Hallelujah!!!

I was able to restore my system to yesterdays restore point. And to think I almost lost everything because of Dell's crappy instructions to reinstall.
I hope this works for others, here is the information:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304449How to start System Restore by using the Command prompt
If a new program has made your computer behave unpredictably, and uninstalling the new program did not help, you can try the Windows XP System Restore tool.
Important If you have not previously set a restore point in System Restore, you cannot restore your computer to a previous state. If you are not sure, or if you have not previously set a restore point, contact Support.
To start System Restore using the Command prompt, follow these steps:
1. Restart your computer, and then press and hold F8 during the initial startup to start your computer in safe mode with a Command prompt.
2. Use the arrow keys to select the Safe mode with a Command prompt option.
3. If you are prompted to select an operating system, use the arrow keys to select the appropriate operating system for your computer, and then press ENTER.
4. Log on as an administrator or with an account that has administrator credentials.
5. At the command prompt, type %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe, and then press ENTER.
(It took a while before the program popped up.)
6. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to restore your computer to a functional state.
(The restore took a few minutes)