I screwed up my Joomla and not sure how to get my data back - Joomla! Forum - community, help and support

*i'm joomla newb please gentle*

hi ... joomla site crashed few months ago (i think dreamhost may have auto-updated or , smoked it). it's personal web site , have been slammed @ work, have gotten investigating why. maybe hasty, , maybe should have called on dreamhost or these forums help, here i've tried far better or worse (in other words, man hope didn't shoot myself in foot here):

1. backup /mywebsite directory "/mywebsite backup"
2. run dreamhost upgrade script joomla 1.5.15
- did not recover it
3. rename /mywebsite /mywebsiteold
4. run dreamhost one-click-install joomla 1.5.15
- error: joomla installed
5. delete joomla install via dreamhost "remove software" thing
6. run dreamhost one-click-install joomla 1.5.15
- re-installed
7. went through configuration (reconnected mysql) , site up, not content.
8. tried renaming old directory /mywebsite errors

old joomla version: ?? (last known working in march)
new joomla version: 1.5.15

the mysql database still there, , have gathered reading these forums, that's data is. so, can suggest how can re-install joomla, re-connected mysql database, , recover web site?

thanks!!!
yek

i've been in similar situations couple of times, although not same reason.
i solve cases manually sticking backup sql stuff directly live sql.

in other words, opening individual tables old database, , dumping directly new one.
it has worked me far.
it takes time etc, i've read, lot of automatic stuff seem have weird circus tricks them work. , since not programmer, i'll slog out on battle-field.

but, (geez, hate word), take new backup of new sql, in case!