Itunes 'eating' my MP3 files?

After upgrading to iTunes 7.0 which scanned all my MP3s for Gapless Playback, 90% of my collection has been virtually rendered useless.
The tracks all do the same thing; the first 1 to 2 seconds of the track repeat themselves 2 or 3 times before playing the actual song. Words cannot describe how annoying this is; when I've just got it on shuffle and trying to skip tracks to find a song I like, it makes my ears hurt like a broken record. I have looked around forums and Google but haven't seen anbody else with this problem and the extreme degree to which it has permenantly damaged my 30 gig collection of music that I've been collecting and archiving for over 10 years.
I have tried playing the damaged MP3s in every other piece of MP3-playing software on my PC--they all do the same thing. The ACTUAL MP3 files on my hard drive and iPod are damaged, not just iTunes.
Is there any possible way to salvage my MP3 collection without spending weeks to re-rip and re-download all of my MP3s?
I am seriously never going past 6.0 iTunes again. Upgrading to 7.0 was the worst computer-related decision of my life.

Compensated!?! HaHa! For losing files that you no longer legally have the right to possess after selling the originals? LOL. Sorry 62lotus, but I have no pity for you.
jpeter1093, I feel your pain and am sorry this has happened to you. It also took actually losing several gigs of songs and photos for me to learn the importance of making regular backups of any data that is important to me.
Good luck!

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