Re: reinstalling XP using OEM CD or help with corrupt files needed for bootup

anonymous_at_discussions.microsoft.com
Date: 08/02/04 

Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2004 16:23:45 -0700

Hi Mark, thanks for the quick reply! I think you are on
the right track....

Okay, first things first, sorry I didn't make myself clear
in the first post. I cannot get as far as a boot up into
either normal mode or even safe mode. The boot fails
right at the start after it has detected the bios listing
info. It comes up with the missing file message at that
point, so there is no chance of restoring back to a last
known good point. :-( Would be easy if that were so! At
this point, as soon as you hit any key, it tries to reboot
again, so I cannot get any further without the XP CD.

I do have another computer running XP Home as well and
looked up a first missing file and through the RC replaced
this via a floppy. Then, it came up missing or corrupt
NTOSKRNL.EXE, which you mentioned. As far as I can tell,
this is one of the very first system files it uses to boot
up. So, I popped this onto a CD as it was too big for a
floppy, but... I have to use the XP CD to boot it up to
the point where it gets to the RC and it will not let me
remove the XP CD from the drive to put in the one with the
needed file, so at the moment I am stumped... If you know
a way of compressing a 1.8M file down onto a normal floppy
which the RC's basic DOS commands can open, then please
tell me about it! (I am not a great DOS worker, just do
the basic stuff normally needed.)

I was told by a technician in our computer centre that OEM
software versions wipe out the contents of the hard drive
on installation, as they are designed to go onto a clear
HD, so don't need to worry about picking up on what is
already there. I desperately need to know whether this is
the case, as there is going to be a lot of important stuff
going missing if I get it wrong and it will be a pain to
renstall and reset it all up as it is the main computer of
a small network. <GROAN!> I am at present working off a
laptop runnung XP Pro, which is the only other computer
set up for internet access. The one gone wrong - which is
the newest apart from this laptop! - is the broadband
server for the network. :-((

I am right in thinking that even if I could make a boot
disk from the other XP machine, it would not work, as the
BOOT.INI file would contain incorrect info, yes? I have
floppy startup disks for 95, 98 and ME, but not XP, as it
takes great pains in telling you that the XP CD is the
boot disk - but it won't actually boot right into Windows
with it which seems odd to me. Just gets to the point of
the three choices described in my first post.

What exactly do you mean by an "inplace upgrade"? I am
fairly sure that the corrupt/missing files are system
files, as it seems the logical conclusion. What is so odd
is that I did nothing abnormal, was just loading a driver
(the correct version) and this happened... I am a pretty
well versed computer person, but this caught me unawares.

So, if there is anything else you or anyone else can
offer, then I look forward to hearing it and say thanks
for anything of help.

Regards,

CC.

>-----Original Message-----
>CC,
>
>Ok, simple questions first :)
>- Have you tried LKG? (Last Known Good)
>- What were the files that the error said were missing or
corrupt?
>
> Missing or Corrupt NTLDR?
> If this is the case create an NT Boot floppy &
try to boot the
>machine
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?
scid=kb;EN-US;131735
> If the machine boots replace the boot.ini
file on your
>%systemroot% (usually C:\) from the NT Boot
floppy If
>replacing the boot.ini doesn't boot the machine w/out NT
Boot floppy then
>replace the NTLDR on your %
systemroot% from the NT Boot
>floppy
>
> Missing or Corrupt NTOSKrnl?
> Make the NT Boot floppy (see Missing or Corrupt
NTLDR?) & try to
>boot the machine
> If the If the machine boots replace the
NTOSKrnl file on your
>%systemroot%\windows\system32 from
another Windows XP Home
>edition's %systemroot%\windows\system32
>
>***** Please note, to see these files you will need to
enable "Show Hidden
>Files & Folders" & uncheck "Hide Protected Operating
System Files" in Folder
>Options (right-click Start button & choose "Explorer", on
the Tools menu
>select "Folder Options", you will find these settings on
the "View" tab). IT
>IS RECOMMENDED that you change these settings back after
you are done. *****
>
>I'm not following you with the repair process you did,
sounds like you got
>into the Recovery Console... which is not a bad thing.
Unfortunately I do
>not believe you would be able to copy these files via the
RC, you cannot in
>Windows XP Pro (although you can edit the registry to
allow copy from
>floppy, but again, I'm only sure of this for XP Pro).
This is a by-design,
>security feature.
>
>If you do not have any success w/ the above you can do an
inplace upgrade,
>this is a last resort, & ONLY if the "Missing or Corrupt"
files are related
>to system files, meaning... they are not related to a 3rd
party software
>package. IF they are related to a I'd product you can use
the Recovery
>Console to disable drivers or services.
>http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/server/help/defaul
t.asp?
url=/windows2000/en/server/help/recovery_console_cmds.htm
>
>Best of luck CC
>--
>Mark R. Wilson, MCSA/MCSE
>Enterprise Platform Support
>Server Setup
>
>This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no rights.
>
>"CC" <business2001@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:9d9701c478d9$3b0a1790$a501280a@phx.gbl...
>> Hi. I urgently need some accurate info on
reinstallation
>> of Windows XP Home OEM version (with service pack 1)or
>> help with corrupt files stopping bootup happening.
>>
>> I have installed XP before, but on that occasion, I
>> formatted the hard drive and had a clean install. For
>> some reason as I was loading some HP printer driver
>> software, I had a message that some unknown files were
>> being loaded and in order to keep the system stable, I
>> should pop in my OEM CD, which I did, it accepted it all
>> fine and everything looked hunkydory, the printer worked
>> fine etc. BUT, when I rebooted, it came up at startup
>> that there were files missing or corrupt and to
reinstall
>> them and would go no further.
>>
>> I have tried booting with the XP OEM CD and it will not
do
>> it, just gives me 3 options - to exit without change, to
>> reinstall XP or use a repair facility. I have tried the
>> repair choice, but it just brings up a basic form of
DOS.
>> I cannot get the missing file/s on to the machine, as at
>> least one is too big for a floppy and the CD reader will
>> not allow me to remove the XP CD to pop in one with the
>> missing file/s on it to copy them back into the Windows
>> system 32 directory.
>>
>> So, right at the minute I am stuck with wondering if I
am
>> going to have to reinstall XP from the OEM CD and, if
so,
>> whether it will wipe all the important data on my
machine,
>> along with the drivers, software and so forth. I know
>> previous versions of Windows do not do this, but I have
>> been told that XP does. So, if there is anyone out
there
>> who really can tell me definitively one way or the other
>> about this, I would be eternally grateful. OR, of there
>> is something else which can be done which I haven't
>> mentioned in my babble, then again please do answer!
>>
>> Many, many thanks in advance!
>>
>> CC.
>
>
>.
>

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