Winxp Error Booting: Need To Replace Missing File

Hi! I have access to a WinXP computer at a day program and, yesterday, I found that, after being forced to restart the computer, a file needed to boot the OS was either missing or corrupt. I have a WinXP laptop, so I should be able to replace the file. I just need to make a flash drive bootable so I can get enough support to replace the file. How do I do that? BTW, my CD-RW drive isn't writing properly, so that isn't a solution. Otherwise, I'd find a WinXP ISO file on the internet and try that. I just need to replace the file. BTW, the file's name is NTOSKRNL.EXE.

 

I did a quick google search and came across



Hope it helps,
s.

 

That is a useful link from Stphen_c16 -Depending on the XP machine being able to boot from usb, as the dvd drive is playing up.
ith XP, I often found that if fixed, and restarted, more files were then reported missing, and ultimately, it was often found that the hard drive had bad sectors, and was the cause.

 

I am familiar with the Command Prompt and can use it if I can get to it. The video seems to assume that I have the WinXP install CD, which neither I nor my day program is likely to have. I also don't know which edition of the OS it has--I never looked--but I think it's Home edition. I know about pressing F8. Can F8 give me a Command Prompt without needing the broken file? If so, I can do the copy myself. If I get no or a negative response here, I can try this myself. I'm going to retrieve the file from a WinXP laptop I have now.

 

Press F8 on startup and select 'Last Known Good Configuration'.

 

https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/windows_xp_pro_startup_disk.html
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/windows_xp_home_startup_disk.html

 

I thank both of you for your information. I downloaded the disk images. I'm going to see if I can get the command prompt from the start-up menu. If I can, I'll try to replace the file first. BTW, the video mentioned earlier mentioned a command to display the current drive map, but I forgot the command. What is it, again?

 

Uhh...there is a problem: the computer's floppy drive is not functioning properly. I an using a USB floppy drive. Can the computer boot with that?

 

Older PCs can't boot via USB.

 

Possibly- If you connect it up before starting pc- and you can see it in the bios, then you may be able to boot from it, BUT.... I have never tried booting from an external floppy...… Why not use iso2usb - BE SURE TO TICK THE LITTLE BOX DOWN LEFT HAND SIDE OF SMALL WINDOW THAT OPENS WHEN YOU START THE iso2usb tool that says MAKE BOOTABLE. https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/microsoft_windows_7_usbdvd_download_tool.html
As Eldon says, many older pc's will not boot from usb...Check it and see...…...
This will make your XP bootable straight from usb slot (assuming the pc can boot from usb,)and you plug it in before starting pc, and change to boot from usb in the bios (The usb device will not show unless connected before bootup.)

 

I downloaded the file, but it seems from its ad to be useful mainly for Win7. Let me try to just replace the file.

BTW, I looked at the video again. The command to list the drives is MAP.

 

O.K
Try f8 without startup disc...….. I would think yoU need to have a way to read and copy the fie- Hence if on a usb stick, you may be able to read it, DVD drive caput, usb floppy usb slot
Iso2usb also used to work, I seem to remember, on XP- it does include XP at start of the page.

 

Okay.

 

Two issues: 1. the floppy disk images didn't install on my Win10/64 laptop, as they're 16-bit applications, and 2. ISO2USB indicated that the .ISO file of WinXP Home I downloaded was incompatible with ISO2USB.

 

You could try Poweriso--- https://www.poweriso.com/tutorials/how-to-make-winxp-bootable-usb-drive.htm

 

I have some USB drives I can use for the restore, but I don't want to lose any information, and the tutorial says I will lose all the information on the flash drive if I make it out.

 

Okay. I found an empty flash drive I can use. However, the program gives me an error message when I try to burn the drive. Is there another program I can use? I might be able to create a boot floppy this weekend.

 

I Googled, found and downloaded ISO2USB but ran into a problem: at first, I forgot to click Make Bootable. I aborted, and the flash drive was still usable. I tried again and got an error message. I forgot what the error message was. Right now, I'm reformatting the flash drive--anyway, I believe I am--, but it's taking too lobg. How long should it take to format a GB USB drive?

 

By now, you must have seen if it worked-
Try again, -if it sees the usb, and you can tick the box, it might well do it for you. Sorry I hav not been on-line , much as I am re-installing on my spare, at the moment.

 

The flash drive broke while I was trying to copy the .ISO file to it. When I try to reformat it, I get a capacity of 64MB, and it's supposed to be 4GB.

 

You may be able to rescue the usb with diskpart-
This video on you, by Information technology - tube explains it, and has it written down alongside-
saves me a lot of time

Also I dug down in my oldest backups (XP was a long time ago)
There is a read me file within it -
xpquick.exe
Scroll down to part 2
This is an image of a quickboot disk that was formatted in XP and then
an image was made. To create the disk, download the file to a folder on
your hard drive, put a NEW floppy disk in A:, and click on the file to (You said you had an external floppy, I seem to remember)
make the disk. You dont need an XP PC to create disk.

 

I downloaded the disk image creator from the internet recently and created the disks today. One issue: the broken computer has a bad floppy, and that might interfere with the USB floppy. I'm not sure it will work.

