Windows 2000 startup failure after repartitioning: The server now shows ‘‘Windows 2000 could not start because \system32 toskrnl.exe is missing or corrupt.’’ What change will correctly fix the boot path after adding a new partition?

Introduction / Context:
After resizing or adding partitions with a third-party tool, Windows 2000 may fail to boot with an ntoskrnl.exe error. Frequently, the kernel file is intact; the real problem is that the ARC path in Boot.ini points to the wrong partition, so NTLDR looks in the wrong place for the Windows folder.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Single disk, originally a single NTFS partition.
• A new partition was added and the partition order changed.
• Error references \system32\ntoskrnl.exe missing/corrupt immediately after POST.

Concept / Approach:
Boot.ini uses an ARC path like multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(n)\WINNT. Adding a partition can increment the partition index for the Windows volume. Correcting the partition(n) value in Boot.ini restores the loader's ability to find ntoskrnl.exe.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
From Recovery Console, list directories on candidate partitions (dir c:\, dir d:\winnt, etc.) to confirm where \WINNT resides before editing Boot.ini.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• System File Checker requires a running OS; it does not fix ARC path issues.
• Emergency Repair for system files won't correct an incorrect Boot.ini partition pointer.
• Safe Mode cannot be reached because the loader fails before kernel initialization.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing drive letters with ARC partition numbers; drive letters in Recovery Console may differ from those in Windows. Always confirm the actual Windows directory before editing.

Final Answer:
Start the computer by using the Recovery Console and modify the Partition parameter in the operating system path in C:\Boot.ini