ntoskrnl.exe file corrupted or missing

[Wiro]

I just downloaded Microsoft updates. As soon as it finished updating, it rebooted my computer. Once completed, I started getting error with the meassge displayed as

Windows NT could not start because the below file is missing or corrupt:
C:\Winnt\System32\Ntoskrnl.exe.

How do I solve this problem?

[mv]

There are several causes that can give you such kind of error messages such as your hdd or windows might be corrupt or you erased may be accidentally a related file of C:\Winnt\System32\Ntoskrnl.exe in your local settings in C:\

Repair your Windows installation with Windows bootable disk.

[Rajesh4mLA]

May be because of Missing or Corrupt boot.ini file. This issue often arises after a user has recently added or removed an operating system on the computer or added or removed hard disk drives in the computer. If the boot.ini is severely corrupted or missing a user running Microsoft Windows XP can rebuild the boot.ini to resolve this issue.

[sergioKomic]

Missing or corrupt ntoskrnl.exe file

To restore this file follow the below steps:

1. Insert the Microsoft Windows XP CD.
2. Reboot the computer, as the computer is starting you should see a message to press any key to boot from the CD. When you see this message press any key.
3. In the Microsoft Windows XP setup menu press the R key to enter the recovery console.
4. Select the operating system you wish to fix, and then enter the administrator password.
5. Type expand d:\i386\ntoskrnl.ex_ c:\windows\system32
6. You will then be prompted if you wish to overwrite the file type Y and press enter to overwrite the file.
7. Type exit to reboot the computer.

[Alexisus]

check your boot.ini file make sure it is pointing to the correct drive, partition, directory

if it is on drive cor the first partition) it should look like

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect