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Message: 'Load DLL's needed for the kernel' prevents Win XP startup

griffon56
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Posted November 4, 2012 at 4:33PM

My problem is that an old computer running Win XP SP3 suddenly will not go beyond POST on startup but hangs with the message that DLL's are needed for the kernel. It will not go beyond this point or recognise/boot-from the CD/DVD drive so that I can perform a repair or reload, as advised by Microsoft and VOG2 in an old PCA answer. The MS KB is useless on the subject. The machine has a floppy drive, can this be used to load the relevant DLL's and if so where would I get them?

I'd really appreciate a solution to this because the old machine runs useful legacy programs which will not run on a 64 bit Win 7 machine. Upgrade?, down grade more like!

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Jollyjohn

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Posted November 4, 2012 at 4:47PM

Can you get into the bios / setup screens? If so double check that boot order is cd drive then hdd.

Is the cd / dvd bootable?

If you have an old W98 boot floppy and your pc will boot from it, an it then recognises a cd drive, it might be possible to copy the required dll files - but it would be much simpler to run a repair of XP if we can persuade the pc to boot from a cd.

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Fruit Bat /\0/\

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Posted November 4, 2012 at 6:46PM

Put XP CD in the drive

boot to BIOS

set the boot order in BIOS as CD first HDD second select save and exit (F10)

watch for the message "press any key to boot from CD"

If not getting message then check date in BIOS, if date incorrect then CMOS battery is dead and not retaining BIOS settings.

Repair XP by install over the top of existing system

  1. When you see the "Welcome To Setup" screen, you will see This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft Windows XP to run on your computer:

To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.

To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R.

To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.

  1. Press Enter to start the Windows Setup.

To setup Windows XP now and Repair Install , press ENTER.

DO NOT choose "To repair a Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, press R", (you Do Not want to load Recovery Console).

  1. Accept the License Agreement and Windows will search for existing Windows installations.

  2. Select the XP installation you want to repair from the list and press R to start the repair.

  3. Setup will copy the necessary files to the hard drive and reboot.

Do not press any key to boot from CD when the message appears.

Setup will continue as if it were doing a clean install, but your applications and settings will remain intact.

Repair XP http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

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griffon56

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Posted November 5, 2012 at 11:36AM

Thank you JJ, I have a Win98 boot floppy, I'll give your idea a try.

Thanks too FruitBat, I have set the bios as you suggested and the date/time is correct, but it won't go beyond POST because of this so-called lack of kernel DLL's. If JJ's suggestion works, I'll be able to access the CD and perhaps make a repair from there. Thanks both for your interest. R

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griffon56

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Posted November 6, 2012 at 10:24AM

FruitBat, I followed your tip with no success, I was left with the same message as before at the top of a blank screen, the machine had not gone beyond POST.

JJ, your tip worked so far and CD drivers were loaded but I was left at an A:\ prompt without a working keyboard and no means of going to the D:\ drive.

If I can make the keyboard work, I did think of re-loading Win 98SE for which I have an original disc somewhere, but from memory it was very slow in running the photo editing program I want to load. However, needs must when the devil drives, so I might give it a try, and, if I did, I might be able to upgrade to WinXP from 98. Presumably the required DLL's are on the 98 system disc and could be carried over into an XP reload?

Any more ideas? Regards, R

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Jollyjohn

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Posted November 6, 2012 at 11:31AM

Good morning

USB keyboard? - have you a ps/2 one to try?

If you do get a working keyboard it can take a bit of work to copy the relevant dll file across. You may need to extract them, look up DOS help for exact syntax of command.

Double check your cd/dvd disc is bootable. Are you getting the "Press any key to boot from cd.." message? And is your keyboard working at this point to boot from CD!

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griffon56

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Posted November 7, 2012 at 5:13PM

Yes thank you JollyJohn I have a PS2 mouse and keyboard, a Win98 Startup floppy and the Win98SE system disc so I'm going to give it a try and then see whether I can upgrade to WinXP. I never thought I'd ever say that!

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griffon56

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Posted November 14, 2012 at 4:52PM

Thank you JJ and all, the idea worked and WinXP is now running OK on the old machine.

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