Missing or corrupt boot file

[Odd Job]

Have just installed windows 7 ultimate 64 bit, but when I try to boot to that OS (I have dual boot setup with XP pro as the other OS), I get a message;

 

<Windows Root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe is missing or corrupt, please reinstall this file.

 

Firstly where can I find this file, and secondly where/how do I install it.

 

Thanks for any assistance.

[DSTM]

I suggest you do a Repair Install, if you have the Disc.

[Odd Job]

Strange thing is that it will boot to windows 7 if I leave the disk in the drive, in fact that it is all it will boot to as the boot screen will not give me the list of installed OS's so that I can choose which one to boot to. This option only shows up if I remove the disk, but then it will not boot to win 7.

 

I have done a bit of research and I think it is to do with conflicting boot.ini files, and conflicting drive letters. However I cannot find a boot.ini file for Win 7 in order to check this.

 

I have three identical sata drives, all set as basic drives - not dynamic. One has windows xp installed and one has windows 7. This where the conflict starts. When I am in windows xp, under computer management, the xp drive is listed as C: (system, boot) with windows 7 as drive F: (active, primary partition) the spare drive as drive G:, the 2 dvd drives are D: and E:

 

However, when I boot into windows 7 and go into computer management, thewin 7 drive is listed as C: (system, boot) and the xp drive is D: (active, primary) and the spare drive as E: with the 2 dvd's as G: and H:.

 

The three drives are listed correctly as disk 0, disk 1, and disk 2, in both OS's, it is just the drive letters that are different, and the boot drives are listed differently too (disk 0 under xp and disk 2 under win 7.

 

It looks like I've got a right mess to somehow sort out.

 

Any ideas anyone ?

[DSTM]

Which ever OS system,you have open is your C:drive

That is why the Drive letters change.:)

Edited November 1, 2010 by DSTM

[DSTM]

Your Boot manager will not work unless the latest OS (Windows7) was installed last.

There are a number of ways to get your Boot Manager to work again,however I favour a Repair Install. Save your Documents just in case you make a stuff up.:)