Error message

M

mikamika1

I am running Windows XP professional (not service pack 2) on my PowerSpec
desk top computer and when I try to start it up I get this error message:

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

Two days before this I had upgraded Adobe 7 to Adobe 8 and then I did an
update for windows. My computer ran faster but then froze up. I had to "force
it off and when I tried to turn it back on, I received the error message. It
won't even allow me into safe mode at this point.

When I e-mailed PowerSpec I received the reply that I could be having a
hardware problem. Is this possible or are they trying to scare me into an
un-necessary service payment. It seems to me that this is a software problem.

Can anyone tell me what to do next and how? Please help:(
 
M

mikamika1

Hi Gerry,

I think we went thru this in Windows XP General. You were telling me that I
should transfer the hard drive to my other computer.

When I go through the info that you referred me to...none of it works
because my recovery disk does not load past the 58% mark. I have tried about
5 times now. My next step will be to take it apart myself and check for
wetness. My children say that my dog has been quite naughty. I feel confident
that this may solve the problem.

If you have any other suggestions I welcome them. Thanks again.

Mika
 
G

Gerry

Mika

Sorry I answer so many questions that I did not make the connection to
the dialogue we had 14 days ago.

Water, however generated, does not go well with electrical appliances.
If it is water damaged the affected component(s) could have shorted out
and be irreparably damaged. Is there any smell of or other signs of
burning within the computer casing? Checking for wetness will not work
as it will almost certainly have dried out. Drying out does not undo the
damage that has already occurred. If the motherboard is damaged the most
cost effective remedy can be a new computer. From what I am able to
determine this computer is 5/6 years old so it is approaching
retirement.

The idea underlying my suggestion to put the problem hard drive in a
second desktop computer was that it would be as a second or slave drive.
Often you can boot the second computer using it's own system on the
first or master drive and it will recognise the second drive, which you
will be able to see in Windows Explorer. You can then copy your data
files to the first hard drive or other removable media e.g DVD, CD or
floppy. You do not need your recovery disk to do this.

When you have retrieved your data you can try putting the hard drive
back into the first computer and use your recovery disk to try to
restore
the operating system. Your comments, however, suggest this is not going
to work.

Good luck.

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
M

mikamika1

OK, there was never any kind of smell on or around the computer so fro now I
am going to rule out the possibility of water damage. Can you elaborate on
"The idea underlying my suggestion to put the problem hard drive in a second
desktop computer was that it would be as a second or slave drive" I would
like to try this because I have some important info on the problem drive that
I need to get. As you said the problem computer is up for retirement so I'm
only concerned with the data. Thank you very much.

Mika
 

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