Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt ntoskrnl exe

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Get the fix for the boot error “NTOSKRNL.EXE is missing or corrupt” for Windows XP.

About “ntoskrnl.exe is missing or corrupt”

The following information on this error has been compiled by NeoSmart Technologies, based on the information gathered and reported by our global network of engineers, developers, and technicians or partner organizations.

Description and Symptoms

The error messages, alerts, warnings, and symptoms below are tied to this error.

Symptom 1: ntoskrnl.exe is missing or corrupt error screen on startup

The ntoskrnl.exe (short for Windows NT operating system kernel) is responsible for various system services such as hardware virtualization, process and memory management. Right after NTLDR and NTDETECT boot files are done with the basic loading subroutines and hardware detection, the control over the boot process is passed to ntoskrnl.exe so that the operating system could start loading. However, if ntoskrnl.exe is missing or corrupt, then the following error appears and the boot process is halted.

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.

For more information on how computers start up and how the Windows XP boot process works, please refer to the respective pages in our extensive wiki and knowledgebase.

Causes of this Error

This error has been known to occur as a result of one or more of the following:

Cause 1: Invalid boot.ini configuration

An incorrectly configured boot.ini file may result in the Windows XP bootloader attempting to load Windows from the wrong drive or partition.

If NTLDR attempts to load Windows from the wrong partition, it will not find ntoskrnl.exe and this error may be occur.

Boot.ini may become misconfigured as a result of incorrectly installed software, a failed Windows update, virus infection, or an incomplete Windows upgrade.

Cause 2: Corrupt boot volume

Corruption of the boot partition on a Windows XP PC can cause this error to be present.

The boot drive can become corrupted as a result of an unsafe shutdown, sudden power loss, unsafe removal of a local or external disk, or physical disk damage and/or corruption.

A corrupted boot partition may occur on both NTFS and FAT32 filesystems and volumes.

Cause 3: Corrupted or deleted ntoskrnl.exe

As the error screen states, this error is sometimes caused by a lost or corrupted ntoskrnl.exe file on the Windows system partition. The system partition may or may not be the same as the boot partition (see above).

\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe may be deleted or corrupted as a result of unsafe shutdown, NTFS or FAT32 volume corruption, failed Windows updates, or virus infection.

Cause 4: PS/2 keyboard incorrect behaviour

Keyboard-related software issues are largely no longer a concern with newer USB/internal keyboards. However, older PCs that use a keyboard attached to the PC via a serial interface, could misinterpret the device’s mapped memory as a storage volume, leading to boot problems like this one.

Cause 5: Missing drivers for hard disk controller

If Windows does not have the necessary drivers to access the Windows system files on the main partition, this error message can be seen. This can happen as a result of a failed driver update, changes to the hardware configuration, or changes to the hard disk configuration in the BIOS.

Fix NTOSKRNL.exe is missing or corrupt in Windows

Fix #1: Use Easy Recovery Essentials

Easy Recovery Essentials is guaranteed to fix the “NTOSKRNL.EXE is missing or corrupt” error automatically using its built-in Automated Repair option. EasyRE is currently available for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, Windows 10, and Windows 11 and can be downloaded and created on any PC.

1. Download Easy Recovery Essentials. Make sure to note your Windows version (XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, or Windows 11) before you download EasyRE. This guide can help you identify what version of Windows you have installed.
2. Burn the image. Follow these instructions on how to burn the bootable ISO image very carefully, as making a bootable CD can be tricky! Alternatively, these instructions explain how to create a bootable EasyRE recovery USB stick/drive.
3. Boot up your PC from the Easy Recovery Essentials CD or USB you created.
4. Once EasyRE is running, choose the “Automated Repair” option and click Continue.

   

   Choose “Automated Repair” in Easy Recovery Essentials

5. After EasyRE scans your computer’s drives, identify and select the drive letter for your Windows installation from the list, and then click on the Automated Repair button to begin.

   

   Choose the drive associated with the Windows installation you’re trying to repair.

6. Easy Recovery Essentials will start analyzing the selected drive for problems. EasyRE will test for and attempt to automatically correct errors with the disk, partition, bootsector, filesystem, bootloader, and registry. No intervention is required, as EasyRE’s repair is fully automated:

   

   Easy Recovery Essentials searches for errors and makes corrections to the selected Windows installation.

