\windows\system32\l_intl.nls

Hi,
and thanks for your reply and help.

I tried both :
At F8 "licence agreement" I took the repair option.
Sadly, it didnt work.
Then I tried the "Overinstall" - opting to delete the WindowsOS, leave the files intact, and install a new OS.
Sadly, that didnt work either.
When it came to reboot to complete the installation, the same fault/error message resurfaced.
I dont know enough to know whether or not this now means there is some kind of deep rooted fault in the boot sector of the hard drive, nor do I know how to repair it.
I know I always have the final option of installing an OS in a different partition (maybe that wont work?) or a complete format and fresh reinstall?

One last question, does anyone have any idea what may have caused this problem?

Thanks again

Thanks for your help

If I could actually get into the computer that is suffering the problem, i would try the system restore you mention. Sadly, it is, to all intents and purposes, dead.
On the infected computer, it was running Trend Micro PCCillin (updated every day automatically). This is a Firewall and AV scanner (real time) that is exactly the same as the one I have run on my main PC for 2 years with little problem.
Also installed on the computer that is now dead are :
WindowsWasher6 (autoclean on browser shutdown)
Spybot Search&Destroy (latest version - updated daily)
Lavasoft AdAware SE version 6 (updated daily)
Spybot TeaTimer (blocks and immunizes all attempts to write to the registry from known spyaware sites and cookies)
As you can see, it isnt because either computer was left to fend for itself in the dirty world of Internet cookie-bugs and SUbSeven nightmares...lol
Basically...this fault makes no sense, and its looking terminal..yet there is no reasoning to it, nor is there an easy fix.

Thanks for your input anyways.

Yep... good idea about the file retrieval
I built both PC`s and have been a self taught minor league techie for a few years. I`ll probably port the HD to my own PC and retrieve what I can and then format it from there too.
Its just such a major PITA having to do a full reinstall less than 3 weeks after the last one.

Oh well..I`ll just chalk this up to YET ANOTHER Microsoft screw up with no reason nor explanation.
Thanks again!

Dennile. I have been giving some more thought to your problem and it occured to me that you might save yourself the drag of manually reinstalling all your files and programs. Depending on the size of your harddrive on the good computer (which tend to be enormous these days) you may be able to make a new partition on your main comp, and transfer your dtuff to the new partition. Once there you can format the old drive and install the OS. Then you can transfer the new partition to the new drive. May be worth a try Have fun Stewart

Since you already tried a clean install and it still didn't work, I would not recommend any further attempts on that same hard drive.

Get a new drive and start from scratch. If the new one does not install either, change the CDRom and see if it helps. After you get the system up and runnig, just add the old C drive as an extra and drag off the files you want.

Installing on another partition of the same drive may cause the same problem if the drive is failing and you may destroy whatever data you have.

A final footnote to this query :

After accepting that a full format and reinstall was my only available option, I removed the drive and placed it in my main PC, thus managing to save important documents and schoolwork.
However, after then performing a full format using an old Dos disk (I find this a much "cleaner" way of cleaning a drive than using the format command on a WIndows XP disk ) I was astonished to find that after deleting all old partitions when Windows XP installation offered the choice, then reassigning a new partition, then starting a new installation of Windows XP, the moment it came to reboot after loading the setup files, there was the same problem all over again.
Think of this...
This fault /error report occurred initially on a fully installed , registered, verified, WinXP OS.
After a full Format, and repartition, within minutes the same fault was being reported BEFORE the new installation had even gotten to the actual setup screen. (???)
For now, I have partition the drive into two 10 Gig partitions.
On partition 2, there is a fresh installation of WInXP that seems to be working ok, and on Partition one, there is a failed Install attempt of a second WIndows XP OS>
This means I now have a dual boot option startup, both of WInXP.
1 works, the other is completely useless and unremovable.

