vaio pcg-k33 with strange problem

Hello to all, someone brought me a sony vaio pcg-k33, they said they have not used it for a while and wanted to fixit up and use it for a second laptop. the only problem that they knew was that it would not load windows(they said it gave an error message).

ok, they told me they dont need any thing on it and it was ok to wipe it. cool

so when I started it just to see what the error was, this is what I get windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

<windows root>system32 ntoskrnl.exe
please reinstall a copy of the above file.


still I said to my self why not start fresh, so when I tried to reinstall xp, I get "press any key to boot from os" I get the blue windows setup screen where its loading all the setup files but as soon as it says "setup is starting windows'" the screen goes black(as if its in sleep mode) but the laptop is still running

FYI

I have tried different memory I got the same problem, I removed the battery same problem

I also tried different oem xp cds

also something that is strange theres no xp coa sticker on the bottom of this laptop, is that normal for a vaio laptop?



can anyone here help, I could use it


thanks in advance

 

If you are re-installing xp you should select, press any key to boot from CD.

 

if you read my post you will see I did "press any key" it starts the setup process then right after it says "windows is starting setup" thats when the screen goes blank


as of now what Iam about to do is install the harddrive as a slave(in another system) and see if I can restore the ntoskrnl.exe file

 

In your post it said boot from OS. Sorry, I misunderstood.
maybe one of the ram slots is bad. Could be bad sector on drive.
Again, my apologies and good luck with the drive.

 

not a problem ETS, This problem is just frustrating. I tried a different harddrive with the same results, I tried different memory with the same results(I also ran mem test and it came up good)

I dont know what else to try, could it be a motherboard problem?

I have ran out of clues

someone please help, any suggestions ?

 

when you mean different harddrive, is that means a complete new harddisk you have to replace with the one in the computer, or just another partition on the same harddrive. also did you try format or fdisk your harddisk? what i guess is that, could be bad sectors in the harddrive that the system files was located or going to generate during the booting into window that will locat at the bad sector fragment or somewhere near it. also try to run a harddrive bad sector scan.

 

I tried a different harddrive, and Iam getting the same results right after it says "setup is starting windows" its like the laptop goes into sleep mode. could this be a motherboard problem?

 

**UPDATE**

I have tried a few things....

1st what I tried was, I used a spare laptop(with a spare harddrive) installed a fresh copy of win xp(home). once the installation was complete I ran sysprep(to null the HAL layer) after that I installed the new harddrive in to the vaio laptop hoping to fix the " missing ntoskrnl.exe file error" but it did not help just before the windows load screen I get the infamous black screen. so I thought let me try and boot in to safe mode with command prompt. and this showed me something that might help(although I still got the black screen, the help came on when I got it). once windows is loading up start up files(starting in "safe mode with command prompt"} if pauses after it loads this driver... windows/system32/drivers/agp440.sys then the screen goes blank!

this tells me that something to do with the video card/ video card driver is suspect! I know that in safe mode windows loads a basic video driver so what could cause the black out?
--

I have also disconnected the cmos battery for over 1hr and tried the press the power button twice for 30 seconds, but I still get the same results!


can anyone share some info?

**edit**
spelling

 

**UPDATE**

AS OF YESTERDAY I have tired....

since while trying to boot from windows in safe mode it blacks out after(or trying to load) the vga.sys file

and I downloaded the knoppix iso and ran it, and after ....

starting udev- hot- plug hardware detection.....
is when the screen blacks out like when starting windows

someone told me it sounds like a tried blacklight converter!

could this be and how can you test this to be certain?