What seup screen can you see, is it the Blue screen you see when booting from the CD, if so you need to reinstall XP over your current install, this will not erase your data so as long as you do not format the drive.
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Can't boot Win XP Computer from CD, Can't find ntsoskrnl.exe without CD
We recently had a lightning storm, and afterwards, one of the computers in our office that was left plugged in would not boot up. It gives the error message "Can't find <root>/sys32/ntoskrnl.exe.
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Answers
I did set my bios to boot from the cd, but the setup cd won't get beyond "analyzing hardware config...". It gives me the "Line xxxxx of INF file /i386/txtsetup.sif is invalid" error when I boot from it. It's the Windows disk and I can't think of any reason it should give me that error... there aren't any visible scratches or anything...
The setup screen I'm referring to is just the one to get you into the bios settings... the OS isn't doing anything at all.
Do you mean the post screen where it shows your system in a black screen etc?? It doesnt go past this?/
So, I think it's probably your CPU has suffered a burn out. Get some to test the processor.
Or maybe a new processor exactly the same of course other wise changing processors you will have to format the hd completely and re-install windows.
Dunno if your your hd has suffered a crash, slave it to one of the other machines, this will test if the hd is ok..
take out the hd from computer, unpower the machine first very important..
move the pin on the rear hd to slave, there should be a diagram on top.. then go over to one of the other computers same windows operating system, unpower it, pull out the ide cable and power plug to the cdrom, and plug into this hd, just let it hang, now put power back, boot up this machine and will detect your hd as slave,( hopefully) save off the stuff you want to keep.. If you can still do this then hd is ok.
Now run chkdsk, rightclick the D drive or slaved and then tools chkdsk let it run completely.
See how oyu go.
Regards M
another possibility is that another piece of hardware is also damaged, sometimes lan cards for example get fried during a lightning strike.
you may have a fried mobo, this is common in laptops that have suffered from high voltage.
have you tried another installation cd, in case there is a problemo with the disk.
Install problems usually come down to 2 things, bad media or hardware issues.
Unfortunately I think you need a trip to your Acer dealer so they can diagnose it. From the history my guess is that something is burnt.
Best of luck
I suspect that the processor is okay, as I can change the bios settings and such right now, but I'm no hardware genius. I guess what I'm really looking for is how to break the following cycle.
Step 1:
Turn on computer w/o XP disk
Get "Can't find <root>/sys32/ntoskrnl.exe.
Step 2:
Go to bios setup, change to boot from CD
Step 3:
Boot up from XP Pro CD
Asks to confirm boot from CD
"Analyzing hardware configuration..."
Get "Line xxxxx of INF file /i386/txtsetup.sif is invalid" error
Rinse, repeat.
I guess perhaps the key would be getting it to boot from the CD, but I don't know how that file could be missing since it's an original microsoft CD. Again, not being a hardware expert at all, is it even possible that it just completely blew the HD beyond recognition if it can get even this far? Thanks for all your help so far, Merete, I appreciate it!
In the set-up/BIOS screen, is your HD even showing up? Run the IDE autodetect in the BIOS, and ensure that all drives are correctly reported.
If the drive is not correctly seen, then there are a number of possible failure points.
1) Drive itself - try the drive in another pc.
2) PSU - probably the first in line to be damaged by a strike - try another psu.
3) Mobo/Processor - you could have lost one of the IDE controllers on the mobo. This is more likely than the proc, as the proc is working in BIOS.
Hope this helps
Stuart
Being able to change the BIOS settings does not indicate that the CPU has not been burned - the BIOS are controlled by the motherboard and really don't involve the CPU.
If there was a power surge, the RAM and hard drive could have been burned as well - in this case I would say the problem is almost certainly hardware, as there is no reason for software corruption to result from a lightning strike.
i386 is the installation info folder, it may be referring to a location that was supposed to be on the hard drive, rather than the CD - I'm sure your CD media is just fine. Windows Text Based Setup first checks your hardware and will try and find any existing operating systems, this is where it is failing according to your description.
I would guess that this means one of two things: Either the hard drive is died and needs to be replaced, or the hard drive is still working but the data/filesystem has been corrupted.
If you have access to another machine, do as merete said and try the hard drive as a slave in the other comp. See if you can access the data to determine if the HD is even working or not.