7. Once the process is complete, EasyRE will report its findings. Click on the Restart button to reboot your PC and test the changes.
8. The “NTOSKRNL.EXE is missing or corrupt” error should now be fixed as your PC begins to load:

You can download Easy Recovery Essentials from here.

Fix #2: Replace or recreate a corrupted/incorrect boot.ini

A boot.ini file is used by Windows to configure and display its operating system options. Instructions on manually recreating the boot.ini file are also available, but require a moderate level of computer expertise. The instructions below will guide you on recreating boot.ini automatically from the Windows XP setup CD.

Unable to boot into the Windows setup CD?
See our guide on setting up a PC to boot from the CD or DVD for troubleshooting and more detailed instructions.

1. Insert your Windows XP CD and restart your computer.
2. Press a key to boot into the CD when you see the “Press any key to boot from CD” message.
3. When you arrive at the “Welcome to Setup” message, press R to start the Recovery Console.
4. Type in your Administrator password; hit Enter
5. The next command you need to write is below; hit Enter afterwards:

   bootcfg /rebuild

The above command, bootcfg /rebuild, will scan your computer for installed Windows copies. If you have Windows XP, here are the next steps:

1. Press Y if the command prompt shows a message similar to the one below:

   Total Identified Windows Installs: 1
   
   [1] C:\Windows
   Add installation to boot list? (Yes/No/All)

2. When you receive a message like this:

   Enter Load Identifier

   You are being asked to provide a name to be assigned and shown in the boot menu for the installation you picked in the previous step. Examples:

   Enter Load Identifier: Windows XP Professional (Recovered)

3. (Optional) When you receive a message like this:

   Enter OS Load options

   Type in /fastdetect followed by Enter

4. Restart your computer.

Here is an example of what the PC’s console output should look like once the boot.ini file is restored:

Fix #3: Boot into Last Known Good Configuration

Windows Setup CD/DVD Required!
Some of the solutions below require the use of the Microsoft Windows setup CD or DVD. If your PC did not come with a Windows installation disc or if you no longer have your Windows setup media, you can use Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows instead. EasyRE will automatically find and fix many problems, and can also be used to solve this problem with the directions below.

Rebooting your PC into “Last Known Good Configuration” mode forces your computer to use a saved version of the Windows registry that was in place the last time your computer successfully booted. If this error is being caused as a result of incorrect, misconfigured, or uninstalled drivers, booting your PC in “last known good configuration” mode may resolve the problem. This option is available from the Advanced Boot Options menu at system start.

Here are the steps to start your PC up using the Last Known Good Configuration option. More detailed instructions on starting up your PC using the last known good configuration are also available.

1. Restart your computer
2. Wait for your BIOS to complete POST (the screen with your manufacturer logo and/or system information)
3. Quickly begin tapping F8 repeatedly, until you see the list of boot options
4. Choose “Last Known Good Configuration (Advanced)”
5. Press Enter and wait for your PC to boot.

Fix #4: Disconnect PS/2 or serial keyboard

If the fix above doesn’t work and the PC is using an old PS/2 keyboard, it’s recommended to attempt disconnecting it and then restarting the computer to see if anything changes. Here are the steps to do it:

1. Shutdown the computer
2. Disconnect the keyboard
3. Power up the computer

Some users have reported that that the NTOSKRNL.exe error disappears after disconnecting the keyboard and then reconnecting it after a restart.

Fix #5: Restore the ntoskrnl.exe file

If ntoskrnl.exe is in fact missing or corrupt, you can restore the original ntoskrnl.exe file back from your Windows XP installation disc.

Unable to boot into the Windows setup CD?
See our guide on setting up a PC to boot from the CD or DVD for troubleshooting and more detailed instructions.

