BleepingComputer.com: problems with startup and shutdown

I have an Acer Aspire laptop with Windows Vista. I was getting errors saying windows recovered from a serious system error when I started up but I wasn't sure why. Then a few days ago I shut my computer down by holding down the power button since it wasn't shutting down on its own and when I restarted it will restart and give me the wecome screen where I login, after that it goes to a black screen. It safe mode in each corner and at the top its says Microsoft windows service pack 1 but otherwise the screen is black.

I checked the num lock key and can toggle it on and off. I can move the mouse around as I see the arrow moving. When I hit CTL ALT DEL it goes back to the Windows Vista home basic page where the options are

lock this computer
switch user
log off
change a password
start task manager

I've tried logging off and it freezes. When I go to the bottom right where the power options menus is I can either restart or shutdown but when I click on either it just reverts back to the black screen I mentioned above.

Thank you for any assistance you may be able to provide.

Rapidly tap the F8 key starting just before the Windows splash screen shows up. This should get you the options for Safe Mode, etc. Hopefully, at the top of the list will be the option to "Repair my computer". Select that and run Startup Repair.

If this doesn't work, then try it by booting from your Vista DVD - and select "Repair this computer" in the lower left of the second screen (press Enter when you're at the first screen).