[hcook]

We lost power and when I returned home and try to start our computer, the main screen comes up, and then a black screen appears and states:

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt.
<windowsroot>\syste32\ntoskrnl.exe.
Please reinstall a copy of the above file.

How do I do this, it won't let me do anything ?

[wannabe1]

Hello hcook...

Does your machine have a working floppy drive?

Do you have a Windows 98 Startup Disk (floppy)?

wannabe1

[hcook]

All I got with the computer are two recovery disks, I tried to reinstall thru those, and tried to a couple of ideas I got from looking at old emails here, nothing. The keyboard is not functional, which I see happens at sone point. All I can get to the is the screen that says "R" for recovery, etc.... It will not allow meet to select any of these functions. It's at a standstill.

[wannabe1]

Does the machine you are posting from now have a working floppy drive?

Does the broken machine have a floppy drive?

[hcook]

Neither has a floppy drive, they both have CD Rom drives. My computer at home is a Compaq Presario SR 1954 NX, It only has DVD/CD writer, USB drive, no floppy drive.

[wannabe1]

Tap the F8 key as the machine is starting. Are you able to access the Advanced Boot Options screen? (Will have Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, etc...)

[hcook]

If we put Recovery Disk 1 of 2 in, it pops up a screen that allows us to do the following

"R" for standard PC recovery options,
" F" to format the hard drive and install the orginial factory settings, all date will be lost !
" Q" to quit this menu.

However the keyboard acts as if it is broken or disconnected and does not allow us to enter any of these options.

[wannabe1]

Try to access the Advanced Boot Options without any disks in the drive. What we're attempting to do is get to a command session so we can work in DOS.

[hcook]

At home my husband just powered up and hit and held F1 which is system set up and it gave him a page that says:

Phoenix-AwardBIOS CMOS Set up utlitity

Main Advanced Power Boot Exit

System Time: ( Correct Time)
System Date: ( Correct Date)
Language ( Correct)

Floppy Diskette A Not installed
First channel Device 0 None
First Channel Device None

Second Channel Device 0 TFST corp CD\DVD

There is more to this page.....

Is this what we need?

[wannabe1]

That's not what I was looking for, but is very telling none-the-less.

Quote

Floppy Diskette A Not installed
First channel Device 0 None
First Channel Device None

Second Channel Device 0 TFST corp CD\DVD

The machine is not detecting the Hard Drive. This would lead me to believe the drive has either failed or is not connected properly.

[hcook]

So how do we fix this? Can I or do I need to take it in for repair?

[wannabe1]

Replacing the Hard Drive is usually a pretty straight forward operation on Compaq machines. The service manual gives fair instructions on how to accomplish the replacement. You'll need to determine whether the machine is using a SATA drive or a PATA drive. As a rule, PATA drives connect using a wide flat data cable (ribbon).

I'd be willing to bet that once you have installed a new HDD, the recovery disks you have will work as they should to reinstall Windows.

[hcook]

so I need to buy a new hard drive correct, and I go somewhere like Best Buy for this, where we originally purchased it.

[wannabe1]

As you are still running Windows 98, I think I can safely assume that it's not under warranty.

Best Buy should be able to provide you with a hard drive, though they are usually quite a bit cheaper at on line retailers like NewEgg.

Whether you want to do the replacement or have it done for you is entirely up to you. Best Buy (Geek Squad) charges quite a bit to do what you may be able to do at home in less than an hour. I think the only tool required is a screw driver. Have a look at the instructions...if you don't feel comfortable with them, take it to someone.

[hcook]

Ok, thank you so much. I have replaced the Video card, so I think I can handle the harddrive. It's just ordering the correct one that matters.. Thank you again.