"Ntoskrnl.exe Could Not Be Loaded" Error Message on PXE Client (262268)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
This article was previously published under Q262268

SYMPTOMS

When you are booting a Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE) client, you may receive the following error message:
Windows 2000 Setup

File \Setup\English\IMAGES\ImageFolderName\I386\Ntoskrnl.exe could not be loaded.

The error code is 21

Setup cannot continue. Press any key to exit.

CAUSE

This error message can occur if the Ntoskrnl.exe file is corrupted, missing, or the wrong version (for Windows 2000 build 2195, the version number should be 5.0.2195.1).

This problem occurs whenever anything is wrong with the Ntoskrnl.exe file in a Remote Installation Service (RIS) image.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, copy the Ntoskrnl.exe file from the retail Windows 2000 CD-ROM or from the appropriate service pack to the folder that contains the RIS image that you are attempting to install.

Sample path on the RIS server:

Drive:\RemoteInstall\Setup\English\IMAGES\ImageFolderName\I386\

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:11/7/2003
Keywords:kberrmsg kbprb kbsetup w2000setup KB262268
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