1. Insert your XP CD into the computer.
2. Restart your computer.
3. Press any key to boot into the CD when you see the “Press any key to boot from CD” message.
4. Press R to start Recovery Console when the Options screen appears.
5. Type in your Administrator password followed by the Enter key to submit it.
6. You’ll reach the Command Prompt now, type the following command, where D:\ is your CD’s drive letter and C:\ is the letter of the drive you installed Windows to:

   expand D:\i386\ntoskrnl.ex_ C:\Windows\system32\

7. Press Y when you are asked if you want to overwrite this file and then hit Enter to submit the command.
8. Restart your computer.

Here is an example of what the PC’s console output should look like once the ntoskrnl.exe file is restored:

Fix #6: Run chkdsk

If this problem is being caused by a corrupt boot or system partition, it may be repaired by scanning the NTFS or FAT32 partition for errors or corruption. chkdsk will verify files and data on the disk.

Here are the steps:

1. Insert your Windows CD; restart your computer.
2. Boot into the CD by pressing any key when the “Press any key to boot from CD” message appears on your computer.
3. Press R to open the Recovery Console once at the Options menu.
4. Type in your Administrator password; hit Enter
5. At the command prompt, type in the following command and press Enter

   chkdsk /r

6. After the chkdsk process is completed, restart your computer. Make note of any warnings or alerts that chkdsk prints.

Here is an example of what the PC’s console output should look like once the chkdsk.exe is complete:

More Information

Linked Entries

The errors below have been verified as being associated with or related to this problem:

• On Windows Vista, 7, and 8 this error appears as Windows\system32\winload.exe is missing or corrupt
• MBR boot process
• Windows XP boot process
• bootcfg
• chkdsk
• The Advanced Options menu

Support Links

• Easy Recovery Essentials for Windows – our repair and recovery disk.

  It’s an easy-to-use and automated diagnostics disk. It’s available for Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista. It’s also available for Windows XP and Windows Server.

  Read more at Windows Recovery Disks.

• The NeoSmart Support Forums, member-to-member technical support and troubleshooting.
• Get a discounted price on replacement setup and installation discs: Windows XP.

Applicable Systems

This Windows-related knowledgebase article applies to the following operating systems:

• Windows XP (all editions)
• Windows Server 2003 (all editions)

Propose an edit

Here we can see, “NTOSKRNL.EXE is missing or corrupt: Fix for Windows XP”

For Windows XP, get the solution to the boot error “NTOSKRNL.EXE is missing or corrupt.”

Symptoms and description

This Error is linked to the error messages, alerts, warnings, and symptoms listed below.

Symptom 1: On startup, an error message appears stating that ntoskrnl.exe is missing or corrupt.

The ntoskrnl.exe (Windows NT operating system kernel) manages several system services, including hardware virtualization, process, and memory management. After the basic loading subroutines and hardware, detection is completed in the NTLDR and NTDETECT boot files, control of the boot process is given to ntoskrnl.exe so that the operating system can begin loading. If ntoskrnl.exe is missing or corrupt, the boot process is paused, displaying the following error.

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.

This Error’s Causes

One or more of the following factors have been linked to this error:

Cause 1: Invalid boot.ini configuration

A boot that has been misconfigured.

The Windows XP bootloader may attempt to load Windows from the wrong drive or partition if the ini file is missing.

If NTLDR tries to load Windows from the wrong partition, it will be unable to locate ntoskrnl.exe, resulting in this error.

Incorrectly installed software, a botched Windows update, a malware attack, or an incomplete Windows upgrade can cause Boot.ini to become misconfigured.

Cause 2: Corrupt boot volume

A corrupt boot partition can cause this issue on a Windows XP computer.

An unsafe shutdown, sudden power loss, unsafe removal of a local or external disk, or physical disk damage and/or corruption can cause the boot drive to become corrupted.

Both NTFS and FAT32 filesystems and volumes can have a damaged boot partition.

Cause 3: ntoskrnl.exe has been corrupted or destroyed.

As stated on the error screen, this problem can be caused by a missing or corrupted ntoskrnl.exe file on the Windows system partition. The system partition and the boot partition may or may not be the same (see above).

As a result of an unsafe shutdown, NTFS or FAT32 volume corruption failed Windows updates or virus infection, and the file Windowssystem32ntoskrnl.exe may be deleted or corrupted.

Cause 4: Incorrect PS/2 keyboard behaviour.

