Driver Update Now Windows won't boot- Fixed

[FirNaTine]

I just rebuilt my old emachines T2200 (athlon xp 2200) computer for my brother in law. I installed windows xp sp2, but not from the restore disc that came with the machine, and all available updates. After dropping it off to him I realized I forgot to check to see if the chipset drivers were up to date. I stopped by a few days later downloaded and installed the newest via 4in1 driver from emachines web site. Thinking back it was stupid to mess with a working machine, but live and learn. What can I do to fix it, and if I have to start over any tips for getting the files off the hard drive he put on in the mean time? I have a working comp at my house with an open hdd bay if needed. I am thinking of trying a repair install,but I have not had to do one before.

Cliffs:
Borked a working computer with a driver update
feels stupid
need to recover files from drive and or fix it

edit: spelling

 

[etherealgrifter]

wha? get files from mean time hard drive to where?

 

[FirNaTine]

He only had it a few days but put files on it that include financial docs. Like I said, I am willing to rebuild the windows install from scratch if needed, but I want to pull those files first. If a repair install will work without losing those files I will do that. If its a rebuild I guess I will have to pull that HDD and place it in my new system copy the docs to my system and then move them back when I am done the rebuild. If any has any suggestions to avoid a complete rebuild I would appreciate it. Thanks

edit: clarity

 

[FirNaTine]

Anything?

 

[KingPhil]

Just an idea.....

Have you tried booting into Safe Mode and removing the driver you installed?

Phil

 

[FirNaTine]

I only get the POST and can hit F8 to select safe mode but it wont boot into safe mode.

 

[montag451]

What about VGA mode?
or even try command prompt.
Just see if you can get into it a little - enough to see your files.

Let us know

 

[FirNaTine]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I already got it. I edited the title to reflect it being fixed also. Thanks to those that replied. It looks like the problem was in the ide driver, preventing me from ever booting into any mode. Don't ask me why it worked but disabling the ViaIde svc (in the recovery console by booting from the installl cd)and then re-enabling it allowed it to boot. I was hoping a default IDE driver would take over after I disabled the ViaIde, but it didn't so I re-enabled the ViaIde driver to try something else and it booted, to be safe I ran a system restore from before had installed the driver. But it works and I am not f-ing with it any more as long as its working