I guess the only option is a new Hard drive...but...I cant help wondering just what kind of fault can occur on a piece of hardware, specifying the reason as a single software file from WindowsXP as its failure, can occur on an established working drive, and then manifest itself again on a fresh install on a fully formatted clean drive>?

Hmmmmm....Microsoft eh? Cant live with them, cant live without them, and illegal to shoot them.

Hello,

Actually what you describe is not surprising nor is it a sign of a bad hard drive.

A full format does not remove or rewrite the Master Boot Sector nor does it alter the partition table.

Likely a simple repair with FIXBOOT would have solved your problem. Using DOS based tools with an NT based system is potentially problematic too as the System ID field can be populated with a value that the system doesn't recognize (such as 0x0B or 0x0C)--same applies to some versions of third party partitioning.

On any total re-installation you are better advised to boot with the OS CD and completely repartition and format the drive during the installation when the options are offered.

Hiya,
Thnaks for your input
The "whooshing" noise you hear, is the sound of some of what you said sailing straight over my head...lol

I`m afraid my knowledge System ID fields populating values of 0x0B and 0x0C were just way beyond anything I`m able to understand.

What I did understand was the last part.
Booting with the actual OS CD , deleting partitions, formatting, etc...was tried with the original (genuine legal) WinXP Home CD.
This was the method that brought up the exact same error message on reinstall (early stage, straight after pressing f8 for the license agreement).
It was only after using...**cough**.... a Win98 rescue disk, that I could get to the actual Command prompt to use the Format command, and this was done after using FDisk in Dos to delete the partitions.
At present, I have managed to create two more partitions of 10gig, and have a single WinXP operating system installed on one of them.
This time, I chose to have the install use FAT32 instead of NTFS, but to be perfectly honest, neither myself nor my daughters have much confidence in the system any more.
We have had a few other nagging problems, and I`m sure thats due to the fact that the PC in question is actually a Frankenstein`s monster. It was built by me from old components of my own, and others I picked up from friends.
I think the next step (logical) is to bury this one, and buy compatible components and build a newer one.

What he was trying to tell you is this. DO NOT USE FDISK for Windows XP.
Boot on the OS CD and delete all the partitions, then install on a blank disk. If this fails, then you have a hardware problem. Memory, bad mainboard, bad CDROM, bad CPU, Low output or erratic output PSU, etc can be the cause, but usually it is one of three things.
CDROM, Memory or Hard Drive.

If you use a new hard drive and have Zero install problems, then your old drive is the problem.

I have not seen where you have tried anything other than installing on the same hardware over again.
Also, why 2 partitions or only 10 gig. Make one partition of the full 20 gig (wipe every partition on the drive and start over using the XP CD).

Don't use anything other tahn the XP CD and make it NTFS not FAT32.

Posted by: Merl Priester Posted on: 11/29/2004 7:28 AM
"What he was trying to tell you is this. DO NOT USE FDISK for Windows XP.
Boot on the OS CD and delete all the partitions, then install on a blank disk. If this fails, then you have a hardware problem."

Umm...I think I got what he was saying thanks

What *I* was saying was... THAT DIDNT WORK!
I repeat.......after using the OS CD, AND deleting all partitions, AND formatting using NTFS, AND formatting using FAT32 ( Yes i tried everywhichway I could), as soon as I started the reinstall of my OS, and hit the F8 "accept licence" sequence, WIndows setup started, but the moment it rebooted to kick into the actual setup sequence screens (graphics, user info, how wonderful XP is etc) BEFORE it got to that, the blank screen came up again with the same error report.

You may not have seen where I tried installing the OS on different hardware... but that`s pretty self explanatory, seeing as how I didnt have any other hardware spare. So, if all I got is a 20 Gig HDD, guess what? Thats what i`ll try all my efforts on

Finally, "why two partitions *or* only 10 gig?"
Simple reason again.
Left as a 20gig single partition, the OS install kept failing because..er... I was getting a blank screen with an error message.
Creating two 10 gig partitions and using the second partition for the OS...has...surprisingly...worked out fine for now.

