Duel Boot to resolve encryption problem?

ACER ASPIRE E 700 purchased 200707. RAM 2.00 GB, 32-bit OS. Vista Ultimate. Jan 19 last I couldn't resolve a start up problem and relied on 3 yr warranty. I had two internal HDs, 500mb and 120mb. 1st tech installed a 500mb HD, reinstalled (I have ACER disks, XP full install and VISTA ULTIMATE upgrade) but I insisted on keeping old HD. No Luck, 2nd tech installed new board (2.40 GB Intel Core2 Quad) but decided my problem wasn't either old 500GB HD, or old board, but the 120 GB 2nd internal drive was causing problems. Tech said he unplugged 120 GB HD, replaced old 500 MB HD as 2nd internal HD and reinstalled OS. I don't know if tech used the ACER discs. I now have two internal 500 GB HDs. PROBLEM: Up & running but I can't restore (e.g.) Quicken backup files from external HDs and even memory sticks that I backed up files to. It seems at the time that encryption would NOT be used on or copied to flash drives. In at least 5 ext drives, all quicken files (and others) are in green color (encrypted) even if the folders (in some instances) that the files are in are not. I have tried reading about user accounts (changing accounts doesn't necessarily allow decryption) and am at my wit's end so one last thought: what if I install the: first XP then VISTA ULTIMATE (Or do I use the ACER discs - (1) recovery and (2) system files provided in 2007 by CompUSA) as a duel boot to the OLD, 2nd 500 MB internal hard drive that no longer has an OS installed and try to back up to it. Before the crash(?), I backed up the ENTIRE computer to the external 1T My Book drive but am not anxious to restore this file to the new "C" boot drive which would wipe out everything on the current "C" drive. arielprd