With modern USB/internal keyboards, software-related keyboard difficulties are largely no longer a worry. However, older PCs with a serial interface that use a keyboard may misunderstand the device’s mapped memory as a storage disk, resulting in boot problems like this one.

Cause 5: Hard disk controller drivers are missing.

This error message appears if Windows does not have the necessary drivers to access the Windows system files on the main partition. A botched driver update, changes to the hardware setup, or changes to the hard disk settings in the BIOS can all cause this.

Fix 1: Use Easy Recovery Essentials

Easy Recovery Essentials’ built-in Automated Repair feature is guaranteed to automatically fix the “NTOSKRNL.EXE is missing or corrupt” issue. EasyRE can be downloaded and produced on any PC and is presently available for Windows XP, Vista, 7, and 8.

1. Download Easy Recovery Essentials. Before you download EasyRE, make a note of your Windows version (XP, Vista, 7, or 8).
2. The image should be burned.
3. Start your computer with the Easy Recovery Essentials CD or USB you made.
4. After EasyRE has started, select “Automated Repair” and click Continue.
5. After EasyRE has finished scanning your computer’s disks, find and pick the drive letter for your Windows installation from the list, and then click the Automated Repair option to start the repair process.
6. Easy Recovery Essentials will begin looking for faults on the selected drive. EasyRE will scan the disk, partition, bootsector, filesystem, bootloader, and registry for faults and attempt to automatically rectify them. EasyRE’s repair is totally automated; thus no interaction is required:
7. EasyRE will provide its findings after the process is completed. To reboot your PC and test the changes, click the Restart option.
8. As your PC starts to load, the error “NTOSKRNL.EXE is missing or corrupt” should be fixed.

Fix 2: Replace or recreate a corrupted/incorrect boot.ini

Windows uses the ini file to set up and show its operating system choices. Manual instructions for replicating the boot. ini files are also available, but these require some computer knowledge. So instead, the steps below will walk you through automatically recreating boot.ini from the Windows XP setup CD.

1. Restart your computer after inserting the Windows XP CD.
2. When you see the message “Press any key to boot from CD,” press a key to boot into the CD.
3. When the “Welcome to Setup” display appears, press R to open the Recovery Console.
4. Hit Enter after entering your Administrator password.
5. The next command you need to write is below; hit Enter afterwards:

bootcfg /rebuild

The following command, bootcfg /rebuild, will examine your computer for installed Windows copies; press Enter afterwards: If you’re using Windows XP, follow these steps:

If the command prompt displays a message similar to the one below, press Y:

1. When you get a message like this, you should:

Total Identified Windows Installs: 1

[1] C:\Windows
Add installation to boot list? (Yes/No/All)

2. When you receive a message like this:

Enter Load Identifier

You’ll be prompted to give the installation you chose in the previous stage a name that will be allocated to it and shown in the boot menu. Examples:

Enter Load Identifier: Windows XP Professional (Recovered)

3. (Optional) If you get a message like this, type /fastdetect and press Enter.

Enter OS Load options

Type in /fastdetect followed by Enter

4. Restart your computer.

Here’s an example of what the console output from the PC should look like once it boots up.

Fix 3: Boot into Last Known Good Configuration

Rebooting your computer into “Last Known Good Configuration” mode requires it to use a saved version of the Windows registry from the last time it booted correctly. If the problem is caused by improper, misconfigured, or uninstalled drivers, restarting your computer in “last known good configuration” mode may help. This option is available from the Advanced Boot Options menu at system startup.

Here’s how to use the Last Known Good Configuration option to start your computer. There are also more thorough instructions for setting up your PC using the last known good configuration.

1. Your computer should be restarted.
2. Allow your BIOS to finish POST (the screen that displays your manufacturer’s logo and/or system information).
3. Start hitting F8 continuously until the list of boot options appears.
4. “Last Known Good Configuration (Advanced)” should be selected.
5. Wait for your computer to boot up after pressing Enter.

Fix 4: Disconnect PS/2 or serial keyboard

If the remedy above doesn’t work and the machine is still using an old PS/2 keyboard, try detaching it and rebooting the computer to see what happens. The steps are as follows:

1. Turn off the computer.
2. Remove the keyboard from the computer.
3. Turn on the computer.

The NTOSKRNL.exe error has been reported to go away after detaching the keyboard and reconnecting it after some users restarted it.

