Windows Me forum: HELP- Major Computer Prob- "Hard Drive not found"

So I have a computer from the Stone Age (a gateway computer from 2001 that runs Windows ME). I was working today on trying to speed it up by doing a number of different things. I was about to run my computer in safe mode, but when I restarted my computer to try to get it into safe mode, I didn't remember how. I pressed the wrong thing and ended up in the "BIOS Setup Utility." I am smart enough to know not to mess with anything in the BIOS, but when I existed from it all I got was a blank black screen with a blinking cursor. I restarted the computer and I got the following message:

"The Hard drive was not found. Consult the Trouble Shooting section of your user' manual, etc."

Now I don't know if I accidentally did something when in the Bios Setup Utility or if my computer coincidently decided to die on me. The computer freezes all the time and gives me all sorts of problems. Should I go the Bios Setup Utility and hit "Load Setup Defaults" and see what happens??? Would doing that at least allow me to figure out if the problem really lies in the BIOS? Would doing that erase my hard drive or will everything be okay?

Please help me... I have some files I want to get off of my computer.