Ok edit the boot.ini in partition 2 and remove usepmtimer and save then reboot and tell us what happens then.

Do i get to boot.ini in partition 2 like this?

because i did that, removed usepmtimer, and the problem remained.

Someone has been into this system with partitioning tools and there is more to this scenario than meets the eye.

I suggest you reinstall XP MCE from scratch.

Is there a way that I can just uninstall MCE and keep Home Edition? Because I think MCE was already installed at the time i purchased the PC, meaning that I have no CD.

Also, there are files that I would like to keep, such as the all-important music files.

if I uninstall MCE, will I lose those files, or will they remain on the hard drive so that I can access them after the uninstallation?

And, correct me if I'm wrong, but the INSTALLED programs, such as iTunes, will NOT work, but the loose files like my music files WILL work?

MCE is on the primary boot partition so no you can't simply uninstall it.

I don't know who has told you the information that you have supplied so far but they are quite incorrect.

What disks do you have to hand at the moment and has XP Home been installed on another computer at any time?

Well I just assumed that they didn't work, because when I try to access them, I get an error message that says,

"This action is only valid for products that are currently installed."

At this moment, all I have is the Windows XP Home Edition upgrade disk.

I think Windows XP Home Edition was installed on my Old PC a few years back.

Ok so did you upgrade to Home Edition from say Windows 98 or ME for example?

If you want to get back to the MCE edition you really need to find that disk.