o shi... - I broke my WinXP
 

Help guys - I did something stupid.

I installed a new Win XP Pro boot screen by overwriting ntoskrnl.exe in windows\system32. The problem is that I installed the ordinary version when I should have used the SP1 version. Now the machine reboots at the end of the boot cycle.

So.

Is there any way I can get a command prompt (I backed up the original file)? I don't have a boot disk, and the safe mode with command prompt option still needs ntoskrnl.exe. Can I download an emergency boot disk from Microsoft?

Thanks in advance.

install the Recovery console or boot with XP CD and use the recovery console option


http://support.microsoft.com/default...p%3Bln%3Den-gb


its always a good idea to install it before disaster strikes, but its easy enough to get to after

Brilliant - I'll try that.

One problem is that my disks are an hour and a half's drive away, but I'm sure I can arrange something.

Net time use BootXP to change your boot screen and you won't have any problems.

www.bootxp.net

charliex - I decided that the only (or, least stressful) way to sirt this was to drive to where my disks are. It's all sorted now, thanks to the Recovery Console.

BoCo - yup, BootXP next time. Thanks.