Can't Start mySQL Workbench . . . .

[Thomas KIRBY]

This has happened after I recently had a system repair done to my Win XP .

I had been using mySQL Workbench 6.1 CE and had successfully used it to create a small database and connection instance which I then used when querying the database from within a Java application.
Soon after this my PC would not start up and the system\config folder was unaccessible so I got the whole system repaired.
My principal user account had been deleted in this process but since the files for this user account still remained, I could re-create it.
All applications (inc. Eclipse & NetBeans) bar mySQL are now functional.

After clicking mySQL from the start menu - regardless of whether I do so from the re-created user account or the admin account - there is an attempt to start the mySQL server but it is very quickly choked off.
The Application Data\mySQL folder in Documents and Settings\All Users is still intact.

I tried to uninstall mySQL but it "fails to find installation folder".
Same story with an attempt to install a fresh copy of mySQL at another location on my PC.
My registry shows no entry for either Oracle or mySQL.

As I - and my PC repair man - know relatively little about mySQL, I thought it best to ask more experienced users on this forum.
Any help would be gratefully appreciated.