ok so here is a break down of what I am facing. I have a hp laptop. It holds a ton of pics and videos that can never be replaced. They are very dear to me and I will be devestated if i lose them please help.....

Ok so did I mention I was computer illiterate. I don't know any computer terms or jargon so feel free to reply to me like talking to a child because in the pc world that is my equivalent and it would be a lot easier.

Problem:
turn on and it goes to black screen ASKING strt windows normally safe mode etc etc last known good config.

no matter which one i choose it flashes BLUE screen and says unmountable BOOT volume.

I hit esc and go to bios setup and run a hard drive self test it fails with #1-07.

I have no xp disc and dont know what else to do. I know that i will probably need a professional but i guess what i am asking is for some hope. am i screwed or can this stuff be found and backed up. I purchased a external drive to back it up if i could just GET to it. I dont know what i would do if it is gone......

First of all, if hard drive test reports any errors, stop using the computer. The more you try, the less chances for recovering your data (if).
If you have a friend, who knows little bit more about computers, you can remove the hard drive, slave it in another, working computer, and try to recover your data.You could have someone else put it in their PC and try to recover the files off of it. That is the best option.You'll need one of these:


2.5" to IDE connector...about 8 bucks at any PC store. It enables you to connect the laptop drive to any desktop machine.

Windows does NOT need to be working on the laptop to get your data so as Broni STATED above stop trying to fix it until your data is safe.