How to Fix Ntoskrnl.exe Missing or Corrupt Error

Reviewed by Luigi Oppido

Last Updated: October 27, 2023

Are you seeing an error about a file in System32 called ntoskrnl.exe being missing or corrupt? This common Windows XP error might look scary, but it'll be easy to fix with this simple tutorial!

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Test the error. Before trying the steps below, you can test to fix this error by following these 2 quick tips. Do the following:
- Boot your Windows into Last Known Good Configuration (press F8 at startup to do so)
- Disconnect any PS/2 or serial keyboards you may have and try again.
- If the above doesn't work, continue to the next step.
If you don't have your installation disk, check the Tips section below for alternatives. If you are unsure how to do this check out the Microsoft Knowledge base article ID: 314058 for a quick guide.

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If this doesn’t work, boot into the recovery console once again and try the following:
\boot.ini followed by enter
\boot.ini followed by enter
When prompted for the load identifier enter the name of the installed OS, for exampleMicrosoft Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition followed by enter
followed by enter
followed by enter and then reboot.
expand D:\i386\ntoskrnl.exe C:\Windows\system32 or try to run bootcfg /rebuild

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Question

How do I access the recovery console?

Community Answer

You need a recovery disk. Ask your manufacturer for one or just get the ISO from the Windows website and put it on a CD or USB key and boot from that.

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Question

What do I do if my boot critical file c:\windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe is corrupt and these steps don't correct the problem?

Community Answer

Reinstall Windows or insert a recovery disk to reinstall and repair the missing or corrupt files.

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Tips

If you don't have a Windows installation disk, you need a disk that's called "recovery disk" or "repair disk". These types of disks are bootable and have Command Prompt tools installed.

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To do this simply boot from the operating system install disk as per booting into the recovery console but instead of selectingR for the console select Enter to set up Windows [version] now. Press F8 to accept the Windows licensing agreement and then when it has found the installation press R to start the repair.

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Warnings

Running a Windows repair should be relatively safe but it is worth noting that you should read around the topic if you feel a repair is necessary.

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