how can I get back into my computer

Step 1, get your data off the hard drive with a SATA to USB adapter like this one (there are many others):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812232002

Then, you may be able to do one of the following.

-- Choose F8 at start up, try safe mode. If that fails,
-- Choose F8 at start up, try safe mode with command prompt. When you get to a command prompt, type "SFC /scannow" (without quotes). This can sometimes repair corrupt system files. If that fails,
-- Choose F8 at start up, try a system restore. Perhaps Toshiba laptops have a recovery partition with the factory image on it.

Here's some additional information about Advanced Boot Options:

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Windows-Vista-Advanced-Boot-Options-51027.shtml

You can use boot up cds to try to back up your data, such as the ultimate boot cd. http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html
Once you backed up your data you can try to do a vista repair. It is important to first back up your data in case something goes wrong and you need to reinstall the operating system from scratch. Once you backed up your data you can start your computer with a windows vista cd and then do a window repair.

Do you see the Windows Vista boot screen ? Do you see Advanced Boot Menu upon pressing F8 ? Is the computer is not taking you to the desktop ? If this is the case then you may need to backup the data and attempt repair or re-installation.

If you have a USB hard drive or a pen drive large enough to take the backup of the data that is important to you, follow the steps below :)

Boot the computer with the Vista DVD and press SHIFT + F10 at the screen to select Custom or Upgrade. It will launch the CMD window. You can open the Notepad by typing "notepad" without quotes and click on File, Open. It will then list all the drives (including the USB drive u connect). Copy and paste the info from source to destination :)
 ** I have taken the screenshot in windows. The windows will not have AERO effect during the Shift+F10
I would suggest, take backup and restorem repair or re install before it gets worse.

If you have the install CD you can boot of it and go to the recovery console.

You'll need to know your admin password to get into it.

Once in there try the command fixboot and if that doesn't work (this could break everything) try fixmbr it will write a new master boot record.

If you have access to another computer you could try creating a bootable USB drive using Sardu you can add Anti-virus live ISO's to it and live linux distros which may help you to detect the problem.

i would do this :
1- backup : 1A : boot from a live cd, and copy your files to an external disk : ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/dist/knoppix/KNOPPIX_V6.4.4CD-2011-01-30-EN.iso 
                  1B : hook your disk to a working pc and copy your data
2- Troubleshoot what is wrong before trying further steps; use my guide : https://www.experts-exchange.com/Hardware/Components/Motherboards/A_1945.html      (Short-overview-of-how-to-troubleshoot-bad-hardware-when-a-pc-does-not-post)
                    or use thsi :   https://www.experts-exchange.com/Storage/Hard_Drives/A_3000-The-bad-hard-disk-problem.html
3. repair the vista OS :       http://vistasupport.mvps.org/system_file_checker.htm            SFC in Vista
      http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial148.html      repair Vista

Tell me if I am correct here

F8 gets you a boot menu.  Among the choices are Safe Mode, Safe Mode with networking, Last known good, etc and you have tried them all without any positive result?

F2 is what you are supposed to press to get into BIOS setup?

F12 is supposed to start a total factory reinstall from a recovery partition to return your laptop to the condition you first received it and this also failed?

What is the complete model number of your Toshiba laptop?  I may need to refer to some documentation to help you.

Your hard drive may be failing, or your "Windows" may be beyond repair, so your first concern is a need to invest in something like a USB flash drive to copy any precious data that can still be salvaged from the drive with whatever method is available to you.

Do you have or did you make a set of recovery disks that will re install your computer to the condition you purchased it.  Most laptops in recent years force you to run software that came installed on the laptop to make recovery disks for when disaster like this strikes because the hidden recovery partition on the laptop's hard drive may not always function to restore your system.

What would you say your level of experience with computer hardware is?  