 

Uhh...could somebody give me a link to where I can find information on using the WinXP start-up disks?

I created the start-up disks yesterday. Now to try them out....

 

If you have a set of 6 disks (?) all you do is put #1 in the floppy and then restart. It will ask you put in the next disk one at a time when ready. But in the end it'll ask you to now insert the xp cd.

Do you have the 6-disc set or something else?

 

Maybe read through this thread on BC. 3 pages with many options on how to obtain an iso. Are you still working with a non-writing optical drive? you may need to pick up a good one.

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/t/627328/where-do-i-download-windows-xp-sp3-in-iso/

 

I have the 6-disk set but not the CD. I just need to replace one file. When trying to create a flash drive out of a WinXP ISO, I broke the flash drive. I tried to reformat it, but the capacity stuck on 64MB on a 4GB drive. :'(

BTW, my CD burner won't write properly.

 

In the long run in many ways you may be more satisfied if you had a working writer. Any pc shops in your area? Any flea markets or goodwill stores? Even Wallmark has internals from 20$ and externals from 13$.

https://www.walmart.com/browse/blank-media/cd-dvd-drives/3944_3951_132959_645319_522484

 

If you run a program such as Aomei Partition Assistant 8.0.0 with the USB plugged in. You will notice that the 4GB drive has partitions. I would suggest you highlight the partitions and delete them. Click on the apply tick. Then format the USB from within the program. Click apply and hopefully the USB will be 4GB again.
Good luck.
s.

 

I have both the start-up disks and a 128GB flash drive the latter to which I extracted the contents of my WinXP ISO. I plan on trying to get the WinXP computer at my program to work today.

 

I forgot to mention: ISO2USB didn't work properly, so I had to use 7Zip to extract the files. Will this work? I'll test it out today.

 

If you unzip and point it to the floppy drive, from the folder on the pc you saved it on, it should work when you put it in the XP machine
See this from bootdisk.com.......So long since I messed with this in Xp, -but it should work ok'
http://www.bootdisk.com/txtfiles/xpquick.txt

 

XP cannot format a flash drive larger than 32 GB. And, I sincerely hope these machines do not connect to the internet.

 

I found the main problem with XP was getting a brouser that was safe, and would work properly.
Tried it in a Virtual Machine- I would not use it in todays hacker's paradise.

 

Yesterday, I tried to use a WinXP boot CD on a USB CD drive to start the system, and the CD drive wouldn't register. Two days ago, I found that the computer's CD-ROM drive was broken. It still doesn't work.

 

I am afraid that you will need a working cd- drive, unless you can get the 6 floppy version
The cd drive in that computer probably has ide connections........

 

I have the six-floppy version, but 10 seconds after the last disk finished, the computer crashed with a blue error screen.

 

It would be very useful,if you could catch and write down the error.
It may well be a ram problem- can you try different ram ?- or, if more than one stick, try one at a time
If it loaded all 6 floppies,it could also be worth trying safe mode (ff8) before re-loading,and let us know what happens.

 

Okay. I have the error message, but the monitor of the WinXP computer was not working properly: part of the display was off-screen. It's:

STOP 0x000000ED (0x862FB50B0 0xC00000A7 0x00000000 0x00000000)

 

This error can be caused by dodgy ram stick,or, hard drive.
Without a cd rom you will have difficuties, You need the repair console for XP , and I don't see a way of using the floppies for that, just a cd........
-------unless f8 will get you in in safe mode.
If you can get into windows with f8, then....
You then could run CHKDSK C:r in the command box- to check hard drive,
and run a memory test with something like memtest 86
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/memtest86.html

 

I couldn't get Safe Mode or any special mode to work. Otherwise, I would've been able to replace the file myself. BTW, is there a way to get a USB CD drive working from the BIOS start-up code? The latest copyright date displayed by the ROMs is 2004.

 

The only way I can think of,is to connect the cdrom drive before starting, and go into bios to see if it is recognised- If it is,then change to boot from it........Being such an old system, it is difficult to say.
I would consider looking at using substitue ram, or, one stick at a time, to see if it is the ram playing up.
Or, trying a replacement hard drive.
Without a working cd rom, I just think you are on a losing battle, to get it working, or, to keep it going , if you do.

 

I tried the Boot Setup CMOS settings and didn't see the entry for the USB drive, but the floppy drive worked.

 

Can you get another hard drive- even if just to eliminate the existing one being the fault ?and re-use the floppy set.......

 

I have a hard drive handy, but it is too small and reserved for another computer.

BTW, I broke a flash drive while trying to format it as a system drive. When I try to reformat it, I get a capacity of 64 MB--on a 4GB flash drive!

 

Hello again. s.

 

It would not hurt to try that spare small hard drive in the computer, as it appears your floppies are o.k --as you can just format again, afterwards, and install it elsewhere.
Otherwisel, try installing that spare hard drive, in another computer, installing XP on it, -Once up and running, un-install chipset, and graphics drivers, (This only leaves generic drivers) then power down--and then removing and transferring to this problem computer- If my memory serves me, I am pretty sure XP often ran, if transferred to another, just that some drivers might need re-installing (chipset, and graphics, mostly)