HELP!!! Rescuing User Data from iMac...

Here is what happened...

I ran an archive and install (manitining user settings checked) on my iMac from my Tiger iMac CDs to install X11 and it got stuck on Disk 2 installing Garage Band. After several attempts at cleaning the disk, I called AppleCare and they said to start the install again from the beginning and leave off Garage Band.

When I started the reinstall, it gave me the option to upgrade (not available previously) but I again selected archive and install with preserve users checked.

That install failed somewhere into it (last I noticed it was installing the base system, but I walked away from it).

Now it won't boot (kernel panic) and when I try to run install again, it does not give the option of preserving users. I backed up a couple of months ago, but would lose a fair amount of data if I can't get at this data.

I do have at my disposal:

A working MBP, firewire cables, external drives to use toward a rescue mission. Of course, there is also the Apple Store down on Regent Street.

Anybody have any ideas about how I can get to the drive on the iMac and get my user data off the disk?

HELP!!!

 

Fantastic. I am copying my user directory over to an external right now. Once I have copied that, is there anything else I should drag over?

FWIW, it says that one or more files cannot be copied due to some permissions issue, but it is copying a lot of files.

Finally, all my stuff is currently in a folder called Previous System 2. Is it likely that I could rename that folder to System and the computer would work again? I want to copy my stuff first, but isn't that likely to work?