ntoskrnl.exe problems on bootup

[sparka]

Well i'm trying to install a new hard drive into my computer simply as a storage device rather than bootable (it is sata).

Anyway, when I try to boot the computer with the drive installed, I get the error about ntoskrnl.exe being corrupt or missing. However, when I disconnect the drive, windows boots perfectly fine.

This probably has something to do with the fact that the drive that I boot from is drive F: and not C: (Although C: IS connected always).

I'm assuming that the fix for this problem is to replace the ntoskrnl.exe file from the XP CD (with the drive connected). The only thing I'm worried about is that the replacement will completely render my installation unbootable.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: sparka
Well i'm trying to install a new hard drive into my computer simply as a storage device rather than bootable (it is sata).

Anyway, when I try to boot the computer with the drive installed, I get the error about ntoskrnl.exe being corrupt or missing. However, when I disconnect the drive, windows boots perfectly fine.

This probably has something to do with the fact that the drive that I boot from is drive F: and not C: (Although C: IS connected always).

I'm assuming that the fix for this problem is to replace the ntoskrnl.exe file from the XP CD (with the drive connected). The only thing I'm worried about is that the replacement will completely render my installation unbootable.

Any ideas or suggestions?

Thanks

If I had to guess I'd say you have a drive arrangement issue, and adding that SATA drive changes the order of your drives, and so you need to go into the BIOS and change the order of your drives so the SATA drive is last.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/124550

Edit: Since the existing software boots your system just fine with the SATA drive removed, clearly the software itself (the exe/DLL file) is fine.