Could someone please help me with the following?

I have a user whose laptop has recently stopped working due to a corrupt OS.
A message appears on startup:

'Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
<Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe. Please reinstall a copy of the above
file.'

I have tried recover the file system by using Recovery Console as was
suggested elsewhere but I can't get the recommended commands to work. I
suspect this is because I'm not classed as having admin rights, but I can't
enter the admin account password as I never get asked for it, even though I
know there is a local admin account present. When you choose 'R' to activate
Recovery console it eventually just comes up with the standard black screen
with a '1: C:\Windows' option'. When you choose this location it just goes
straight to the command prompt. The pc also appears to be unable to see
beyond c:\windows. If I enter 'dir' I get a message 'The path or file
specified is not valid'. It does read the CD drive.

I have also tried to repair the installation as was suggested in a post but
the option to 'repair' does not appear after you press F8 and agree to the
Microsoft licence etc.

Is anyone aware of an alternative utility that I could try that might allow
me to recover the file system??? I'm desperate as there are offline files on
the laptop which need to be recovered if at all possible.

Thanks in advance,
Mark

If you just want to recover files you could use a bootable CD like Bart's
PE. This will enable you to boot the computer to a familiar XP desktop that
runs right off the CD. You can then explore the hard drive and transfer the
files either through a network connection, USB drive or even to CD/DVD. You
can download the makings here http://www.ubcd4win.com/
--

Xandros


"MarkW" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:5B2697A5-0041-44F4-99AA-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Could someone please help me with the following?
>
> I have a user whose laptop has recently stopped working due to a corrupt
> OS.
> A message appears on startup:
>
> 'Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
> <Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe. Please reinstall a copy of the above
> file.'
>
> I have tried recover the file system by using Recovery Console as was
> suggested elsewhere but I can't get the recommended commands to work. I
> suspect this is because I'm not classed as having admin rights, but I
> can't
> enter the admin account password as I never get asked for it, even though
> I
> know there is a local admin account present. When you choose 'R' to
> activate
> Recovery console it eventually just comes up with the standard black
> screen
> with a '1: C:\Windows' option'. When you choose this location it just
> goes
> straight to the command prompt. The pc also appears to be unable to see
> beyond c:\windows. If I enter 'dir' I get a message 'The path or file
> specified is not valid'. It does read the CD drive.
>
> I have also tried to repair the installation as was suggested in a post
> but
> the option to 'repair' does not appear after you press F8 and agree to the
> Microsoft licence etc.
>
> Is anyone aware of an alternative utility that I could try that might
> allow
> me to recover the file system??? I'm desperate as there are offline files
> on
> the laptop which need to be recovered if at all possible.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Mark
>

"MarkW" wrote:

> Could someone please help me with the following?
>
> I have a user whose laptop has recently stopped working due to a corrupt OS.
> A message appears on startup:
>
> 'Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
> <Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe. Please reinstall a copy of the above
> file.'
>
> I have tried recover the file system by using Recovery Console as was
> suggested elsewhere but I can't get the recommended commands to work. I
> suspect this is because I'm not classed as having admin rights, but I can't
> enter the admin account password as I never get asked for it, even though I
> know there is a local admin account present. When you choose 'R' to activate
> Recovery console it eventually just comes up with the standard black screen
> with a '1: C:\Windows' option'. When you choose this location it just goes
> straight to the command prompt. The pc also appears to be unable to see
> beyond c:\windows. If I enter 'dir' I get a message 'The path or file
> specified is not valid'. It does read the CD drive.
>
> I have also tried to repair the installation as was suggested in a post but
> the option to 'repair' does not appear after you press F8 and agree to the
> Microsoft licence etc.
>
> Is anyone aware of an alternative utility that I could try that might allow
> me to recover the file system??? I'm desperate as there are offline files on
> the laptop which need to be recovered if at all possible.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Mark
>

See the following KB article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477

Hello

Thanks for the advice. I will take a look and see if it helps.

Mark

"Xandros" wrote:

> If you just want to recover files you could use a bootable CD like Bart's
> PE. This will enable you to boot the computer to a familiar XP desktop that
> runs right off the CD. You can then explore the hard drive and transfer the
> files either through a network connection, USB drive or even to CD/DVD. You
> can download the makings here http://www.ubcd4win.com/
> --
>
> Xandros
>
>
> "MarkW" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:5B2697A5-0041-44F4-99AA-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Could someone please help me with the following?
> >
> > I have a user whose laptop has recently stopped working due to a corrupt
> > OS.
> > A message appears on startup:
> >
> > 'Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
> > <Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe. Please reinstall a copy of the above
> > file.'
> >
> > I have tried recover the file system by using Recovery Console as was
> > suggested elsewhere but I can't get the recommended commands to work. I
> > suspect this is because I'm not classed as having admin rights, but I
> > can't
> > enter the admin account password as I never get asked for it, even though
> > I
> > know there is a local admin account present. When you choose 'R' to
> > activate
> > Recovery console it eventually just comes up with the standard black
> > screen
> > with a '1: C:\Windows' option'. When you choose this location it just
> > goes
> > straight to the command prompt. The pc also appears to be unable to see
> > beyond c:\windows. If I enter 'dir' I get a message 'The path or file
> > specified is not valid'. It does read the CD drive.
> >
> > I have also tried to repair the installation as was suggested in a post
> > but
> > the option to 'repair' does not appear after you press F8 and agree to the
> > Microsoft licence etc.
> >
> > Is anyone aware of an alternative utility that I could try that might
> > allow
> > me to recover the file system??? I'm desperate as there are offline files
> > on
> > the laptop which need to be recovered if at all possible.
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> > Mark
> >
>
>
>

The easiest way to see if files can be recovered from the hard drive is to
remove the hard drive from the laptop and mount it in an external USB
enclosure (or comparable device) and try to read it from another computer.
If that fails then the hard drive is toast.

