HP Laptop will not boot up

Question

I have an HP zt1175 laptop that will not let me get on the internet. I have re-installed Windows and it tells me I need to register the windows first, which I can't do. I can't get connected. I can't even get the Start menu to come up so I can see if my ethernet is there. I have used the same modem and ethernet connection I am using now on my desktop. Any help would be greatly appreciated!