Error Messages

[mikamika1]

I am running Windows XP professional (not service pack 2) on my other
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.

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

 

[TaurArian]

Two articles to consider, one from MS and one from John Barnett which is written in easy
to understand language.

Error Message: Windows Could Not Start Because of a Computer Disk Hardware Configuration
Problem
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477

How Do I Rectify A Missing or Corrupt Ntoskrnl Error
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_rectify_a_missing_or_co1.htm


--

TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2008 - Update Services
http://taurarian.mvps.org
======================================
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
Computer Maintenance: Acronis / Diskeeper / Paragon / Raxco


|I am running Windows XP professional (not service pack 2) on my other
| 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.
|
| Can anyone tell me what to do next and how? Please help

 

[mikamika1]

Thank you very much for your help and I hate to tell you this but it didn't
work. My computer is made by PowerSpec and when you use the "Recovery CD" it
doesn't go as explained in the two articles you referred me to. When I start
the computer with the disks in the drives, System Recovery starts and asks me
if I would like to do a destructive free recovery. I select yes and it backs
up my data and settings. Then it starts to copy the files. It gets to 58% and
reboots. Then I am right back to the same error message. It really looked
like it might work at first so thanks again. If you have any other
suggestions please let me know

 

[TaurArian]

Not without a proper WinXP CD. What you have are recovery disks from the manufacturer.

TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2008 - Update Services
http://taurarian.mvps.org
======================================
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
Computer Maintenance: Acronis / Diskeeper / Paragon / Raxco


| Thank you very much for your help and I hate to tell you this but it didn't
| work. My computer is made by PowerSpec and when you use the "Recovery CD" it
| doesn't go as explained in the two articles you referred me to. When I start
| the computer with the disks in the drives, System Recovery starts and asks me
| if I would like to do a destructive free recovery. I select yes and it backs
| up my data and settings. Then it starts to copy the files. It gets to 58% and
| reboots. Then I am right back to the same error message. It really looked
| like it might work at first so thanks again. If you have any other
| suggestions please let me know
|
| "TaurArian" wrote:
|
| > Two articles to consider, one from MS and one from John Barnett which is written in
easy
| > to understand language.
| >
| > Error Message: Windows Could Not Start Because of a Computer Disk Hardware
Configuration
| > Problem
| > http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477
| >
| > How Do I Rectify A Missing or Corrupt Ntoskrnl Error
| > http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_rectify_a_missing_or_co1.htm
| >
| >
| > --
| >
| > TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2008 - Update Services
| > http://taurarian.mvps.org
| > ======================================
| > How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
| > Computer Maintenance: Acronis / Diskeeper / Paragon / Raxco
| >
| >
| > | > |I am running Windows XP professional (not service pack 2) on my other
| > | 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.
| > |
| > | Can anyone tell me what to do next and how? Please help
| >
| >
| >

 

[Gerry]

Mik

You're batting on a sticky wicket. You still might be able to retrieve
the situation using the recovery console.

If you have not already retrieved your data files and their loss will be
important to you then you should do that first. You do not say whether
you have a laptop or desktop. Which is it? If a desktop and you have a
second desktop you can probably put the drive from the troubled computer
in the second computer as a second or slave drive. Alternatively you can
treat it as an external drive placing the drive in an enclosure which
can be bought for a modest amount. Providing the drive can be read you
can copy the data from the problem drive to another safer location. You
may be able to copy ntoskrnl.exe from C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386
to C:\WINDOWS\system32 which might solve your boot problem when the
drive is put back in the original machine.

If the original computer is a laptop the problem is that the drives are
the physical dimensions are smaller than the typical desktop. You can
still retrieve data in the same sort of way but it is not something I
have tried. The principle is that a second computer can often read a
drive from another computer if the contents of the disk have not been
corrupted. Small computer repair shops are obviously a source of help
with this type of problem.

This Article about the Recovery Console may be helpful. However, using
the Recovery Console to it's full potential does require skills not all
of us have.
http://forum.aumha.org/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=31844

--



Hope this helps.

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

 

[mikamika1]

Thanks Gerry, the information is very helpful. To answer your question, it is
a desktop. I do have a second desktop but it is running Windows XP
professional service pack 2. The problem desktop is running regular Windows
XP professional. Can setting it up as you say possible or do I have to go
another route? The info on the problem computer is of great importance to me.
If it is possible can you tell me step by step how to do it? I really
appreciate all of you help.

Mika

 

[Gerry]

Mika

The operating systems on the two computers or that they are not the same
does not matter. Have you removed or installed a hard drive in a
computer before?

