I originally had gotten an error stating "autochk.exe not found". On the advice on a diffrent thread I checked the C:\Windows\System32 folder and found that it was not there. I was advised to copy the autochk.exxe file in the i386 folder into the System32 folder and all seemed to be well.A few weeks ago I updated to SP3 as I had heard that MS was no longer going to support XP SP2. After the update the computer rebooted the screen flickered black a few times and then rebooted. It has been rebooting with the "Write operation was attempted to a volume after it was dismounted" which flashes on the screen for about .5 seconds (had to watch it several times to get the whole error message) then reboots.I have tried to boot into safe mode, last known good configuration, don't reboot on error. It will continue to reboot on these boot types but will not give the error message. I do not have a physical disk as this comp was purchased from Dell several year ago and did not come with a disk. I did run SpinRite and it returned a clean bill of health for the HD in question. All data was readable and writable and there were no surface defects. What does the "Write operation was attempted to a volume after it was dismounted" error mean?How can I fix this error. If for no other reason to get my data back. Any help is appreciated.

You can get your data back by one of the following methods. Method 1 is the easiest way. As for the error, Googling around either brings up links about issues using a slipstreamed disc with NLite or indications that hardware may be the cause. So you might want to test your RAM. You can get a replacement XP installation disc from Dell and their tech support or user forums might have a more definitive answer for you.Dell - Request Backup Discs - http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/en/backupcd_form1. Pull the drive and put it in a USB drive enclosure or use a USB drive adapter. Attach this to a computer running a working install of XP/Vista/Windows7. Use the working Windows Explorer to copy the data to the rescue system's hard drive and then burn the data to cd or dvd or copy it to an external hard drive. I prefer not to do this if I know the drive is infected because there is a chance of infecting the host system. In these cases, I use #2 below.2. You can boot the target computer with a Bart's PE (XP only) or a Linux Live CD such as Knoppix or Ubuntu and retrieve the data that way. This has the additional advantage of telling you whether the problems you're having are hardware or software-related because if the computer behaves perfectly under Linux you know that Windows (software) is the culprit. Conversely, if the computer misbehaves under Linux you will know that there is a hardware problem. Here is general information on using Knoppix for data retrieval when you can't get into Windows:You will need a computer with two cd drives, one of which is a CD/DVD burner OR a USB thumb drive with enough capacity to hold your data OR an external USB hard drive. Download the Knoppix .iso and create your bootable CD*. If you are doing this in an older operating system (XP or Vista), you'll need third-party burning software like Nero, Roxio, or the freeImgBurn (Windows 7 can burn .isos natively). Burn as an image, not as data. Then boot with the CD you created and the Windows files will be visible in Linux. If you want to burn CD/DVDs, there will be a Linux burning program to use.*If your computer only has one optical drive and you want to use that drive to burn data or need to test the drive, you can create a bootable USB thumb drive running Linux instead of a bootable CD. This website will show you how to do that -http://www.pendrivelinux.com http://www.knoppix.net http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/ - Bart's PE BuilderAlso see - http://lifehacker.com/5504531/the-complete-guide-to-saving-your-windows-system-with-a-thumb-drivehttp://www.howtogeek.com/howto/17044/move-files-from-a-failing-pc-with-an-ubuntu-live-cd/https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCDAnd for future disaster recovery strategies - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Backing_UpMS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!