S
stevemiller \(sober\)
The deeper I dig more confusing it gets.
During one single session I open "start" "run" and
type "msconfig" to bring up the configuration utility. It
states that I am in "normal startup"(load all devices and
drivers). Under the BOOT.INI tab I click "Check all boot
paths" It says all boot paths appear ok. I close msconfig
without restarting. Then I open "Help and Support" hoping
to learn more about using the system configuration
utility. In help and support I click a hot link for the
utility, it opens and this one says my computer is
in "selective startup" (using a modified BOOT.INI). Not
believing what I was seeing, I go back to start>run and
type "msconfig" and now this one also says I'm in
selective startup with a modified BOOT.INI.
This is the kicker, I did not make any such modification.
So, did windows do it?
I need to backtrack here and I hope you be patient with me.
I have had many repeating Event error reports about not
being able to load NTOSKRNL.EXE. There are about 10
events reported per second during the bootup process.
Accompanying this event is an alternating "Machine
Check", "Machine Check Regs" event, also at startup. The
Event ID for all of these events is the generic "26" (a
meaninless ID number). Here is what I found about the role
of "ntoskrnl.exe" in the bootup process:
""WINDOWS XP BOOT SEQUENCE
As with other Windows Operating Systems, when you turn on
your PC, it goes through an elaborate boot up process. It
begins when the computer performs the POST (power-on self
test), followed by the POST for each adapter card that has
a BIOS, for example, your video card. The BIOS then reads
the MBR (Master Boot Record) which is in the first sector
of the first hard disk and transfers control to the code
in the MBR which is created by the XP Setup. This is where
Windows takes over the startup process.
What comes next? Here's what happens:
The MBR reads the boot sector which is the first sector of
the active partition.This sector contains the code that
starts Ntldr which is the boot strap loader for Windows
XP. The first role of Ntldr is to allow full memory
addressing, start the file system, read boot.ini and put
up the boot menu. IMPORTANT: Ntldr must be located in root
folder of the active partition along with Ntdetect.com,
boot.ini, bootsect.dos (for dual booting) and Ntbootdd.sys
(needed with some SCSI adapters).
Selecting XP from the boot menu causes Ntldr to run
Ntdetect.com to get information about installed hardware.
Ntldr then uses the ARC path specified in the boot.ini to
find the boot partition. The one where Windows XP is
installed. It might look like this:
default=multi (0)disk (0)partiton (2) \WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)partiton(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Home" /fastdetect
Ntldr, then, loads the two files that make up the core of
XP: Ntoskrnl.exe and Hal.dll. These files must be located
in the %SystemRoot%\System32 folder.
Ntldr reads the registry files, selects a hardware
profile, control set and loads device drivers, in that
order.
Then, Ntoskrnl.exe takes over and starts Winlogon.exe
which starts Lsass.exe (Local Security Administration),
this is the program that displays the Welcome screen (If
Professional Edition-the Windows Log On dialog box), and
allows the user to log on with his/her user name and
password""
I'm going to jump to a conclusion here,(that usally gets
me in trouble) that since NTORSKRL.EXE won't load then
something,(Ntdetect.com?) modified my BOOT.INI to
compensate.
For the record, my system32 file contains a ntoskrnl.exe
and a hal.dll. When I click on ntoskrnl.exe it says it
can't be run in Win32 mode.
could I have a currupted file somewhere in the bootup path?
I ran a chkdsk at startup and from dos prompt, both came
out ok...
I'll keep plodding away at the problem as long as my PC
will start up. I am still hitting the links people gave me
earlier related to this...thanks
During one single session I open "start" "run" and
type "msconfig" to bring up the configuration utility. It
states that I am in "normal startup"(load all devices and
drivers). Under the BOOT.INI tab I click "Check all boot
paths" It says all boot paths appear ok. I close msconfig
without restarting. Then I open "Help and Support" hoping
to learn more about using the system configuration
utility. In help and support I click a hot link for the
utility, it opens and this one says my computer is
in "selective startup" (using a modified BOOT.INI). Not
believing what I was seeing, I go back to start>run and
type "msconfig" and now this one also says I'm in
selective startup with a modified BOOT.INI.
This is the kicker, I did not make any such modification.
So, did windows do it?
I need to backtrack here and I hope you be patient with me.
I have had many repeating Event error reports about not
being able to load NTOSKRNL.EXE. There are about 10
events reported per second during the bootup process.
Accompanying this event is an alternating "Machine
Check", "Machine Check Regs" event, also at startup. The
Event ID for all of these events is the generic "26" (a
meaninless ID number). Here is what I found about the role
of "ntoskrnl.exe" in the bootup process:
""WINDOWS XP BOOT SEQUENCE
As with other Windows Operating Systems, when you turn on
your PC, it goes through an elaborate boot up process. It
begins when the computer performs the POST (power-on self
test), followed by the POST for each adapter card that has
a BIOS, for example, your video card. The BIOS then reads
the MBR (Master Boot Record) which is in the first sector
of the first hard disk and transfers control to the code
in the MBR which is created by the XP Setup. This is where
Windows takes over the startup process.
What comes next? Here's what happens:
The MBR reads the boot sector which is the first sector of
the active partition.This sector contains the code that
starts Ntldr which is the boot strap loader for Windows
XP. The first role of Ntldr is to allow full memory
addressing, start the file system, read boot.ini and put
up the boot menu. IMPORTANT: Ntldr must be located in root
folder of the active partition along with Ntdetect.com,
boot.ini, bootsect.dos (for dual booting) and Ntbootdd.sys
(needed with some SCSI adapters).
Selecting XP from the boot menu causes Ntldr to run
Ntdetect.com to get information about installed hardware.
Ntldr then uses the ARC path specified in the boot.ini to
find the boot partition. The one where Windows XP is
installed. It might look like this:
default=multi (0)disk (0)partiton (2) \WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)partiton(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Home" /fastdetect
Ntldr, then, loads the two files that make up the core of
XP: Ntoskrnl.exe and Hal.dll. These files must be located
in the %SystemRoot%\System32 folder.
Ntldr reads the registry files, selects a hardware
profile, control set and loads device drivers, in that
order.
Then, Ntoskrnl.exe takes over and starts Winlogon.exe
which starts Lsass.exe (Local Security Administration),
this is the program that displays the Welcome screen (If
Professional Edition-the Windows Log On dialog box), and
allows the user to log on with his/her user name and
password""
I'm going to jump to a conclusion here,(that usally gets
me in trouble) that since NTORSKRL.EXE won't load then
something,(Ntdetect.com?) modified my BOOT.INI to
compensate.
For the record, my system32 file contains a ntoskrnl.exe
and a hal.dll. When I click on ntoskrnl.exe it says it
can't be run in Win32 mode.
could I have a currupted file somewhere in the bootup path?
I ran a chkdsk at startup and from dos prompt, both came
out ok...
I'll keep plodding away at the problem as long as my PC
will start up. I am still hitting the links people gave me
earlier related to this...thanks