assertion failed

Can anyone help please? While installing a brand new external hard drive LACIE a message came up saying ASSERTION FAILED. I attemptrd to solve by getting SYSTEMS RESTORE but I cant get past START The START button just keeps blinking and any program Ive tried on the desktop will open but wont work. This computer has never been hooked to the internet. I would appreciate any suggestions to get me out of this mess. Thanks Jos

 

hello,i have now got things back to normal again,i ran hiject this and got rid of some files,restart and restored,could something like a virus have got in some how