I get a error code 2000-0146 when i do the pre-boot system assessment, do I need to replace my hardrive or is there another way to fix problem?

An 0146 message may not be a "death knell" like an 0142 would be. It can mean there are bad sectors of the drive that can be repaired by CheckDisk, which in a DOS command window is typed as CHKDSK. If you have your XP recovery Disk or retail disk, you can boot off the disk and act like you're re-installing Windows. After the brief Setup period you'll stop at a window that gives you an option to repair by pressing the R key.

After pressing the R key, a command prompt will appear. Type in HELP and hit the enter key. Then continue to hit the enter key a few more times until you reach a blinking cursor where you can type a command. At that point, type in CHKDSK and hit the enter key. It's entirely possible CheckDisk will go find the bad sectors on the hard drive, repair them and allow you to reboot into Windows normally.

There are other options but those are considered to be for "advanced users". Basically an advanced user is someone who would already know what the next steps would be and how to perform them. If what I suggested for you above isn't possible, find an "advanced user" friend before you completely give up on your data.

Finally, failing that, you would have to use an XP install disk to re-install windows and you must reformat using the regular 'slow" NTFS selection. The "quick" reformat will not repair bad drive sectors.

Good Luck