My laptop, a Toshiba Satellite M45-S2693 Model PSM42U-01Q006 which is running XP Pro/SP3, has started doing strange things. Somehow, while running ccleaner.exe (a disk clean up tool), I unalertly (and stupidly, I might add) deleted a bunch of my font FILES. The system then did a prescheduled disk compress and my problem was made permanent. Upon reboot, every screen displays images properly, but all fonts are displayed as tall empty rectangles. Some text, however is rendered as special characters, except for the MS-DOS window. This window displays and functions normally. As best as I can tell, other than the font ISSUE, the machine functions normally. I was able to reload (not reinstall) all of the deleted fonts through the MS-DOS window, without any noticeable effect on this problem. Considering the fact that I can't READ any prompts, and don't know where a link might take me, how do I solve this problem? I can't even produce a configuration list or print screen for you to view. It's like looking at a foreign language film without any subtitles.Four choices off the top of my head: you can either do a system restore to a date before the problem began, make sure the fonts you copied are now in the "fonts' folder (they do not need to be "installed"), run sfc /scannow or do a repair install. I am not 100% certain sfc /scannow will replace the missing fonts, but if they are part of the original system installation it should.How can I do a system restore when I can't read any of the prompts? Where can I do the sfc command from? The only window that is readable is the DOS window. Can I do it from there? I just tried it in the DOS window and got another window that's titled Windows File Protection, but I ca't read anything else. Lastly, how do I do a repair install? I put in the SP3 disk and did a reboot and absolutely nothing happened.

The replaced fonts are in the Windows\fonts directory.

Thanks for the suggestions.Reading my questions again, they sound kinda snarky. Believe me, they weren't meant that way. Just asking questions.http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304449Just read the link that you sent. One minor problem - I have never set a restore point. According to the link, I'm "SOL" - that's "out of luck" for the uninitiated.I offered four options. System restore was only one. Also, what happens in safe mode?Brought up the system in Safe Mode. All of the drivers loaded and the system restore window popped up. Since I could read it, I closed it. Went to the DOS window and entered SFC /scannow. Received the return message :
Windows file protection could not initiate a scan of protected system files.
The specific error code is 0x000006ba [The RPC server is unavailable.]

I'm back at the c:\> now.Are you in safe mode or at a command prompt? And sfc /scannow will only work if there is an XP CD in the drive.

Let's start again - what happens in safe mode?OK, I'm in safe mode, looking at a Windows style screen. Once again all of the prompts under the desktop icons are vertical boxes. What can I do now for ya?I'm back with ya. I booted in Safe Mode with a command prompt (perfectly normally even with no special character set). I put in the Windows XP Pro upgrade disk, as you mentioned last night, and ran the command sfc /scannow. I got the same error as I did yesterday (Windows file protection could not initiate a scan of protected system files).

I'm sure that I'm doing something INCORRECTLY, but I don't know what. Any help that you have left over from yesterday would be sincerely appreciated. Thanks.Let's just do a repair install. At this point it's the easiest option:

1) Make sure the cd drive is the first device in the boot order in your bios
2) Boot to the XP CD
3) Choose the SECOND repair option (here are detailed instructions: http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/138-how-to-repair-windows-xp/)
4) Done properly, all apps and preferences will remain intact
5) After you get back into the OS you'll need to go to Windows Update and download and install all updatesSuper. One last question (I hope) - how do I make the CD the boot disk? I was under the impression that putting in an upgrade disk and booting the system would take it to the CD first. Is this incorrect?Never mind. I downloaded your link and am reading it now. It tells me what to do. Hopefully, I'll let you know later how it went. Thanks so much for your patience with me.No joy. I did the repair exactly as noted in the article that you linked me to, and got the same result. Unless you can pull a rabbit out of a hat, this machine is destined for doorstophood.