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Error Messages When You Start Your Computer if Windows Program Files Are Missing or Damaged

Article ID: 812450 - View products that this article applies to.

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SYMPTOMS

When you start your computer, you may receive an error message that is similar to the either of the following:

Windows could not start because of an error in the software

Load needed DLL's for Kernel

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CAUSE

This behavior may occur if Windows XP or Windows 2000 program files are either missing or damaged.

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To resolve this behavior, start your computer from Windows installation CD-ROM , and then perform an in-place upgrade of Windows. For additional information about how to do so, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

315341

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341/EN-US/ )

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP

292175

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/292175/EN-US/ )

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows 2000

If Setup does not recognize your current installation of Windows when you try to perform an in-place upgrade, you cannot use an in-place upgrade to repair your installation of Windows. In this situation, you may have to completely reinstall Windows on your computer.

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MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about how to troubleshoot startup problems in Windows XP, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

308041

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308041/EN-US/ )

Resources for Troubleshooting Startup Problems in Windows XP

For additional information about how to troubleshoot startup problems in Windows 2000, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

315396

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315396/EN-US/ )

HOW TO: Troubleshoot Startup Problems in Windows 2000

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