XP Home will not log on

My Gateway 710 X with XP Home keeps logging me off. I recently changed my ISP from AOL to ATT and downloaded ATT Scurity Pack. I supect I should have uninstalled AOL Security Center before doing so and that this may be the problem, or part of it. I ran a spyware scan on ATT SP and it found about 30 instances of adware, which I removed ( or quarantined or whatever it did). During the same session, an ATT SP update came through and i was asked to restart. When I did, the computer ran a checkdisk session and restored a large number of "orphan files." Since then, the system boots as far as the welome screen (although it sems to do so more quickly than before), but when I log on it goes to "loading your personal settings" for a while and then logs me off.

With me so far?

I have lost my recovery disk and also cannot find my original Windows disk (although I do have the Product Key). Recovery Console is not a boot option (but will be in the future). Safe Mode and Last Known Good also don't work. They go to welcome screen, then log me off.

So, hoping to either identify and remove the problem file(s) or to copy and rescue a ton of data, I've been trying to boot to DOS. The Intel boot -from DOS-thingy (I forget what it's called --- F12) says "boot file name not found," and exits to a reboot prompt.

When I found this site I thought I was saved. This computer (a Toshiba "overheater") has a CD/DVD burner but no floppy. It uses "Sonic rcord Now" software to burn disks. I was able to save the DOS 7.1 boot disk zip file to CD but when i tried to extract it, using windows wizard, it said a password is required.

Does anyone know the password, or how I can get it? Instructions in the Read Me file are nebulous to me. So I guess I'm stumped. I'll try phoning MS Order Desk for a replacement disk, but am still worried about losing data. Also will keep searching for recovery disk, but fear it is hopelessly mislabeled, misfiled or otherwise FUBAR. Next time, I'll lock it in the fire safe.

You can probably tell that I'm no expert at this, but money for tech services is tight and I'm trying to blunder through. Any advice or assist would be greatly appreciated. You guys might just be my last hope. JG