Help with Windows 2000 Professional...

[Insomniak]

Hi guys. I need a favor.

For some reason, I got an error when running the standard disk cleanup utility today in Windows 2000 - I got a "file stop" blue screen error, and restarted.

When attempting to boot, the PC informs me that ntoskrnl.exe is corrupt or missing. Through studious research, I have determined that this means that the boot.ini file is probably corrupt and needs to be replaced.

A simple fix, aside from the fact that I don't have a Win2k boot disk or setup CD on me to boot to windows to fix the file with...

As I'm sure most of you know, on win2k systems, not being able to get to windows means the machine is diabled - there is no does prompt, etc.

 

[Insomniak]

Sorry - posted prematurely.

Anyway, I need someone to copy the boot files and either upload them here for me to download on my roommate's PC or e-mail them to jkulis@elon.edu

I don't have my setup CD because I made the genius move of coming to college without it

Anyway, the files I need can be copied from a working windows 2000 Professional machine. The files will be located in WINNT/System folder. The files I need are:

ntldr
ntdetect


Boot.ini is not neccesary for you to upload >> those can be easily created using notepad, which my roomie has on his PC.

If one of you fine folks could wing these files my way, It'd would be much appreciated...Thanks in advance!!

 

[CTho9305]

In my experience, if those files are reported missing, your system is more hosed than it appears. Good luck though. Doesn't anyone in your dorm have a 2k CD you can borrow? College students tend to be willing to share software .

 

[Insomniak]

Actually, I've found out what the problem is.

I ran disk cleanup, and it always gives the option to compress old files - I think in this case it tried to compress system files, and thus borked some.

I managed to obtain a boot disk set for Win2k, booted on that, and opted to repair my installation - from there, I went in through the manual recovery console, so I could see what was messed up - the console allows you to compare current system files with those that were originally installed.

Anyway, according to that utility, about a dozen or so system files are not equal to the original installed files, and I think those are the ones that Disk Cleanup tried to compress.

Repairing them should be quitw a simple matter....only again, I don't have my CD with me - I think once I retrieve it over Christmas break, I'm going to wear the CD in a jewel case around my neck, removing it only for showers and sex.

Bleh...Oh well...going home in a couple days - Guess I can wait til then to recover :-|

 

[Insomniak]

Kinda weird, how microsoft wouldn't take steps to enure that it's OS doesn't bork itself...I dunno, may have had something to do with the fact that I was logged in as Admin.

Meh, whatever....it will be dealt with.