Originally Posted by
richka
Is there a simple explanation of ISO image...
It is simply a single file that contains the contents of an entire CD disc. ISOs are usually used to transfer or distribute a copy (image) of a physical CD by electronic means such as downloading from a website or by email. The image file is then used to easily make a CD-R disc that is a copy of the original disc with the normal utility software that typically accompanies a CD-R/RW drive. ISOs can also be used with DVD disc formats.
Originally Posted by
richka
... and would it help me get into that pc?
It would depend on what the ISO is an image of. For example, if someone sent you an ISO of their
Cook'n with Betty Crocker software CD, that probably isn't going to help. If it is an ISO of a Windows XP disc, that could be more helpful, albeit illegal. This site's moderators tend to eliminate posts containing information pertaining to circumventing security measures, therefore you're probably going to need to install another copy of Windows XP to gain access and then delete the original Windows installation.
F8 pressed during boot after the computer finishes POST (Power On Self Test) will invoke XP's Boot Menu. It usually pressed repeatedly so that the keystroke is in the keyboard buffer and recognized at the appropriate time before the startup process progresses too far. The window of opportunity for a single keystroke is very short with the speed of modern hardware. F8 is usually mentioned in conjunction with starting XP in Safe Mode (discussed at
A description of the Safe Mode Boot options in Windows XP), but even in safe mode, log on is still required.