Windows xp question

My computer hung up last night and I had to manually turn it off. When I restarted it windows wouldn't open. I got several choices to open using the last good start up, and safe mode and several more. None of them would start Windows xp. I took the disk that came with xp and was going to see if it would start windows. There was 2 things that could be done. To repair a problem and install xp. I couldn't get the repair to do anything. I went ahead and installed and had to get the original disk where I had windows 98 before I upgraded. When I was installing it came to a choice of Fat 32 and something else that I wasn't familar with. It had 2 different places that each could be installed. I chose one that had 29000 of something, sorry can't remember what, and the other one didn't have any thing. My thinking was if I used the 29000 that it would take me back to the original xp install. When it finished downloading I had lost all my programs and everything that was loaded on the original xp. Is there any way that I can recover the information that was on the computer before this happened. I have some very important information that I really need.

Thanks if any one can help.

Also any one that is familar with incredimail. I had been using it and the information that I need was in an email. Now it is gone also. I had to download a new version of incredimail but can't get the original version to come up. I did try to use the same sign in information and it said that account already exists so I do know it is there but I can't figure how to get it to come up so I can sign in.

Thanks again.