Fix 5: Restore the ntoskrnl.exe file

If ntoskrnl.exe is indeed missing or corrupt, the original ntoskrnl.exe file can be recovered from your Windows XP installation disc.

1. Put your Windows XP CD into the machine.
2. Your computer should be restarted.
3. When you get the “Press any key to boot from CD” message, press any key to boot into the CD.
4. When the Options screen displays, press R to start Recovery Console.
5. To enter your Administrator password, type it in and press the Enter key.
6. Now that you’ve reached the Command Prompt, type the following command, replacing D: with the letter of the CD drive and C: with the letter of the drive where Windows was installed:

expand D:\i386\ntoskrnl.ex_ C:\Windows\system32\

7. If prompted to overwrite this file, select Yes, and then press Enter to complete the action.

8. Your computer should be restarted.

After the ntoskrnl.exe file is recovered, below is an example of what the PC’s console output should look like:

Fix 6: Run chkdsk

If a corrupt boot or system partition is the source of the problem, it can be fixed by scanning the NTFS or FAT32 partition for faults or corruption. chkdsk checks the disk for files and data.

The steps are as follows:

1. Restart your computer after inserting the Windows CD.
2. When the message “Press any key to boot from CD” appears on your computer, press any key to boot into the CD.
3. At the Options menu, press R to launch the Recovery Console.
4. Hit Enter after entering your Administrator password.
5. Type the following command at the command prompt and press Enter.

chkdsk /r

6. Restart your computer after the chkdsk process is completed. Take note of any warnings or alarms generated by chkdsk.

Here’s a sample of what the chkdsk.exe console output should look like once it’s finished:

Conclusion

I hope you found this information helpful. Please fill out the form below if you have any queries or comments.

User Questions

1. How can I reinstall ntoskrnl.exe if it is missing or corrupted?

• Fix 1:Use Easy Recovery Essentials
• Fix 2:Replace or rebuild a corrupted/incorrect boot.ini.
• Fix 3: Restart the computer in the last known good configuration.
• Fix 4: Disconnect the PS/2 or serial keyboard from the computer.
• Fix 5: Restore the ntoskrnl.exe file.
• Fix 6: Run the chkdsk command.

2. In Windows XP, how do I repair corrupted files?

Use the cmd prompt to repair corrupt files/folders on Windows XP or any other Windows OS.

Install the XP installation cd, exit the menu, and Sfc will launch automatically. When it’s finished, type CHKDSK C: /F. agree to restart, type: EXIT delete cd, restart the computer, CHKDSK starts when the computer is restarted.

3. What is the location of ntoskrnl.exe?

It is generally placed in C: WindowsSystem32. Because it is such an important file for the Microsoft NT operating system, malware programmers and cyber thieves have created a virus called Ntoskrnl.exe to cause damage to software and hardware.

4. Ntoskrnl.exe missing or corrupted, 0x0000098

Ntoskrnl.exe missing or corrupted, 0x0000098 from Windows10

5. NTOSKRNL.EXE is missing or corrupt

NTOSKRNL.EXE is missing or corrupt from techsupport

При старте системы отображается ошибка:

ENG

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt.

<Root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe

Please reinstall a copy of the above file.  

РУС

Не удалось запустить Windows NT, поскольку следующий файл отсутствует или поврежден:

системная_папка_Windows\System32\Ntoskrnl.exe

Установите заново копию указанного выше файла.

 Способы решения проблемы:

 1. Проверить правильность пути Default в файле boot.ini из корневой директории. Для поиска установленных операционных систем и добавления варианта загрузки использовать команду: bootcfg /rebuild

 2. Восстановить файл ntoskrnl.exe с компакт диска в режиме восстановления системы. Если компакт диск с дистрибутивом отличается от инсталлированной системы, необходимо дополнительно заменить два файла: ntldr и ntdetect.com. На жестком диске эти файлы находятся в корневом каталоге, на компакт диске — в папке \I386

 Подробно на сайте поддержки Microsoft: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477