I cant start my aspire 5532. when I turn it on it says "window failed to start status:0xc000000f, what can I do? I am using my sons laptop at the moment.

This error means that there is either a problem with the files that Windows uses during startup, or a problem with the hard drive itself. You would have to have your laptop looked at by a professional to determine if there is an error with the hard drive, so for now, we will assume that there is a problem with Windows.

Immediately after you start your computer, press and hold the 'alt' key and tap the 'f10' key a few times. Your system should boot into Acer eRecovery. This will allow you to restore the operating system to the factory default install. In order to restore to factory settings, you will need to enter the password created when eRecovery was first started. (If you do not know the password, the default is '000000') It will take anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes to reinstall windows.

Hi tchadwick59,

There are a few things you can try before resorting to reinstalling your operating system, namely Windows, from scratch.
Firstly, have you tried using the F8 key option to load Windows files which started your laptop successfully before? If not, simply press the F8 key once or twice after the initial POST screen.
This will bring up a menu with various boot options, i.e. safe mode, safe mode with networking etc.
One of the menu options is to boot with 'last known good configuration'. Highlight this option & press enter. This should start Windows correctly as it loads a set of Windows files from a back-up of your last Windows settings which worked correctly.

If this does not solve your problem you will have to perform a system repair by inserting your Windows disk & following the prompts to repair your Windows installation.

Let me know if you need any further assistance resolving your problem.
Best wishes,
Graeme.