How do I fix my HP netbook?

So, I've had this netbook for about 2 years now. It was working fine, a little outdated, the internet was slow, no microsoft word, whatever. However, I let my parents take it with them on their trip to Argentina and when they came back the battery was completely blown. Unable to replace it right away, It sat in the corner of my bedroom turned off for a while. Then, I plugged it into the wall and tried to turn it on. It went through the basics: first, an all black screen with informational type was on, it says Press F1 to continue, I press it, and then the Windows screen comes on..but as soon as the loading bar gets to about halfway, the entire thing stops, the screen flashes blue, and it starts over. If I left it on, it would continue to do this. I'm not a big computer person, so I'm not exactly sure how to fix this. I'm aiming to wipe the computer clean and install Windows 7 and Microsoft word, but at this point I can't even get the thing to start up. Any ideas? Is it fixable on my own, or should I just give up and take it to Geek Squad?