...the HP Pavillion with the intel celeron processor computer finally gave up the fight.  After memory upgrades, and installing wireless cards, she just had no more to give and stopped booting up yesterday. 

Tried a reinstall of XP, and though it boots, it will not read the wireless card, has no icons on the desktop. It has no basic programs at all, and won't upload anything I've tried to transfer to it.

It's been the kids computer since I bought the laptop 2 years ago.  Lots of artwork is gone. 

There is a computer place that sells refurbished penteum III for 50 bucks with XP pro.  About the only thing I can do.

Dyl starts classes in January, and Megg will need to be able to do her homework here as well. 

Just really bad timing for a major tool to go to shit.

The art is only gone if you let your XP reinstall attempt reformat the hard drive. 

After an XP install your desktop is expected to be bare.  Devices such as the wireless card just need to have the drivers reinstalled to being them online.

I tried that Wrok....

Used the laptop to download the drivers to a 4G flash.  The celeron refused to take and install the drivers. 

Office is gone---media player is gone---

I'm downloading open office and going to try to install that on the beast.  If it refuses to take that as well...I know I'm fresh outta luck.