Windows XP freeze on Compaq Presario 2500 why?

[samborina]

My friends laptop now freezes at the blue Windows XP window. IIt has Windows XP Home Edition and this is on an old Compaq Presario 2500 laptop. It doesn't even get to the logon window and the task bar, task manager now longer work/appear. This has happened after she downloaded some family photos from a cd but was ok prior to this.
I have reset, removed the battery & ac adaptor and reset, safe mode, safe mode with command prompt, but none of this fixes it. What else can I do? I don't know anything about BIOS so if this something else I need to look at I would need idiot instructions.
I hope someone can help me with this please.

Thanks

[Allan]

It's unclear from your post if you can get to safe mode. If you can, run a full AV and Malware scan from there and see if that helps. If not, open MSCONFIG and choose "selective startup" (disable everything from loading) and reboot. Does that work?

[smeezekitty]

gots da windows xp cd?