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Offline dizzymare

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missing/corrupt file
« on: October 08, 2008, 06:49:49 PM »
Hello all computer bods  :blink:

My OH recently bought my daughter a lap top (second hand).  It has been working fine for a few weeks, but last night, we couldnt get past the first screen.  I thought she had downloaded a virus, but now think it is something to do with the hard drive or operating system thingy??  I got a black screen with prompts to start in safe mode or last known good configuration.  I tried both options, and got amessage saying "windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt : <windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe please re-install a copy of the above file??? double dutch to me - please help.  (I have looked on internet and although this issue is addressed, its in computer speak so it doesnt mean a thing to me :huh: - can someone interpret please?
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Offline Cob-Web

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Re: missing/corrupt file
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2008, 07:16:31 PM »
It usually means that part of the hard-drive, where the files that instruct the computer to boot are stored, has been damaged in some way.  This can happen if the hard-drive is getting old, or if the laptop has been exposed to heat/magnets etc; as my OH says, these things just happen, sometimes  ph34r

Reinstalling your Operating System is usually the best way of sorting it out; did you get given the Windows disks and authentication key when you bought the laptop?    If so, pop the disk in and reboot the laptop - you should get a set of instructions to help you *rebuild* the laptop - but you will lose any files stored and will need to reinstall any of the programmes (including any Windows Office applications like Word and Excel).

If not, you may be able to get hold of a copy of the missing file off the web, or through an independent PC engineer - if you put the file on a floppy disk and then boot the laptop up in "safe mode with prompt" then you may be able to get it to boot this way.  ;)

HTH  ;)
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Offline dizzymare

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Re: missing/corrupt file
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2008, 07:25:51 PM »
Quote from: Cob-Web on October 08, 2008, 07:16:31 PM
It usually means that part of the hard-drive, where the files that instruct the computer to boot are stored, has been damaged in some way. 

did you get given the Windows disks and authentication key when you bought the laptop?   

Thanks Cob-Web, I guessed it must be something like that.  We didnt get the disks, but OH is in touch with the person he bought it off, so will get him to ask  :blink:
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