WinXP wll not load because of missingf ile

[AcidicRage]

My friend's computer is a HP 7965 (p4 1.7ghz, 512ddram). And he seems to be having problems loading. He can enter his BIOS just fine, but he cannot enter Windows XP because it won't load. During the password, it freezes and an error message pops up saying "c_20127.nls file missing." This just happened after he used the recovery for hp program. Any help?

 

[Phantasm66]

The file belongs in c:\WINDOWS\system32

I think you can get to this folder from the recovery console. You get that from booting from a Windows XP CD, and choosing recovery instead of installation. You then select recovery console.

HELP will give you a list of commands, but to copy I believe its just "copy" or something. the command will be something like copy sourcefile destination or something similar. if you get really stuck post back I will check what the command is.

I've attached my own c_20127.nls file. Its here as c_20127.txt so you shall have to rename it to c_20127.nls on your own computer and then maybe put it on a floppy or something before attempting the recovery on your friends PC.

If you are having major probs getting the file in there, and are comfortable with hardware, you could take the HDD from your pal's machine, fit it in yours, copy the file into the right place and then fit the HDD back in again. But try the recovery console first.

Good luck.

 

[Phantasm66]

Of course, you may find that once you replace this file, the computer's next complaint will be that there are more files missing. In that case make a list. You can determine the proper paths for the files from searching for them on a working Windows XP machine. You can also source the files from there.

A good clean installation would be a good idea in the end but its worth trying these steps first. If not then its time to reinstall fom a Windows XP CD (assuming that your problems started with you used the recovery CD that came with the machine from HP.)

 

[AcidicRage]

An update from my friend:

After restarting the computer manually, it will go thru the windows xp loading screen and then come up with an error saying " lasass.exe error
wen trying to update the password, the value provided as the current password was incorrect" after a few seconds it will reboot itself again and go back to the same error

 

[Phantasm66]

Someone posted there solution to something very similar here:

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/win2000/r1028135321

We ran int othe same problem here is what we did to fix it. Boot into Safe Mode. Create a emergancy repair disk and when asked include the registery. Using your install cd boot up and choose repair. when asked choose the option to use emergancy rocover disk choose fast repair. If this works you will have to install some of your applications but you will see what Im talking about. Hope this helps

 

[AcidicRage]

How do I make a up a bootup disk for my friend? He has no WinXP CD, neither do I. He wants to know if there's a way to put that .nls file into a bootup disk, so he can put it in his comp, and when it reads, it will read the .nls file, and his comp will work fine, or SOMETHING like that. He doesn't want to full-install his comp or anything.

 

[Phantasm66]

Making a Boot Disk for Windows NT/2000/XP
By Jim Pile

Several people have asked about making boot disks recently. As I've
pointed out previously, Windows XP will make a boot floppy for you;
however, the boot floppy that it makes is an MS-DOS disk. You cannot
boot with this disk and then view files on an NTFS volume.

The primary purpose of an MS-DOS boot disk is to boot for such
procedures as upgrading your system ROM. If you need to boot into
Windows XP (or 2000), you need a startup floppy disk. This kind of disk
is only good for booting into XP/2000 when you have a damaged NTdetect
file, or something of that nature.

To create this type of floppy, format the floppy in NT4/2000/XP. Copy
Ntldr and Ntdetect.com to the floppy. Now, add a boot.ini file such as
the one shown here.

[boot loader]
timeout=30
Default= multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\windows
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\windows="Windows XP"

If you're using NT or 2000, modify the lines appropriately. In NT and
2000, you need to change the default partition and the operating systems
to Winnt.

If you want to view an NTFS volume, without actually booting into
Windows, you'll need to get a copy of NTFDOS from Sysinternals at
http://itw.itworld.com/GoNow/a14724a62361a80107751a4

Using Windows XP (or Windows 98), format a system floppy. Extract the
NTFSDOS files to the floppy and then create an autoexec to run the
program. All you need in the autoexec.bat file is the single line
ntfsdos.

When you boot with this disk, you can read the NTFS disks on your
system. You cannot copy files to the disks, but you can copy files from
the NTFS disks to the floppy, or to any FAT 16 hard disks that you might
have in your system. You might be able to copy to a FAT 32, but I don't
know for sure since I don't have anything but NTFS in my system.

If you need to copy files to an NTFS disk, you can purchase NTFSDOS
Professional for $299. This utility will allow you to both read and
write NTFS disks from your floppy disk boot.

source: http://www.itworld.com/newsletters


Can you get into safe mode by holding f8 as windows is booting? then you could try the instructions I posted earlier for trying a repair. I think, though, you would need to be able to get to the desktop to make an emergency repair disk with the registry on there which is part of the fix.

the above stuff for a boot disk only applies if your drive is formatted NTFS. It probably was. But if it was not, then a regular windows 98 boot disk would do.

 

[AcidicRage]

It gets the same error in safe mode.

 

[AcidicRage]

So what you're saying is put 4 files in the disk:

ntdetect.com
ntldr
boot.ini
and the nls file?

What is ntdetect.com and ntldr? Is it a file in XP? (If so, I can go home where I have winxp, and copy that, so I can give it to my friend)

 

[Phantasm66]

these are files on your c:\ directory, but you will not see them unless you unhide protected operating system files in folder options, view, in an explorer window.

apparently, from what I am reading, several folks have had the same problem as you, basically all who have got prebuild PCs from your HPs, Viglens and Dells of this life, who got some crappy recovery disk from the company rather than a legitimate CD copy of Windows XP.

i am still searching for a good solution but it looks like a lot of folks gave up and reinstalled from a Windows XP CD. But I should find more....

 

[Rick]

You should try to boot into Safe Mode Command Prompt instead of regular Safe Mode and see if that works. If it does, you may be able to run System File Checker by typing SFC in the command prompt.

I doubt you'll have any luck getting into Safe Mode Command Prompt anyway though, since you cannot get into normal Safe Mode.

My best suggestion would be booting from the Windows XP CD and performing an automatic recovery. I'm not sure how it works, but I have reason to believe it works quite a bit like SFC.

When you boot from the CD and you are prompted to install Windows XP or repair and installation, choose the repair option. Don't use the recovery console, but use the other option (can't remember what it is called though).

If none of this works and you can't login to your system, you'll probably have to reinstall Windows XP.

 

[AcidicRage]

I have 2 files put into the disk so far. Just the boot.ini and the .nls file. I cannot find the ntdetect.com or the ntldr. Can you perhaps give/upload them? I am going to put these 4 files into the disk, and see if that will work for the bootup.

 

[Phantasm66]

You do have these files.

Open a Windows Explorer.

Go to tools.

Select folder options.

Select view.

Under hidden files and folders, select show hidden files and folders.

Untick hide file extensions for known file types.

Untick Hide protected operating system files.

now go to c:\

in there you shall find the files now.

be careful not to move these files, only to copy them.... Or you will have a rather hard time making your machine boot up again. These are programs and files used in the process when your computer starts up.

The instructions I have posted were verified on Windows 2000 but should hold true word for word for XP as well. I doubt there is even a subtle difference.