Please advise, Thanks

Toshiba Satellite x200/x205 series windows vista home premium 32 bit
Serial # Y7193993K

Thanks

I also tried using my boot disc that came with my laptop. I now receive the message "boot mgr" is missing.

There are eleven X205 series models listed on the support site.

X205-S7483
X205-S9349
X205-S9359
X205-S9800
X205-S9810
X205-SLi1
X205-SLi2
X205-SLi3
X205-SLi4
X205-SLi5
X205-SLi6

Could you please answer the questions I asked in my posting about:

The function buttons, F8, F2, F12
The actual complete model number (should be one of the above eleven)
The question about recovery disks

New question:

Exactly what "boot disc" are you referring to?  What is it's label and what type is it? (CD, floppy etc)

A boot disk that came with your computer should not be missing "boot.mgr".  Your hard drive may be missing boot.mgr, and that is one of the reasons it will not start up, but until I can research what your actual computer is, what it was supposed to come with and what hardware we are dealing with, the details you have provided so far are not enough to advise you step by step instructions to fix your problem.

S7483,  sorry, my bad

Yes, I have tried all of the F2, F12, F8, to no avail, I stated that in my initial query.
There are two CD discs, they are Toshiba recover and application/drivers for X200-X205 series windows vista home premium 32, disc 1 and 2. Immedicately after I used Number 1 disc, it returned the message  "boot mgr" missing, press ctrl, alt, delte to restart. I did that and the same message appeared time after time.  

I believe that the message boot.mgr missing is coming up because the computer's hard drive is set to be the first boot device and the boot.mgr IS missing which is one of the reasons why a computer wont start up.  You want the CD/DVD drive to be the first boot device so that the prompt "Press any key to boot from CD..." is displayed on the screen.

I found several different answers on changing the boot priority to the CD drive.  One says

the F2 brings up a bar under the icons at the bottom of the screen
then left and right arrows to select from icons at bottom
(CD icon is CD drive, USB icon is USB Boot ect..)

Another says you have to press the ESC (escape) key and then F1 to get into BIOS.

You have the laptop there and didn't confirm my comment on F2 to access BIOS and I can find no definite answer.  In any case the first objective is to get the computer to boot from your CD drive.

Try the Windows Vista Home Premium disc once you set BIOS to have the CD/DVD drive set as the first boot device.  Post back what results you get.  Note you must press a key when you see the prompt "Press any key to boot from CD..."

Ran the boot from the CD drive and these are the error messages I received
error 0x80070456
and
error 10-FC06-0002

I apologize for not being able to keep up with your answers in a timely manner but I am working on my job at the same time.

may i ask who is tntingtmi ?  the asker was dvcrdu

tntingtmi, should have opened a new thread if he or she was having similar issues instead of trying to get assistance on dvcrdu's thread. Thats why there is confusion.

dvcrdu is work related, I created a seperate account for my home/personal use under tntingtmi. I'm sure you can appreciate that, Thanks though.

My Thanks to you Jim-R, will contact the manufacturer and let you know the results

any feedback, dvcrdu?

okay thanks for helping us resolve our confusion tntingtmi. Have you been able to resolve your problem?

Yes, I am one and the same. Thanks for checking nobus

I will be signing off and ending my tntingtmi account as per Netminder Senior Admin
I respectfully ask for a refund.
Sincerely

attempting to contact the manufacturer but they have since made changes to their business plan.

the question is not inactive, just following the rabbit hole until i reach the end and get an answer; jim-r has been really helpful and i am following his advice.

web tracker's please be patient, i'm dealing with multiple corporations trying to track down the manufacturer's info -- it takes time as you should know, esp. the way bigger corporations are always consuming the smaller ones.

been out of town for a week, working and trying to find the manufacturers of my two hard drives, keep hitting hidden links

have spent too much time on this, thanks to Jim-R for all his help, suggestions were the ones that got me as close as I did to the solution

signing out

the only reason I believe that the solution is not complete is due to time constraints on my end