Though I still haven't had any luck getting my Compaq Presario 7240 up and running, I'd like to thank you all (lgbpop, A31Chris, and 104456) for your suggestions. I tried them all yesterday afternoon to no avail. Everything I try gets me to the same message:

Error loading GDI.EXE. You must reinstall Windows. It is now safe to shut down your computer.

Somehow, I've got to get a copy of the Windows reinstallation disk. I tried calling Hewlett Packard (who took over the Compaq company), but they said that they don't sell any of their software that's over 3 years old. Any suggestions on how I would go about legally buying a copy of this disk (or any disk that can get my computer working again)?

Yours,
prov

P.S. I will definitely let you all know if and when my problem gets resolved.