I have a compaq evo N600c running XP pro. My problem is it won't boot up pass the windows logo without rebooting itself. I've tried to do the last known good configuration, starting in safe mode with and without command prompt but it won't let me. What could be my problem?

Here is the Troubleshooting FAQ for your computer:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...673&taskId=110

Is this a new problem? Was everything OK then suddenly this?

Do you have the Recovery CD's?

No recovery disk and this is a new issue. I'd just installed and licensed zoom alarm (virus/spyware protector) then the computer ran slow. Now it won't boot.

If you cannot access any Safe Mode option and if your computer does not have a Recovery Hotkey the disks were provided and at this point you need them.

HP does sell their Recovery CD's. For that model I am not finding anything regarding possible Hotkey Recoveries.

You might try e-mailing HP:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport...eriesId=316673

One outside chance if you have a floppy drive is to boot the floppies into the XP Recovery Console and try the commands:

FIXBOOT

or

FIXMBR

as seen here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310994

and here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058

what about using my windows disk and trying to boot or reinstall from that? Without formatting of course. I don't want to loose all my porn... I mean my important documents.

What Windows disk?

HP installs their own version of XP (OEM). So basically you need to reinstall the HP version.

If you have another Windows disk with an otherwise unused Product Key you can install that after formatting. This is essentially installing a new Operating System with a new Product Key.

If your data is critical you can slave the hard drive in another computer using a laptop (SCSI/IDE) adapter or use an external enclosure hooked to another computer in order to extract data.

No I'm not using the software that came with the laptop. This was second hand so I'm using my own windows disk. It worked all this time. I just started having this problem when I installed that virus protector.
I can connect the laptop with my pc but how can I do it? I've never tried that before and not sure I know how to do it.

You might be able to use your XP CD in order to access the Recovery Console as per my prior post but you cannot use it to reinstall XP unless this is the only computer using the Product Key. One Product Key per computer is the rule. Otherwise it will not activate. Plus you would need to not only format but wipe the drive including the boot sector to remove all traces of HP.

To access your current hard drive if you are unable to boot into Windows you would have to physically remove it from the laptop. Then you can either insert it into an USB external enclosure that accepts SCSI 2.5" drives or use an SCSI/IDE adapter to hook it up to a desktop internally.