraethan]

I am running Windows XP. I came home from work to see my computer sitting at a black screen. It said:

Windows 98 Start-Up Menu
ex. 1.Normal, 3.Safe Mode, 5.Command prompt only
5 is already selected and it has 25 second timer
It also has a warning that says "Warning:Windows has detected a registry/confirmation error. Choose, Command prompt only, and run SCANREG."
I do this and then the screen says:
"The following file is missing or corrupted: \WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS There is an error in your CONFIG.SYS file on line 8,..... \WINDOWS\HIMEM.SYS,.....\WINDOWS\DBLUFF.SYS,..... \WINDOWS\IFSHLP.SYS."

Finally it says
"The following file is missing or corrupted:COMMAND.COM

This is the problem. I desperately need to retrieve files from the hard-drive of the computer. What is the most efficient and cost effective way to do this? Also, I left my Windows XP disk at school, but a friend is mailing it to me. Will I need to wait for it to get here? Should I slave my drive with someone else's, or is there a way to repair the drive? If I do slave the drive, is their a possibility of it infecting the other computer with a virus? Also, I need instructions on how to slave my hard-drive if that is the necessary step to retrieve the files on the computer. Thanks for any help!!

[DragonNOA1]

Are you running a dual boot? You say 98 start menu but you say you have XP, so can you boot into XP ok?

If you have a Win98 boot disk handy, or goto www.bootdisk.com, copy himem.sys, config.sys, and command.com from the disk onto your 98 partition, which would most likely be C:

Edit* When you get back into the OS, make sure you run ScanDisk!

[iraethan]

That is one of the weird things about this error. It says Windows 98 Start Menu, but I run XP. I had Millenium before XP. I do not understand why it is saying 98 rather than XP.