laptop wont boot

[lookabunny]

I have a laptop that was given to me pretty cheap by a "friend" and I have had numerous problems with it, more so than any other computer Ive ever used. Theres a good list, so I'll skip right to the current problem.

I had PC Tools Antivirus installed, and recently updated all the files which cause my system to crash. I talked to the people at pc tools to get help and they told me to unistall it. After many attempts to get it done before my laptop would crash i finally got it uninstalled. NOW i cant freakin get my computer past the operating system screen. i have it set to ask which os i want to use in case of these problems, and when i select it it just goes blank. i cant start it up in safe mode, it just does the same thing, every start up option i have tried ends the same way. a black screen. i dont have any contact with the person who gave the computer to me so i really need help.

i can ctrl alt del when the screen gets black but that just restarts the computer. i dont have a windows disk, as i got the laptop from a "friend" of my ex, and no one i know has one. nor do i currently have the money to trhow toward one anyway. i have no idea what to do and this is driving me crazy.

PLEASE HELP! I'm beggin you, make this problem go away!

[qfisheye]

It seems that your windows is really messed up--ur right. By the time you get( buy) a xp program, consider this.. Is it worth it---financially??? The computer is on the older side. Memory is probably lacking, hard drive is small. If you put that kind of money into it, what will you have in the end? I am talking from experience. Ther is nothing wrong with fixing it, but what will you have in the end? You can always contact you EX--just kidding Good Luck Lenny

[IT4nzxs]

first go to ProNetCD.com get a backup copy of the dell OS disk XP ($15), wait 10 days. When you get the recovery disk;

1) boot from the disk into the recovery tool (r) on the keyboard.
2) run "chkdsk /f" (without the quotes) If the progress percentage goes to 50% slowly then to 75% quickly then back to 50% let it run through 1 time.
3) Reboot the computer form the Hard drive

Works? your fixed
Not? then;

1) boot from the disk
2) navigate to "C:\windows\system32\Restore"
3) run "rstrui.exe"
4) select the date before you installed PC Tools

Post when done