When this happened to me, I had to do a system restore. THANKFULLY, I was given the option to backup my files during the restore and was able to access them once I got up & running again. Depending on how badly the virus has attacked your system, you may not be able to get them back, though. If you are able to access them again, get them backed up to an EHD. Before buying a new laptop, try doing a system restore with the disks that came with your machine. If you don't have them, you may be able to order them from the manufacturer for a nominal fee.