Unable to Boot into Windows XP

[James Niven]

Hi All,

This is my first post to the forum.
I turned on my Windows XP Home Edition computer today and now receive this message:

"Windows 2000 could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows 2000 Root>\System32\ntoskrnl.exe
Please re-install a copy of the above file"

I don't want to restore XP from my CD's and I dont want to lose my data. How do I correct this problem?

I don't have Windows XP Boot floppies either, Am I screwed or is there hope?

Thanks to all who reply

James Niven
Moody, TX USA

 

[fastco]

You can download boot floppy files from here If you can't get into dos to replace the file then boot off of the XP cd and do a REPAIR of the current windows installation and you won't lose all of your files.

 

[James Niven]

Thanks for the reply,

I hate to sound stupid, but I have tried to boot off the XP CD and all I get is to options, Do a Retore of XP or get dos propmpt.
How do you boot of the CD as you mention??

I have two restore cd's with my system.

 

[fastco]

You put the Windows XP cd in the drive. Restart the computer, Press enter to boot from the cd when it asks then choose install Windows XP and scroll to the current installation. WHen you choose that it will give you an option to repair the current windows installation.

 

[Peddant]

Here`s something to try -

At the DOS prompt type: C:\Windows\Driver_Cache\i386 ..press enter

Now type: copy C:\Windows\Driver_Cache\i386\ntoskrnl.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\ press enter

 

[James Niven]

I wish I could do this, but it does not recognise C drive!

 

[Peddant]

In my experience or DOS you have to try everything about a hundred times before anything works.

There`s always Bart`s PE CD HERE or EBCD which might help.I`ve never used either,so could not tell you how.

 

[spookn]

quote;"I don't want to restore XP from my CD's ". CD's being the catch word, u only need or have one XP CD.
"I have two restore cd's with my system"---there is a difference between an XP CD an the recovery disks u get from who ever u got the PC from.

So,
Is it a XP CD or a CD that came with the PC like a recovery CD from Dell?
It does not sound like u have a XP CD. U need to make that clear, because they do different things. A real XP CD will say Windows XP and have real neat holographics on it, when u turn it in the light it will be apparent what it is.

I'm trying to not make this confusing. But if everyone is on a different page, well,,, ppl here are walking u thru a xp cd, and if its not, u won't see what they are explaing.
If U don't have an XP CD, your recovery disks should help u. I would contact the vender to find out how to use them. Ive seen recovery disks fix a lot of PC's. if its a dell, ck out dells site or call them, the web site should have a support page that goes thru that.

U may also need to be sure u are booting from the CD, when u start ur PC it checks the drives in a certain order. It may ck the hard dr. first, or ck the floppy dr first. Those setings are in the BIOS, and this web site will show u how to check it. With grafics to make it easy.
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/j_helmig/bootcd.htm

u can make boot disks here:
http://www.bootdisk.com/
http://www.mirrors.org/archived_software/www.bootdisk.com/original.htm

let me know what ui find ok? or maybe u already have it fixed?

I apologise for my poor typing.
B

 

[James Niven]

Thanks to all those who have offer help, I now have my machine working again.

Thanks so much

James Niven

 

[Peddant]

That`s good to hear,but PLEASE tell everyone what did it for you