Hello everyone. I'm sure most of you have touched on this topic before and I did search your achives for help, but being computer iliterate doesn't help.
My problem is this.
I have a 20 month old Compaq laptop model 2190 and its running Windows XP Home edition (service pack2). The other day when I came to work it wouldn't complete booting. It stops right before I'm to enter my password. Blue background with the Windows logo. I have tried booting from Safe Mode and other modes from within. I have tried using the reapir disk that came with the computer but its asking for the Administrators password. I never entered such password and can't get past it. My brother in-law suggested Knoppix. I was finally able to download version 3.8 onto a CD-R but nothing happens when I ask the computer to boot from CD-ROM. The drive is spinning but I'm NOT being asked to "press any key to boot from CD-drive". I gently resumes to the blue screen with the Windows logo. I'm not afraid to download, install, make changes, upgrade and repair. I just haven't had a reason to in the past.
Needless to say, I'd like to save all my work files before any refomatting. I must have read 20 pages today regarding Knoppix and how to burn as an images and what not. Much of it doesn't make much sense to me. I now have an ISO file on a CD-R taking up roughly 700MB. What do you suggest I do.

Sincerely,
Kenneth Rasmussen