Hi

Thanks for the response, but I've already tried these suggestions out and
because Recovery Console won't work properly the commands aren't recognised.

Mark

"Mark Adams" wrote:

>
>
> "MarkW" wrote:
>
> > Could someone please help me with the following?
> >
> > I have a user whose laptop has recently stopped working due to a corrupt OS.
> > A message appears on startup:
> >
> > 'Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
> > <Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe. Please reinstall a copy of the above
> > file.'
> >
> > I have tried recover the file system by using Recovery Console as was
> > suggested elsewhere but I can't get the recommended commands to work. I
> > suspect this is because I'm not classed as having admin rights, but I can't
> > enter the admin account password as I never get asked for it, even though I
> > know there is a local admin account present. When you choose 'R' to activate
> > Recovery console it eventually just comes up with the standard black screen
> > with a '1: C:\Windows' option'. When you choose this location it just goes
> > straight to the command prompt. The pc also appears to be unable to see
> > beyond c:\windows. If I enter 'dir' I get a message 'The path or file
> > specified is not valid'. It does read the CD drive.
> >
> > I have also tried to repair the installation as was suggested in a post but
> > the option to 'repair' does not appear after you press F8 and agree to the
> > Microsoft licence etc.
> >
> > Is anyone aware of an alternative utility that I could try that might allow
> > me to recover the file system??? I'm desperate as there are offline files on
> > the laptop which need to be recovered if at all possible.
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> > Mark
> >
>
> See the following KB article:
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477

"MarkW" wrote:

> Hi
>
> Thanks for the response, but I've already tried these suggestions out and
> because Recovery Console won't work properly the commands aren't recognised.
>
> Mark
>

Sounds like the hard drive has failed. Go into the BIOS, is the hard drive
seen there?

> "Mark Adams" wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > "MarkW" wrote:
> >
> > > Could someone please help me with the following?
> > >
> > > I have a user whose laptop has recently stopped working due to a corrupt OS.
> > > A message appears on startup:
> > >
> > > 'Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
> > > <Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe. Please reinstall a copy of the above
> > > file.'
> > >
> > > I have tried recover the file system by using Recovery Console as was
> > > suggested elsewhere but I can't get the recommended commands to work. I
> > > suspect this is because I'm not classed as having admin rights, but I can't
> > > enter the admin account password as I never get asked for it, even though I
> > > know there is a local admin account present. When you choose 'R' to activate
> > > Recovery console it eventually just comes up with the standard black screen
> > > with a '1: C:\Windows' option'. When you choose this location it just goes
> > > straight to the command prompt. The pc also appears to be unable to see
> > > beyond c:\windows. If I enter 'dir' I get a message 'The path or file
> > > specified is not valid'. It does read the CD drive.
> > >
> > > I have also tried to repair the installation as was suggested in a post but
> > > the option to 'repair' does not appear after you press F8 and agree to the
> > > Microsoft licence etc.
> > >
> > > Is anyone aware of an alternative utility that I could try that might allow
> > > me to recover the file system??? I'm desperate as there are offline files on
> > > the laptop which need to be recovered if at all possible.
> > >
> > > Thanks in advance,
> > > Mark
> > >
> >
> > See the following KB article:
> > http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477

On Aug 5, 10:18*am, MarkW <Ma...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> Could someone please help me with the following?
>
> I have a user whose laptop has recently stopped working due to a corrupt OS.
> A message appears on startup:
>
> 'Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
> <Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe. Please reinstall a copy of the above
> file.'
>
> I have tried recover the file system by using Recovery Console as was
> suggested elsewhere but I can't get the recommended commands to work. I
> suspect this is because I'm not classed as having admin rights, but I can't
> enter the admin account password as I never get asked for it, even thoughI
> know there is a local admin account present. When you choose 'R' to activate
> Recovery console it eventually just comes up with the standard black screen
> with a '1: C:\Windows' option'. *When you choose this location it just goes
> straight to the command prompt. The pc also appears to be unable to see
> beyond c:\windows. If I enter 'dir' I get a message 'The path or file
> specified is not valid'. It does read the CD drive.
>
> I have also tried to repair the installation as was suggested in a post but
> the option to 'repair' does not appear after you press F8 and agree to the
> Microsoft licence etc.
>
> Is anyone aware of an alternative utility that I could try that might allow
> me to recover the file system??? I'm desperate as there are offline fileson
> the laptop which need to be recovered if at all possible.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Mark

Was there a recent power interruption, non graceful shutdown or
aborted restart?

I would first run chkdsk /r on the afflicted drive.

Until you confirm the file system itself is intact, nothing else is
likely to work. It is the easiest and quickest thing to try first.

If you have a bootable XP installation CD, boot on it and chose the
Recovery Console, respond to the few prompts to get to the C:\
prompt. That is what it is supposed to do, but does not mean your
file system is intact.

You cannot create a Bart PE or a UBCD4WIN without an XP installation
CD. Then you have to worry about Service Packs and other things, so
start with the easy stuff first.

Sounds like you got into the RC anyway, so at the C:\ prompt, run:

chkdsk /r

Let it finish/fix, then try to reboot.

It is easy to create a bootable Recovery Console CD is you do not have
an XP installation CD, or if you do, you can go the Bart PE route.
Many options... but it sounds like you already booted RC but just
didn't know what to do next.

You need to run chdsk /r