Missing NTOSKRNL.EXE

[deeze6]

Hello All,

I have an NT 4.0 workstation. Installed the latest critical updates and after a reboot I get the Missing NTOSKRNL.EXE error.

I don't have an Emergency Repair Disk.
I have one NTFS partition.

Does anyone know how I can replace the corrupted NTOSKRNL.EXE without doing a parallel install?

I tried booting with this free NTFS reader utility but it does not give the option of copying a file from floppy disk to hard drive.

Any ideas?
Thanks,
Deeze6

 

[ascotta]

You could try creating a boot floppy from another machine (must be pretty similar in spec). That will contain amongst other things an NTOSKRNL.exe file.
Boot your machine form it and copy the file from the floppy.
I cannot remember off the top of my head how to create the boot floppy but as I recall it is fairly simple

 

[compgirlfhredi]

or when the Advanced RISC Computer (ARC) path in Boot.ini points to the wrong boot partition as the location of the Windows NT 4.0 system files.

NOTE: This can also occur if the system partition is larger than 7.8 gigabytes and system files have be placed outside of the 7.8 gb limit (possibly as a result of applying a service pack or defragmenting the drive). Although Windows NT 4.0 can in theory support partitions of up to 16 exabytes in size using the NTFS file system, the maximum size of the system partition is limited to 7.8 gigabytes. Windows 2000 does not have this limitation unless the machine's BIOS does not support INT13 extensions.

For more information, please see the following article:
224526 Windows NT 4.0 Supports Maximum of 7.8-GB System Partition


Anyway, you could try (from Microsoft)if there is no ERD

1. If Windows NT 4.0 is installed on a file allocation table (FAT) partition:
Start the computer in MS-DOS.
Open the Boot.ini file in a text editor, and verify that the ARC path to the boot partition is correct in the Boot.ini file.
Copy the Ntoskrnl.exe file from the original installation disks or CD-ROM to the %SystemRoot%\System32\ folder.
Restart the computer.

2.If Windows NT 4.0 is installed on an NTFS file system partition:
Install a parallel copy of Windows NT 4.0.
Verify that the ARC path to the boot partition is correct in the Boot.ini file.
Copy the Ntoskrnl.exe file from the parallel installation to the %SystemRoot%\System32 folder of the original installation.
Start the computer in the original installation.

Right now, you occupy a point where three lines reach across the expanse of time and space and intersect only there, and that you and only you possess.

 

[deeze6]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I found a quick and painless solution.
By creating a boot floppy using XP boot files!

Creating a boot floppy using NT boot files did not work probably because of the 7.8 gig limitation.

The XP files did work probably because it has no such limitation.

Once I was able to log in I overwrote the NT boot files with the XP files and I could reboot no problem! Just hope it doesn't bite me in the ass later on...