Hello ,everyone here is my problem, I have a desk top that has windows vista home premium installed on it . Recently when I turn the PC on it goes straight to a black screen with text saying 'Windows fail to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause' . Then it would switch to another screen which says: 'Windows fail to load because a required file is missing or corrupt. File: ntsokrn1.exe Status:0xc0000098 . I was told to use the vista CD and try booting up and repair the problem but nothing happens , it doesn't same to matter what buttons I press or do the same screen remains. If some one can explain what's going on or help me get to welcome screen I would greatly appreciated it ,Thanks guys.:confused:

Any changes that either happened or that you perhaps made to your computer around the time that the problem started; particularly any Software or Hardware that you installed or setup.

Try steps below to try the repair
How to automatically repair Windows Vista using Startup Repair

Can you boot in "Safe Mode"?

Start your computer in safe mode - Windows Vista Help

Thanks for responding Perito and seahwk83. There were no hardware install since I got the PC and no software that I am aware of and I tried starting in safe mode several times but it always reverts to the two previous screens and when I put in the Vista CD it doesn't boot up either.

This appears to be some sort of hardware error. It maybe a faulty hard drive, a faulty motherboard, or something similar, although the error, "Windows fail to load because a required file is missing or corrupt. File: ntsokrn1.exe Status:0xc0000098" doesn't necessarily follow. That type of error usually means that there's a corruption in the operating system. You can normally repair that by reinstalling Windows Vista.

I'm not sure what else to suggest to you.

With this type of error, you can only do 1 of 3 things

-Use a system backup if one was made
-do repair installation
-do full re-install from scratch

Are you sure the PC is booting to your CD rom first as opposed the hard drive (which is where you are getting this error through the OS trying to load)

Have you tried to get into safe mode by tapping F8 when PC starts?

To see if machine is able to boot to CD, you need to check the BIOS and make sure you have the CD rom as first boot device

When you first start PC, look at the first screen that comes up and look for key combos to Enter Setup -

Thanks guys for helping me out. Perito I am starting to believe that this might be a hard drive problem ,simply because a friend I spoke to at work today said he had to change his hard drive after having basically the same problem. seahwk83 I did get to the screen that allows you to start in safe mode by tapping F8 but I did not check the BIOS to see if the CD rom is first boot device, I will try again and let you guys know what happens.

Well, if you can get into safe mode - you can try a system restore

Below is same process for Vista

System Restore
-Go down till you see
How to use System Restore to restore Windows XP to a previous state
How to restore Windows XP to a previous state

Here's my two cents. It isactually what Seahawk said.

I would try and reinstall your OS. You had said that your PC doesn't seem to boot from CD, this is because you have to set your first boot device to CD. In this case it will boot off your Cd-ROm instead of your HDD.

Also, like everyone else is saying if you can get into safe mode then that would be a more feasible action only because re-installing your OS is always a last resort.

Rick