Windows Update 'reliably' wrecks my system...

As a former computer/comms journo and MS Sales Partner I am totally
dissatisfied with the Windows Update site as far as Win2K is concerned.

In my latest attempt to rescue my system (from Win2K Pro reinstall > SP2
install -- because MS Update did not rpt not let me download SP4 without
crashing the system! -- > SP4 finally installed o.k. > IE6SP1 installed from
mag CD > Windows Update required files -- BITS etc. --- install > downloading
and installing 39 other critical & otherwise updates via the Express method)
IE6.1SP1 crashed in series and sent error reports to MS until I stopped it.

When I restarted the system, I was blithely informed that 'ntoskrnl.exe' was
missing or corrupt! I am now retired, but even at 70 I have better things to
do than fiddle around with endless installs and fixes of my old system (used
only because it holds a Fusion DTV card that used to run reliably under
Win2K...)

I have six computers around my desk, running XP, Win2K and other MS flavours
BUT two are now running Linux (SuSE/Novell). If I can find Linux drivers for
my Fusion card, that will be the third machine to leave the Gates circle!

Not much hassle so far with XP, but I don't want to be forced to an XP
upgrade on the old HDTV machine - which probably would require new hardware
anyway :-)

Any suggestions of how to reinstate the ntoskrnl.exe to a wrecked system? Or
pointers to a possible other culprit, e.g. IE6.1SP1?

Cheers,

L.M.H.

Error Message: Windows Could Not Start Because of a Computer Disk Hardware
Configuration Problem
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314477

How Do I Rectify A Missing or Corrupt Ntoskrnl Error
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how...ing_or_co1.htm


--
==================================
TaurArian [MS-MVP] 2005-2007 - Australia
==================================
http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
"Need more help? http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=ph;en-us;6527
(Links to web pages and MSKB Articles are posted for the purposes of keeping
the information current)


"carioca" <> wrote in message
news:8B872B2A-529B-4C1E-978D-...
> As a former computer/comms journo and MS Sales Partner I am totally
> dissatisfied with the Windows Update site as far as Win2K is concerned.
>
> In my latest attempt to rescue my system (from Win2K Pro reinstall > SP2
> install -- because MS Update did not rpt not let me download SP4 without
> crashing the system! -- > SP4 finally installed o.k. > IE6SP1 installed
> from
> mag CD > Windows Update required files -- BITS etc. --- install >
> downloading
> and installing 39 other critical & otherwise updates via the Express
> method)
> IE6.1SP1 crashed in series and sent error reports to MS until I stopped
> it.
>
> When I restarted the system, I was blithely informed that 'ntoskrnl.exe'
> was
> missing or corrupt! I am now retired, but even at 70 I have better things
> to
> do than fiddle around with endless installs and fixes of my old system
> (used
> only because it holds a Fusion DTV card that used to run reliably under
> Win2K...)
>
> I have six computers around my desk, running XP, Win2K and other MS
> flavours
> BUT two are now running Linux (SuSE/Novell). If I can find Linux drivers
> for
> my Fusion card, that will be the third machine to leave the Gates circle!
>
> Not much hassle so far with XP, but I don't want to be forced to an XP
> upgrade on the old HDTV machine - which probably would require new
> hardware
> anyway :-)
>
> Any suggestions of how to reinstate the ntoskrnl.exe to a wrecked system?
> Or
> pointers to a possible other culprit, e.g. IE6.1SP1?
>
> Cheers,
>
> L.M.H.

Go to Linux...MS / Gates basher.


"carioca" <> wrote in message
news:8B872B2A-529B-4C1E-978D-...
> As a former computer/comms journo and MS Sales Partner I am totally
> dissatisfied with the Windows Update site as far as Win2K is concerned.
>
> In my latest attempt to rescue my system (from Win2K Pro reinstall > SP2
> install -- because MS Update did not rpt not let me download SP4 without
> crashing the system! -- > SP4 finally installed o.k. > IE6SP1 installed
> from
> mag CD > Windows Update required files -- BITS etc. --- install >
> downloading
> and installing 39 other critical & otherwise updates via the Express
> method)
> IE6.1SP1 crashed in series and sent error reports to MS until I stopped
> it.
>
> When I restarted the system, I was blithely informed that 'ntoskrnl.exe'
> was
> missing or corrupt! I am now retired, but even at 70 I have better things
> to
> do than fiddle around with endless installs and fixes of my old system
> (used
> only because it holds a Fusion DTV card that used to run reliably under
> Win2K...)
>
> I have six computers around my desk, running XP, Win2K and other MS
> flavours
> BUT two are now running Linux (SuSE/Novell). If I can find Linux drivers
> for
> my Fusion card, that will be the third machine to leave the Gates circle!
>
> Not much hassle so far with XP, but I don't want to be forced to an XP
> upgrade on the old HDTV machine - which probably would require new
> hardware
> anyway :-)
>
> Any suggestions of how to reinstate the ntoskrnl.exe to a wrecked system?
> Or
> pointers to a possible other culprit, e.g. IE6.1SP1?
>
> Cheers,
>
> L.M.H.