It doesn't sound like you're going to get XP to install from the CD in the machine's current condition. Do you have a floppy drive? If so, I would recommend that you get a DOS boot disk (Either make one from a windows 98/ME machine, or go to bootdisk.com and download the files using another working machine)
Set your BIOS to boot from A:\, and boot from the disk. Select the Command Prompt Only option and get to a DOS propmt. From there, you'll need to create a new filesystem on the drive to replace the corrupted one - after doing that, XP should install. However, sadly - THIS WILL ERASE ALL DATA ON THE DRIVE, so proceed only if you can't access the drive in another comp to copy the data off.
1.) From the A:\> DOS propmt, type FDISK
2.) Follow the onscreen instructions to enable large disk support if prompted
3.) Follow the onscreen instructions to delete any active partitions
4.) Create a new primary DOS partition
5.) exit FDISK, put in the XP CD-ROM and reboot the machine
6.) Now run a clean install of XP, during setup instruct it to format a new NTFS partition
Good luck!
Emblue
yep yep emblue took the words out of my mouth, the bios or cmos uses a separate memory chip onboard the mainboard that is why even though you have a dead cpu or hd you can still access the deep memory to try to run repairs.. see if you slave it first this way your testing if the hd is still usable.
You could create a folder on your hd and extract the i386 files from a xpcd or when slaved.. boot from the floppy at cmd prompt>> run setup from the created 1386 folder on your hd lol at a guess cant remember all the words but I'm sure you get my drift.
Do whatever you feel comfortable with sometimes if in doubt leave it to the EE especially when it comes to power surges.
See they can test the processor, may only need some lube on the base.
Regards M
Okay, I put it as a slave on a different box and it came up as 3 partitions, two of which are reading fine and the other which gives a 'file system corrupted' message. I'm not sure what is on the corrupted one, but all of the windows and program files are on one that is reading without a problem. At this point should I assume that it is something other than the hard drive and see if I can format only the partition that is corrupted? The hard part with taking it to get it tested is that I am currently in Switzerland and don't speak the language, and am working for a non-profit that has no money. So if there is any way to somehow get it to function otherwise, that would certainly be the most preferable option. Is there a way to test the other components in it's current state?
Thanks so much, you guys are the best...
The hard disk should have it's brand name written right on it, most, if not all, of the HD manufacturers have a diagnostic tool available on their website to determine if the drive is working or not.
Seeing as one of the partitions is corrupted, I think your drive has probably sufferred physical damage. A damaged hard drive can usually function at least in part for a while - which is what you are seeing when you slave it in the second computer.
There is a very high probability that this drive will not function at all in the near future - if you are luck enough to get it to run as a slave in a second machine, copy all the data you might need off it now! Remember, every disk read or write brings it closer to not working at all, so use it as minimally as possible.
You should then replace the drive. Unfortunately, yes that will cost you some money, but hard drives are fairly reasonable now, you should be able to get a replacement for less than $100 US.
Emblue
I downloaded the Western Digital diagnostic, and it passed the quick test, but the extended test is still running. If that test passes, should I still take the safe route and get a new hard drive, or would your guess be that the problem lies elsewhere? Is there a way to test the RAM, which was mentioned earlier as a possible culprit? I'm thinking that after the other test completes, I could put the working drive in the 'bad' computer, and possibly check it that way? I just want to be sure that I replace the right part...
Well that's a good sign that it passed the test. You can't really go wrong by replacing the drive just to be safe, but I'm sure you'd rather not spend the money if you don't have to - I certainly wouldn't want to.
The motherboard does check the RAM during the Power On Self Test, so there is probably nothing wrong with it, but it does do a quick check and can miss things.
There are tests for RAM integrity, such as the one found here: http://www.memtest86.com/ You'll need to either: download it on a good computer and create a bootable CD-ROM (requires CD burning software of some sort and a burner) or get a working hard drive in the broken computer so that you can load Windows and install a program that way.
The former option would be better, as another hard drive would have Windows configured for different hardware, and if the RAM is bad, getting Windows to load with another drive in is unlikely anyway.
There are instructions for downloading the CD images on that link I just gave you, you can make a bootable CD-ROM easily in a program such as Nero or Roxio.
You said the drive has 3 partitions, 2 are working - Which one is Windows on? I'm guessing the one that isn't working?
If you are reasonably satisfied that the RAM is not the problem, while the drive is slaved in the second computer, you should go ahead and wipe the drive clean (Copy the data off first if you need it / can get it!)
If there are 3 partitions, you might want to delete them and recreate a new logical DOS partition first. That's a little tricky from Windows because I'm not sure how well Fdisk works while Windows is running.
While in windows, with the drive as a slave, pull up a dos prompt (Start > run > type cmd (for windows XP/2K) or command (windows 95/98/ME) hit ok.
