HELP, IPad isn't repsonding

[promethios]

I'm hoping someone can help me out here. I just recently updated my IPad 2 to the current operating system. I backed the Ipad up before doing the update. Now, the IPad keeps asking me to go through "setup" as if it's new. I have tried backing the IPad up through ITunes several times with no luck. The IPad and ITunes go through the entire backup process, showing process, and even re-starts, but when I try to start the IPad it goes right back to the hello screen asking me to set it up. When I plug the IPad into the PC and open ITunes, all my apps, music, pics all seem to be there in the sync. It shows the correct number of pics and songs, but the IPad won't do anything more than keep asking me to set it up. I know that the stuff is actually in there, because as soon as it connects to ITunes, I can see a brief glimpse at the picture I used as my welcome screen. I don't know what else to do now, since the backups do nothing. I'm guessing I COULD just start it up again like it was new, but I'm afraid I will lose all data saved in my notes folders, and my password apps. Any help would be greatly appreciated.