I've got the CD in the machine right now :-)

"QXER" wrote:

> Go to Linux...MS / Gates basher.
>
>
> "carioca" <> wrote in message
> news:8B872B2A-529B-4C1E-978D-...
> > As a former computer/comms journo and MS Sales Partner I am totally
> > dissatisfied with the Windows Update site as far as Win2K is concerned.
> >
> > In my latest attempt to rescue my system (from Win2K Pro reinstall > SP2
> > install -- because MS Update did not rpt not let me download SP4 without
> > crashing the system! -- > SP4 finally installed o.k. > IE6SP1 installed
> > from
> > mag CD > Windows Update required files -- BITS etc. --- install >
> > downloading
> > and installing 39 other critical & otherwise updates via the Express
> > method)
> > IE6.1SP1 crashed in series and sent error reports to MS until I stopped
> > it.
> >
> > When I restarted the system, I was blithely informed that 'ntoskrnl.exe'
> > was
> > missing or corrupt! I am now retired, but even at 70 I have better things
> > to
> > do than fiddle around with endless installs and fixes of my old system
> > (used
> > only because it holds a Fusion DTV card that used to run reliably under
> > Win2K...)
> >
> > I have six computers around my desk, running XP, Win2K and other MS
> > flavours
> > BUT two are now running Linux (SuSE/Novell). If I can find Linux drivers
> > for
> > my Fusion card, that will be the third machine to leave the Gates circle!
> >
> > Not much hassle so far with XP, but I don't want to be forced to an XP
> > upgrade on the old HDTV machine - which probably would require new
> > hardware
> > anyway :-)
> >
> > Any suggestions of how to reinstate the ntoskrnl.exe to a wrecked system?
> > Or
> > pointers to a possible other culprit, e.g. IE6.1SP1?
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > L.M.H.
>
>
>

note to myself (in case I forget this 'fix') and others on 'doing it my way'
(quicker/easier for me than the recovery console path):

I seem to have rescued my ntoskrnl-missing-or-corrupt Win2K system in the
following manner:

1. I installed a fresh copy of Win2K on to a second disk in my machine from
the original unpatched FPP CD.

2. I then booted this system and searched for all instances of ntoskrnl.exe
on both HDs.

3. From the 13 instances I found, I selected the one most likely (by date of
modification) and copied it to the \system32 directory.

4. I then rebooted and selected the original winnt installation that had
crashed (I renamed the other 'repair' so I could differentiate between them)
- unfortunately, I'd picked the wrong ntoskrnl instance, so back to step 3 :-)

5. Logging on to the "patched" installation that was crashing with the
ntoskrnl.exe missing or corrupt message, the beast accepted my substituted
ntoskrnl instance and allowed me to log on!

CAUTIONS: I have NOT yet tried calling up the latest downloaded version of
IE6 that was giving serial error msgs. AND my FusionHDTV tray program crashed
upopn loading with an unexplained error -- still working on that!

SUGGESTION TO MS: would it be entirely too difficult to patch the backup
procedure so that it leds me create an Emergency Recovery Disk (ERD) WITHOUT
having a floppy drive in the machine? And while they're at it: accept DVDs as
backup media...

Here's hope!

"carioca" wrote:

> I've got the CD in the machine right now :-)
>
> "QXER" wrote:
>
> > Go to Linux...MS / Gates basher.
> >
> >
> > "carioca" <> wrote in message
> > news:8B872B2A-529B-4C1E-978D-...
> > > As a former computer/comms journo and MS Sales Partner I am totally
> > > dissatisfied with the Windows Update site as far as Win2K is concerned.
> > >
> > > In my latest attempt to rescue my system (from Win2K Pro reinstall > SP2
> > > install -- because MS Update did not rpt not let me download SP4 without
> > > crashing the system! -- > SP4 finally installed o.k. > IE6SP1 installed
> > > from
> > > mag CD > Windows Update required files -- BITS etc. --- install >
> > > downloading
> > > and installing 39 other critical & otherwise updates via the Express
> > > method)
> > > IE6.1SP1 crashed in series and sent error reports to MS until I stopped
> > > it.
> > >
> > > When I restarted the system, I was blithely informed that 'ntoskrnl.exe'
> > > was
> > > missing or corrupt! I am now retired, but even at 70 I have better things
> > > to
> > > do than fiddle around with endless installs and fixes of my old system
> > > (used
> > > only because it holds a Fusion DTV card that used to run reliably under
> > > Win2K...)
> > >
> > > I have six computers around my desk, running XP, Win2K and other MS
> > > flavours
> > > BUT two are now running Linux (SuSE/Novell). If I can find Linux drivers
> > > for
> > > my Fusion card, that will be the third machine to leave the Gates circle!
> > >
> > > Not much hassle so far with XP, but I don't want to be forced to an XP
> > > upgrade on the old HDTV machine - which probably would require new
> > > hardware
> > > anyway :-)
> > >
> > > Any suggestions of how to reinstate the ntoskrnl.exe to a wrecked system?
> > > Or
> > > pointers to a possible other culprit, e.g. IE6.1SP1?
> > >
> > > Cheers,
> > >
> > > L.M.H.
> >
> >
> >