laptop wont start

grad2224

please help me i dont seem to have much luck !!!!!!!!! i am currently on my third computer in space of year and a half. I am a single mum on benefits and therefor admit the computers purchased have been second hand.
First computer i bought worked fine for a couple of months until i purchased a sonic game for my seven year old son when installed he played for couple of weeks but the computer started playing up then not long after went into safe mode so a neighbour give me his older computer which he wasnt using both of these ran on windows 98 anyway when i installed my sons game on this realised it was changing the way compuiter behaved and thought it would lead to this computer again going into safe mode so i stopped him playing with it. Anyway this computer worked fine no problems for a good year but went into safe mode although unlike the first one which completly froze i could still use this.
Now i have purchased a laptop off ebay a couple of days ago everything fine when i unpack working fine then i install a sonic game this is not the same one that i used with the other 2 we install it but says after nearly getting to end of installation that it cant install so my son accepts that it is not compatible but when went to shut down windows froze and now there is nothing it is dead please from what i have told you if anyone is willing to help be so much appreciated i want to try and start my own small business and i need this laptop working financially really stretched my neighbour currently is having a look he is an engineer he might be able to help if i get stuck on any technical advice
THE FIRST SONIC GAME I BOUGHT WAS FROM POUNDLAND
THE SECOND WAS FROM GAME PC CDROM

Browntoa

if it's a recent Xp laptop then you should be able to get into "safe Mode" by hitting the F8 key on start up (some it's f12) and then going into All Programs , then Accessories, then System tools, then System restore...pick a date before the game was installed)

what make /model Laptop is it ??

Little_John

all the problems you post proberbly just need a clean install of windows yes all 3 PC's get your techie to back up anything you need and wipe them and reinstall windows.

as for the games it is possibly just a screwed install of windows causeing the problems. buy the kid a games machine to play games rather then using PC's much less work and chaeper than constantly upgradeing.