when you turn the computer on hit f8 repeatdly to get into safe mode instead of waiting for xp to load..... also go into bios and make sure settings are correct maybe load defaults and try that.

 

could be driver related. If you can boot in safe mode you have either driver or BIOS updates required.

 

Make sure you use safe mode choice not the other choices. If none work then you have a bad DLL on the system. You could try to repair windows using the CD that you use to install it. Or run Recovery instead. But you might have to back up your friends data and blow out the drive and install a fresh copy of XP. You get to these area where you in and try everything under the sun and you're stuck. In a repair shop they or I use a CD call Windows XP PXE - Pre-Install Environment that run a copy of XP on a CD where you can look the OS and try to fix your system. But you can try that with a Bart PXE which is free online just use google to search for it. Might not work fo you, better just backup the drive then run setup blow it out (delete the old) install a new fresh copy of XP...

 

U need the XP installation disk that have exactly the same installation u have. boot from CD, choose ´install windows´ in the first screen and ´repair existing installation´ in the second screen. If the repair options does not exist means that ur installation disk is not the same as the installed windows, so U can´t do the repair.

 

You should do a fresh install

Regards Jase

 

Have you tried hooking the HDD up to another PC and running the manufacturers Diagnostic?

If it passes, run a CHKDSK on it. That often helps.