Try fdisk, and following the onscreen instructions, see if you can delete the partitions from the slave drive. Then create a new one that uses the whole drive.
Next try: format E: /FS:NTFS
(assuming the slave is named E:, substitute the actual letter above)
That should format the drive with a clean NTFS file system.
If that works, plug the drive back into the broken comptuer, and go ahead and install windows.
Emblue
Hi dh2oing, I'd say the corrupted one is where windows is installed. while you have the hd in slave you can run a chkdsk and even drfrag it, this may help fix the hd in someways, right click it properties> tools. Then see if you access the corrupted partition. Windows is usually installed on c drive.
If you want to play around with hd delete that corrupted partition add an extended partition etc you also do this while it is slaved.
By deleting this corrupted part and creating a new one you can then actually re-intall xp the new extended part. Make sure you name it c drive.. so that whne you run the install cd it will recognise that drive.
To do this go to control panel>administrative tools>computer management>storage> disk management.
How about I simply provide you a link thats shows you how with pictures. Use this to either delete or create.
http://www.theeldergeek.co
But anyway do the chkdsk and defrag then decide about the corrupted partition, you coul dtry running the hd again in the original computer, put the pin back to master, you never know removing it and running it may help.
If you still get the error then I would suggest deleting that partition and create a new one. Install xp fresh onto it.
I feel I have to say that I am always impressed with you people that come to ask for help, and we give type after type but you have to do the actual work. Your the ones who deserve a good pat on the back for effort.. Cheers.
You may have to check the processor chip, they can be the ones that get fried
by the way while its slaved you should see the the 3 partitons, you can simply rightclick the corrupted one and format it presto all done then put it back and re-instal xp onto it.
clean install xp onto the new formatted partition..
http://www.theeldergeek.co
Well, it took a while, but I ran the test and it came up clean, so I reformatted the drive and put it back in. I went to turn it on this morning to hopefully finally finish up, and now when I turn it on there's no sign of life on the monitor. Everything is running, but I don't even get the bios screen. I checked the monitor, and it's fine, but I'm not getting any visual. As an aside, to further weird matters, I went to a friend down the street who had their computer fried in the storm also to see if I could test my new knowledge, and neither of their computers give visual either. I know everything is plugged in to the right spot and on, and I'm rather beginning to think I'm losing my mind... Any thoughts on what could be causing this new aberration? At the moment I'm feeling ready to throw in the towel and just recommend a new computer, but it just seems like I must be missing something.
PSU!!!!!!
A colleague of mine has just had a very similar experience here in the UK where a lightning strike has damaged his PSU.
You should be able to try a psu from another pc that IS working (ensure that is the same wattage or higher), just tomake sure.
BTW the cpu IS involved in the BIOS, as there is not a seperate processor on the mobo to control the data and address i/o involved with the changes.
Hope this helps
Stuart
what kind of video card have you all, if it is on board it should be ok, however if you have nvidia or radeon the card may have been reset by the surg, if you have one of these or any external remove them completely out and plug your monitor onto the default mainboard at the back of the tower.
Power surges can reset so many things, understanding that everything in a computer is based on a continuos current flow of electricity this is the actual language that runs a computer called binary, if one tiny small binary code breaks the flow this can damage the cpu, cmos etc. Damage the memory so that the connection between the hd and the cmos is lost.
Lol it is really like dying.
If this cannot be done then your only option maybe to start door knocking lol and find your neighbours, maybe someone has a computer that still works take your monitor and just plug it in, as its plug and play there is no need to install.
At least this way you will prove the damage maybe the video card, if so this can cause numerous problems getting the rest up and running again.
You may know that having any defective hardware can prevent the flow so to speak so you have to remove everything one at a time to ensure an even flow again.
If your modem was plugged in during storm this also has electricity and the storm may have blown your modem.
Do you know about UPS ( unlimited powersupply Units) also power surge protectors??
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by: MeretePosted on 2005-06-27 at 02:11:22ID: 14306725
try htis>
set your bios to boot from cdrom
then reboot with xpcd in the rom.
choose r for recovery
when you get to which windows do you want to install here you will have a dos prompt which is what you need
at the dos prompt type in
chkdsk /r press enter let it run
when its done type in chkdsk /p press enter
when its done type in fix boot C:
press enter
once all done remove the xpcd from rom
type in exit press enter
reboot>> at reboot tapf8 then choose last known good config
Fingers crossed that should fix it.
Lightening power surges can do damage.
Beyond this repair.
Hope it works fingers crossed for you.
regarsd M
PS REMOVE BIOS SETTING TO BOOT FROM CDROM first and put back to HDO