# Win 2000 can't start b/c ntoskrnl.exe is missing or corrupt



## owholmes3 (May 7, 2005)

I cannot boot up my server. :sad: After the boot loader phase, the server stops in the kernel load phase  and issues the following error message: 

*Windows 2000 could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: <windows 2000 root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe*

I do not have any ERD (Emergency Rescue Disks) and when I use the original Windows Server CD, I got to the Recovery Console and it says:

*The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality.
Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.
The path or file specified is not valid.
C:\>*

Does anyone know how I can simply replace the ntoskernel.exe file without re-installing the entire Windows Server Operating System (and losing all my data)??? :4-dontkno


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## Ritespeed (May 3, 2005)

create a dos boot disk and at the C prompt copy the file into the system directory. Sorry I do not remember the commands but it should be easy to do if you google something like DOS commands


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## stonederek (May 13, 2005)

I had the same exact problem 2 weeks ago.

If your HD is IDE, connect it as a "slave" to a PC with windows 2000/XP, then on the "slave" HD copy/expand the ntoskrnl.exe file from the I386 folder to the system32 folder.

My server HD is SCSI, I tried the Windows 2000 Server CD, but it didn't work, I downloaded a few NTFS boot disks, but they didn't work.
Finally I used Norton Ghost to clone the SCSI HD to an IDE HD and I then connected it to my XP PC and did what I wrote above.
Then I connected the IDE drive on the server as Primary boot HD with the SCSI HD attached as second HD.
It booted up ok into the IDE drive, then I just copied the ntoskrnl.exe from the IDE HD to the SCSI HD, reconnected the SCSI as boot drive and it booted up ok...problem fixed.

I also made a DVD backup of the server HD with Norton Ghost...just in case.


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