ntoskrnl.exe is corrupted. windows wont open

This behavior can occur if any of the following conditions exist:
• The Default value in the [Boot Loader] section of the Boot.ini file is missing or invalid.
• Windows NT is not installed in the location specified in the Boot.ini file.
• For Microsoft Windows 2000, the Hal.dll file can be corrupted or missing.


If you have the emergency repair disk(ERD) you created boot from that and try modifying the boot.ini file.
Here is a sample and example
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289022/en-us

To replace hal.dll see this
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/237556/

I too face a similar problem but peculiar in its very own nature. ok let me come to the point. i have windows xp pro installed in my comp. when i start my computer with keyboard connected i get weird noise. some buzz sound. windows fails to boot saying ntoskrnl.exe is missing. but when i start with the keyboard plugged out i'm able to go to the login screen. alas all my accounts are password protected so nothing doing. if i try to connect keyboard at this stage my mouse too freezes. i cant try repairing too. i need to modify the bios setting to boot from cd. which requires keyboard control. help me out...

Hi Everyone,

I was able to repair the ntoskrnl.exe problem. But now when it goes to the "Windos is starting" black screen with that white progress bar across the bottom, i get the problem,

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

Now i tried to follow the instructions jrsycrim had to fix it, found here

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_sys32.htm

But when i tried the command

copy c:\windows\repair\system , and then press ENTER.

It said the file was not found. I looked in my repair folder and saw there were 2 files, for 0 bytes, which i think means it's empty. So i don't have that file. Is there someplace else i can copy that file over?

Also, when i try to do a repair installation, i get that blue screen "to set up windows 2000 now, press enter, then i do and agree to the license, then the next screen, it doesn't give me the option to do a repair install. It goes straight ot my partitions and asks where i want to install the new copy of windows. WHy don't i get the option to repair install?

Also, i have 2 paritions on this harddrive. One has windows on it and the other has all my important files. If i install a fresh copy of windows on the partiiton with the old version of windows, will i lose my info on the other partition?

your help is greatly appreciated.

Rick

No you will not. Windows will only install to the partition you specify and will leave the others intact.

Are you trying to repair Windows 2000 or XP? You have both mentioned in your post.

Hi guys,
I have exactly the same problem with the ntoskrnl.exe file, but when i follow your advice and try to do the process in the windows xp recovery console, I can't access the command prompt...

At the stage:
1: C:\ WINDOWS
"Which windows installation would you like to log onto?", when I type "1", it gets stuck there for ages and I can't do anything.

What should I do?
Please save me, and explain me in easy steps, cause I'm not a specialist with computers
Thanks a lot!
Arno

I would try and do a repair installation. Here is step by step instructions.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Alright just built new comp and have gone in to install win xp pro. I get it all installed go to start up and get the ntoskrnl.exe corruption. I boot up windows again and try and do the repair file which has been said before, but on my setup menu it shows my C:partition1 ,

and if i want to setup windows press enter

create a partition press C

delete partition press D

I have deleted and reinstalled it several times and same error...what can i do?


later on i setup windows by pressing enter, then when it rebooted it, i was given the "read disk error press alt+ctl+del to reboot" so i did it and same thing read disk error. So then i deleted partition tried reformatting and ntoskernl.exe . I am going to try and do the long reformatting again to see if it works. Didn't the first time, but maybe this time it will. I have no way of getting to the RC...any other way of getting there, because it doesn't show up when i put in the windows xp pro cd and run it.

Alright i did the long reformatting and it worked, i had it running and all was jolly until after i was updating bios and installing things like anti virus etc. I go to do the restart and come up with a new problem "C0000221 ... ntdll.dll error. Now it just keeps looping when i try and reboot. I reformatted it twice with quick way and reinstalled windows, then when i try and to boot it up i get the same ntdll.dll error or config error. So for the last time i am going to run long reformat way and try it again. If it screws up I am sending back my three day old maxtor hard drive. Any other suggestions?

http://support.microsoft.com/default.as ... us;Q314474

i guess i'm just not sure of the difference between "retaining all files and folders" yet at the same time "replace the version of windows" Just so we can communicate better, my operating system partition is my C: drive, and my important information i can't lose is on my D: drive. I don't need to keep any of the info on my C: drive....it can be formatted for all i care. But i'd guess that's where the virus resides. So maybe it'd be better if i formatted just the C: drive and then reinstalled windows? But if i do that, would that mean any programs (ie microsoft money, video games, etc) that i installed on the D: drive, wouldn't work anymore? I'd have to reinstall?


also, to answer your qeustion, i'm dealing with win 2k

More than likely yes. The registry entries made when those programs were installed would be erased once you installed Windows.

so you'd recommend i format that partition to eradicate the virus? or would the reinstall take care of the virus alone?

There are many ways to skin a virus without formatting.

But if that is the route you want to take, I would format vice the re-install, a.k.a. repair install.

Hi,

I'm having the same exact problem as the first poster, my ntoskrnl.exe is missing aswell. But the solutions that were given aren't working as easily as they were for him. When I try and cd to the system32 folder I keep getting the following error, "The path or file specified is not valid." And when I try expanding the ntoskrnl.ex_ I get this error too, "Access is denied."


Thanks.

Hello all,

Here's the problem, hope someone has some thoughts or guidance.....

Recently I bought a HP dv1000 which seemed to be running as it should for about the first six days. However after that when I turned it on it would show the initial HP graphic screen when powered up and then go black and start an audio alarm of a constant drone. To solve this I pressed the stop button on the media control (other buttons seem to have the same effect too) and the alarm would soon stop and the computer would return to it's normal start up process. It was around the same time that I noticed a strance thing happening with the number 5 key. The key would act as if constantly being pressed for no reason and cause the number 5 to scrawl across the screen when not pushed. It would happen on all applications to start up which required text, msn messenger, word docs etc. By pressing the media player stop button, the problem would seem to go away but often soon return.
My first thoughts were that it must be a bit of a faulty button but I did a bit of a test on it and it still requires the same amount of finger pressure on the keyboard to activate the button.
So with the strange audio alarm on the start up and the number 5 thing, I then decided to do a start up and let the audio alarm run for a while to figure itself out. After a minute or so it would sometimes say notskrnl exe. missing or corrupt. I am very amature when it comes to this sort of thing but I managed to locate thefile in the window32 I think it was so it wasn't missing, but possibly corrupt. I then attempted to replace the file which I think seemed to work but only for one start up.

So my questions are....

1. Do you think it is a faulty PC problem (I had only had it for six days however had used internet while running Norton AntiVirus and anti spyware)

2. Do you think the problem of the number five and the bad start up are related?

3. What are the sort of effects of a corrupt nostkrnl exe. everything else seems to be running fine

I hope someone out there can help. If you need any further info let me know.


Thanks