i need help with my usb memory unit! please?

I have had a 2G usb memry stcik for about a year now and have used ti to save all of my important college work onto it. i did have backup copies on my laptop but that got broken by some idiot in my class and i havent had the time latly to back up my files.

so the other day at college a fellow student asked if he coudl use my usb to transfer some files from his apple (mac) to a college pc (windows 98), but during the time between this he managed to pull out the usb device, and because of this i checked it to find my pictures have all dissopeared. so we checked his mac but my pictures were not on there.now that dosent bother me so muhc as i have them on my home pc.

so today i go to open some college work on my pc (windows xp), but all the ord documents and other documents have come up looking fairly strange, and i am unable to open these files.

everytime i try it comes up with a message saying

"f:\college work\unit 1-observation and assesment\a@c@(square)jx9. is not accessible.

the file name,directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect."

i used (square) as i dont know how to make that shape appear in text.

im realyl stuck as i need this work to complete my course.

ill include a picture of how the files have shown up.


http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...usbproblem.jpg


any help would be greatly appreaciated.