Laptop starts boot up and displays

windows cannot start etc

file is missing or corrupt system32\drivers\isapnp.sys

Have gone into recovery console and get c prompt but cant seem to find windows

tried chkdsk p and r

tried to get to sys restore through here but says access denied

tried renaming file prior to copying file from xp cd says access denied.

Have attached hdd to another pc - when exploring drive cannot find documents and settings files

Also go to windows\system32 but cannot find drivers file.

Owner urgently needs data from machine so straight reinstall is not an option.
(also does not give repair option in installation menu)

Any and all advice gratefully recieved

TP