got black screen and freezing...

My nieces computer is having some big problems I am hoping you can help me figure it out for her. She was using the computer and it would keep freezing up and different things so it got to be a mess and she decided to reformatt it. So her friend reformatted it and put on windows xp and it booted up and was fine for a little bit. Well while she was using it, the computer froze up on her and it wouldn't do anything! It wouldn't stop what it was trying to do (it was froze) and it also wouldn't shut down. So she finally just turned it off because she couldn't even shut it down properly. Anyway when she turned it back on it started running but she got a black screen and that was all! It will not do anything, it won't boot up now or nothing...Does anyone know what we can do to fix this problem? She is in college and really uses the computer a lot so it has to get fixed! :-(

Any help or suggestions anyone has would be greatly appreciated. Thank You Dedee

 

XP Repair Install
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/tips/xp_repair_install.htm

 

At what point do you get the black screen?

 

erikske:
So she finally just turned it off because she couldn't even shut it down properly. Anyway when she turned it back on it started running but she got a black screen and that was all!

 

i would reccommend create an xp boot up disk

instructions here http://mirror.href.com/thestarman/winxp/winxpsd.htm

this will take 6 disks, once done, turn off the computer, put the first disk in the floppy drive then start the pc

 

Yes i did read that, but there's a difference between starting the computer or starting windows. I would indeed assume you get the black screen when turning on the computer, but it never hurts to ask. That way i can avoid trying to solve a windows issue, while a black screen from boot on is most likely caused by hardware failure.
To continue the solving process then: is there any hard drive activity when you turn on the computer? If the computer normally beeps when you turn it on, does it still?

 

just a suggestion, try to replace the cmos battery with a new one.