Laptop won't enter Windows

[Guest]

When turning on my HP laptop, I see the following message on the screen, and
computer does not go into Windows:

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.

What do I do?

 

[John Barnett MVP]

If you have a retail cd of windows xp you can visit my website
http://freespace.virgin.net/john.freelanceit/index.htm
Click the Win XP Faq button and take a look at question 39
Either way you need to access recovery console to install the file. I don't
know whether HP have supplied you with a full version xp disk, recovery disk
or whether the copy of xp is on a hidden partition. If you can't use
recovery console you may have to resort to reinstalling using the
disk/partition copy provided by HP.