ntoskrnl.exe missing or corrupt

[Kathy]

This was originally posted to windowsxp.general but got no responses so I am
going to post here now thinking that I posted to the wrong group. If there
is another group I should post to please let me know.

WINXP SP3

Full message:
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

Netbook Toshiba so no DVD drive.

I found the file on another laptop; cc'd it to jump drive.

Then started Netbook in SAFE mode and was able to get to DOS prompt. When I
tried to copy the file from jump drive to above location it said it was
already there so I didn't copy it.

Best Buy wants $129 to reinstall XP or other option is to send it to Toshiba
under warranty repair.

One thought just occurred to me now and that is that maybe the file is just
corrupt and I should have replaced it with the one from the jump drive. So
I renamed the file on C and then copied the file from jump drive but still
getting the same problem.

Is there a solution without having to send to Toshiba?

Thank you!

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

This was originally posted to windowsxp.general but got no responses so I am
going to post here now thinking that I posted to the wrong group. If there
is another group I should post to please let me know.

I can't help with your question, but regarding where to post it, I
have three comments:

1. Most of us here read almost all the XP newsgroups, so which one you
post it in hardly matters.

2. XP General covers essentially everything, so it can be the right
group for almost *any* XP question.

3. The purpose of *this* newsgroup is misunderstood by almost
*everybody* who posts here, and that's because its name is terrible.
It's not meant to be a place to get help and support for Windows XP,
it's meant to be a place to get questions answered about Windows XP's
"help and support" feature.

 

[Bill in Co.]

I can't help with your question, but regarding where to post it, I
have three comments:

I'm guessing no one at the time had an answer to this when she posted this
in the other group (sorry to speak in the third person, Kathy), but she
could try again.

I think the odds of the file itself being corrupt are low, but don't know
what to suggest. I guess it's too late in time for her to consider using
System Restore back to a point in time that predates this problem.

 

[Alan Edwards]

Kathy

With respect, you had responses in windowsxp.general to both your
questions.

Sadly, I suspect you are not reading the responses, so you may not
read this one.

....Alan