Problem with windows xp?

I recently purchases a previously leased Dell laptop. It has Windows XP on it. It was working really well but now I am having some problems with it and installed Windows Updater. Well today when I tried to start it, I got the black screen saying that Windows failed to start and where you can select to start windows in safe mode or start windows normally, well when I select any of the options it freezes and can not get past that black screen. Please someone help me. I am a bit computer dumb, I really don't have too many options on taking it to a pro because I am stationed in Germany.

Problem with windows xp?download ie

You need to use the Operating System CD, that you should have gotten with the computer, to repair this issue. You should have either gotten a Microsoft Windows CD or gotten the Dell OEM CD, which is also like a Microsoft Windows CD. With either one of those, you can fix the issue. Follow these steps and problems solved

Configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM drive. For more information about how to do this, refer to your computer's documentation or contact your computer manufacturer. Then insert your Windows XP Setup CD, and restart your computer.

1.

When the Press any key to boot from CD message is displayed on your screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.

2.

Press ENTER when you see the message To setup Windows XP now, and then press ENTER displayed on the Welcome to Setup screen.

3.

Do not choose the option to press R to use the Recovery Console.

4.

In the Windows XP Licensing Agreement, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.

5.

Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press R to repair Windows XP.

6.

Follow the instructions on the screen to complete Setup.

Problem with windows xp?windows media player internet explorer

there should be a disc that came with the laptop, a windows xp disc.

once you have that, pop it in, and just go through the prompts and reinstall windows.

you could have other optioins, but seeing as you dont know too much about computers and youre in germany, id say its your best bet.
You could be the victim of Microsoft Activation Hassel (MAH). It is a brain child of Microsoft attempting to cut down on piracy. Even if yours is a legitimate copy of Windows XP, there is such a thing as "false positives", which make it appear that your copy of Microsoft Windows is a fake. This is especially true if there have been hardware changes to the computer.

Fortunately, there is an easy fix to MAH. Go to www.kubuntu.org and get a Feisty Fawn operating system. You love it and it is free and immune to the 114000 virii that infect Windows.