Laptop Won't Load Up.

[Swiper]

We borrowed my sister in laws laptop for a year as she wasn't using it, it worked great for just about the whole time we had it it but, just our luck, it has now broke down just when she needs it back. We obviously want to give it back to her working and was wondering if anyone can help.

Here's the problem.... The laptop turns on, it goes through it's normal load up sequence until it gets to a black page with white writing that says
" We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows did not start successfully. A recent hardware or software change might have caused this."

Then it gives several options for starting windows again, but everything we press just leads back to that page. We didn't do anything different or download anything the last day it was working.
It is a bit of an old computer, it is a fujitsu siemens laptop, it says AMILO on it and has windows xp installed on it.
Any help would be appreciated.

[vascop]

i used google and found this:
http://www.simplehelp.net/2008/10/27/how-to-fix-the-we-apologize-for-the-inconvenience-but-windows-did-not-start-successfully-error/

[deggers316]

try sytem restore go back around a week if poss it might cure it (might)

[Old_Geezer]

Also, can you boot into safe mode ? Might be a start at looking at what is wrong.

[Tuvok]

Usually there will be a error number - probably following the word STOP - you may be able to get help by looking it up, but not always so.

Have you got a windows CD/DVD?

Try starting from it and go through the REPAIR option (see link below). Be careful, as you might have a RESTORE disk which will WIPE everything (last resort).

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/138-how-to-repair-windows-xp/