You have identified your computer as a PowerSpec. What is the model
number? For some computers like Dell you can get quite detailed
instructions and drawings explaining how to change a hard drive, which
this operation in effect becomes. With the PowerSpec model number I can
see what is available. What is the make and model of your second desktop
computer?

--



Hope this helps.

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

 

[mikamika1]

Hi Gerry,

I have never removed or installed a hard drive before. I have only added
memory to my former bosses computer but I am pretty good at following
directions.

The model number for the PowerSpec is 8750 Build 1.0. The second computer
was a custom build and I cannot locate any type of model number at all. The
gentleman that built it dissapeared a few months after building it so I am
unable to get any info that way. Thank you so much for taking the time out to
help me with this.

Mika

 

[mikamika1]

Hi TaurArian,

I spoke to the Tech Guys at Micro Center (where I bought the computer). They
say that the Emergency Recovery CD has the Windows XP info in it and that the
fact that it reboots after loading only 58% of the files indicates that there
may be a hardware problem. Does this make sense to you or are they trying to
make some money by getting me in there to service the "hardware"? I took
another computer in to have it seviced by a professional(Fry's electronics
not MicroCenter) and all they did was erase everything on the hard drive. I
am trying to avoid this because I have very importat info on this computer
and it has been a while since I have backed it up. Do you have any other
suggestions?

Mika

 

[TaurArian]

Hi there, it's a possibility that there could be a hardware problem but like you I would
only be guessing. Are they saying they will replace the hard drive or just erase the hard
drive? Because you've only got a recovery disk this makes it difficult.

Why not post in the hardware newsgroup and get an opinion there.

Windows XP Hardware
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/...r.mspx?dg=microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware


--

TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2009 - Update Services
http://taurarian.mvps.org
======================================
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
Computer Maintenance: Acronis / Diskeeper / Paragon / Raxco


| Hi TaurArian,
|
| I spoke to the Tech Guys at Micro Center (where I bought the computer). They
| say that the Emergency Recovery CD has the Windows XP info in it and that the
| fact that it reboots after loading only 58% of the files indicates that there
| may be a hardware problem. Does this make sense to you or are they trying to
| make some money by getting me in there to service the "hardware"? I took
| another computer in to have it seviced by a professional(Fry's electronics
| not MicroCenter) and all they did was erase everything on the hard drive. I
| am trying to avoid this because I have very importat info on this computer
| and it has been a while since I have backed it up. Do you have any other
| suggestions?
|
| Mika
|
|
| "TaurArian" wrote:
|
| > Not without a proper WinXP CD. What you have are recovery disks from the manufacturer.
| >
| > TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2008 - Update Services
| > http://taurarian.mvps.org
| > ======================================
| > How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
| > Computer Maintenance: Acronis / Diskeeper / Paragon / Raxco
| >
| >
| > | > | Thank you very much for your help and I hate to tell you this but it didn't
| > | work. My computer is made by PowerSpec and when you use the "Recovery CD" it
| > | doesn't go as explained in the two articles you referred me to. When I start
| > | the computer with the disks in the drives, System Recovery starts and asks me
| > | if I would like to do a destructive free recovery. I select yes and it backs
| > | up my data and settings. Then it starts to copy the files. It gets to 58% and
| > | reboots. Then I am right back to the same error message. It really looked
| > | like it might work at first so thanks again. If you have any other
| > | suggestions please let me know
| > |
| > | "TaurArian" wrote:
| > |
| > | > Two articles to consider, one from MS and one from John Barnett which is written
in
| > easy
| > | > to understand language.
| > | >
| > | > Error Message: Windows Could Not Start Because of a Computer Disk Hardware
| > Configuration
| > | > Problem
| > | > http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477
| > | >
| > | > How Do I Rectify A Missing or Corrupt Ntoskrnl Error
| > | > http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_rectify_a_missing_or_co1.htm
| > | >
| > | >
| > | > --
| > | >
| > | > TaurArian [MVP] 2005-2008 - Update Services
| > | > http://taurarian.mvps.org
| > | > ======================================
| > | > How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/555375
| > | > Computer Maintenance: Acronis / Diskeeper / Paragon / Raxco
| > | >
| > | >
| > | > | > | > |I am running Windows XP professional (not service pack 2) on my other
| > | > | 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.
| > | > |
| > | > | Can anyone tell me what to do next and how? Please help
| > | >
| > | >
| > | >
| >
| >
| >