ntoskrnl error at start-up

[Guest]

When I turn my computer on it says that the following file is missing or
infected.
<windowsroot>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe and to re-install a copy of the file. If
I try to type anything my computer just re-starts. I've searched this site
and do not undertsand exactly how to bypass this screen so that I can access
my Windows XP disk. Could someone please explain to me in layman's terms,
every single step I would need to take to get from the error screen to fix
the problem? I don;t know how to get out of the error screen.
Also, on another site, someone had this problem and said they fixed it by
replacing their video card. Right before this happened I re-started my
computer b/c the monitor was on "sleep" mode but wouldn't turn "on". Do you
think it could be the video card?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

When I turn my computer on it says that the following file is missing or
infected.
<windowsroot>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe and to re-install a copy of the file. If
I try to type anything my computer just re-starts. I've searched this site
and do not undertsand exactly how to bypass this screen so that I can access
my Windows XP disk. Could someone please explain to me in layman's terms,
every single step I would need to take to get from the error screen to fix
the problem? I don;t know how to get out of the error screen.
Also, on another site, someone had this problem and said they fixed it by
replacing their video card. Right before this happened I re-started my
computer b/c the monitor was on "sleep" mode but wouldn't turn "on". Do you
think it could be the video card?

There is no one-sentence-recipe to fix this type of problem.
If you're not experienced in PC troubleshooting and working
in various repair environments then I suggest you take the
machine to your friendly computer dealer and ask them to
fix it for you. Replacing the video adapter is unlikely to fix
the problem.

 

[Guest]

I don't need a one-sentence recipe to fix the problem. I have seen numerous
people with this problem on this and other discussion forums. They all say
that they do not know how to bypass the screen. I just need info on how
exactly to bypass the screen b/c everything I type restarts the computer
automoatically.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

OK, if you insist! One possible cause for this problem
is an incorrect setting in the hidden file c:\boot.ini. Here is
a way to modify it:
1. Boot the machine with your WinXP CD.
2. Select Repair, then Recovery Console.
3. Copy c:\ boot.ini to a floppy disk.
4. Edit the file on some other machine. You will find two
instances of "partition(x)" where is is a number greater
than 0, usually 1. Try some other values (e.g. 1, 2, 3).
5. Copy the file back again while still in Command Console mode.

While in Command Console mode, you might as well
check if the file c:\windows\\system32\ntoskrnl.exe does
exist and what size and file date it has.

 

[Guest]

thanks. I appreciate it....But I still don't understand how to bypass the
error screen so that I can boot from the CD.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

You need to instruct your BIOS to boot from the CD
rather than the hard disk. On many PCs you have to
press the Delete key early during the boot phase in order
to get into the BIOS setup screen. The process is described
in the motherboard manual that came with your PC.

 

[Mark C]

I recently had a situation much like this one. After a clean install I was
still getting the ntoskrnl.exe error. Turned out that almost any hardware
problem could be causing the problem. I swapped the IDE cable on the hard
drive, this fixed it for me. Could also be a video card...... good luck
and let us know how you fix it.