Which OS Fix? Computer Illiterate, Please Help!

Hi everyone,

I'm sure this question has been asked a million times, and I promise I searched for it before starting a new thread. I've run out of time though, and need the quickest possible resolution.

My laptop (Dell Inspiron 1545) became very slow, and then became unresponsive half the time. I tried diagnosing it, cleaning out programs, staying on top of updates, drivers, etc. It finally came to the point that it freezes immediately upon startup, and has to be forced closed every time. I thought my reinstallation CDs were gone, but after 2 months now, they showed up out of nowhere.

I would like to restore my laptop back to factory settings, and have already backed up my important files onto CDs (pics, MS Word docs, and 'Users' folder on C. Here is the problem:

I have tried every which way I know how, and cannot access the Advanced Boot Options menu, only the Windows Boot Manager. I'll select an OS and press F8 like it instructs and all this does is takes me to startup where I freeze, then have to forceclose and start the process again. I have attempted every one of the 'F's', tapping, holding, and combination of both lol, including Ctl + F11, Del, Esc.

I'm not great with computers, but I know enough to run scans, diagnose smaller problems, and things to that nature. I've read a few times about booting up from the disc, and I'm not sure how to do this? I've done exactly as the manual says, but 6 hours later, here I still am.

Overall, if you have any advice, suggestions, or flat out know what I should do I'm all ears. My job is literally riding on my laptop running again, and have to do this as quick as possible to meet a deadline. It wouldn't be so bad if my laptop hadn't messed up as much as it has the past 2 months (losing files, freezing, crashing), but regardless my boss is extremely serious this time. I figured a fresh start and restoring factory settings would be my best method, but I'm obviously not doing something right, or something is seriously wrong.

Thanks so much in advance!!

Before wiping I would give Malwarebytes a shot:

http://www.vistax64.com/system-security/293056-malwarebytes.html

If you can't get advanced boot options to come up you are probably hitting it at the wrong time. As soon as the computer turns on start hitting F8 and keep on hitting it until the menu comes up. I've never heard of it not working.

When it comes up first select disable automatic restart and hit enter. Next select safe mode with networking. If it boots up try downloading and running malwarabytes like miles suggested. If it stops booting we need to know if it blue screens and if so what the message says or if it freezes we need to know the last file listed.

If you do want a reformat, borrow a friends disk, same os level and vintage, sp none, sp1 etc, and use your key.

Just make sure the network adapter driver is avaliable, as well as MSE, then get the newest drivers from Dell.

I hope you mean to get it from the same manufacturer. Doing so otherwise would go against the user agreement and a disk from a manufacturer is designed for that manufacturer's computer. It might also be designed for specific models. Installing another manufacturer's disk wouldn't put on the wrong drivers and customized tools on it.

I should have said a vanilla disk, Base windows is just that, base windows.

If the oem copy has a check setup, then it won't work, and those are recovery disks, not Vista disks.

Windows will not install drivers it doesnt need, so it won't install wrong drivers, it will just probably error alot.

The TOA is mainly with the making of the media, and the serial. Using your serial on a disk is not against the TOA... Making a copy is though.