Sorry, but I DID use something "Other than the XP CD" and I DID choose FAT32.

It may end up biting me in the butt in the long or short run, but for now, the system is working perfectly

May I just say, that I`m well aware that the pixellated method of human interaction often loses nuance and warmth, and we can often misread emotions that arent really intended, but your post came across as a little patronising and condescending. I`m no techno-geek, and my knowledge of all this kind of thing is limited, but hopefully that doesnt make me dull or dim or in need of a verbal slapping
So, thank you for your input, but as you can see, I did exactly the opposite of what you suggested, and for now, all is working fine

There was nothing patronising about anything in my post.
I offered advice on how to go about fixing the problem.

If the only way this works is to put it on a second partition then the problem is still not fixed, as correctly working hardware does not require this.

Glad you are happy with the way it is working, but I would not trust anything on that hard drive.

Posted by: Merl Priester Posted on: 11/29/2004 8:38 PM

"If the only way this works is to put it on a second partition then the problem is still not fixed, as correctly working hardware does not require this."

Yep, I think I mentioned that myself way way back in this thread, but thankyou for reminding me.

"Glad you are happy with the way it is working, but I would not trust anything on that hard drive."

well...I had two choices didnt I ? Leave the computer as a hulking piece of cream plastic and metal with no use other than as a doorstop, or find a way of getting it to work until I can get a new hard drive.
CDwriters are pretty handy for saving vital work too.
So while I may not be in raptures over what happened, yes, I am "happy" that its at least working for now
Thanks again for your input.

1. Is it? First, you state, "windows can not start because its the file \windows\system32\l_intl.nls is missing", which I do not believe for a minute is the exact and correct error reported, whether by the system somehow or WinXP. Second, is it possible the error is along the lines of "\windows\system32\L_intl.nlf" which would indicate either:

? There are incorrect settings in the computer's basic input/output system (BIOS) configuration - Restore the Default BIOS Settings.
-or-
? One or more of the random access memory (RAM) modules that is installed on the computer is faulty - Remove the Faulty RAM module.

Note: There are also Microsoft DLL files "L_intl", and if there is such a file as "1_ntl.nls" -- a National Language Support (NLS) issued by Microsoft, I cannot find it -- at least not at the moment.

2. However, after then performing a full format using an old Dos disk (I find this a much "cleaner" way of cleaning a drive than using the format command on a Windows XP disk ) I was astonished to find that after deleting all old partitions when Windows XP installation offered the choice, then reassigning a new partition, then starting a new installation of Windows XP, the moment it came to reboot after loading the setup files, there was the same problem all over again.

The best I can offer is still that stated in #1 above, and that I do not believe it's an Windows situation, regardless of whether the file name is correct or not.

3. After verifying that stated in #1 above, use the instructions from the Elder Geek site, "Clean Install Procedure with Illustrative Screen Captures."

Bill,

I do think that if you search your computer you will indeed locate the l_intl.nls file (that is lowercase el underscore eye en tee el dot en el es in case you were seeing the initial character as the numeral one)

and if there is such a file as "1_ntl.nls" -- a National Language Support (NLS) issued by Microsoft, I cannot find it
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;102987

Other references (mostly unrelated to current problem):
http://search.microsoft.com/search/results.aspx?st=b&na=88&View=en-us&qu=l_intl.nls

I don't know how many hours I've spent today fooling with the MS search features -- one thing I know is that things aren't being consistant using Win98, IE5.01sp2.

1. http://search.microsoft.com/search/results.aspx?st=b&na=88&View=en-us&qu=l_intl.nls

Results 1 - 26 . . . Thanks.

Note: My using the Basic search (somewhat different): http://search.microsoft.com/search/search.aspx?View=en-us&st=b&qu=l_intl.nls

Results 1 - 26 . . .

Advanced: http://search.microsoft.com/search/search.aspx?View=en-us&st=a&qu=l_intl.nls

This exact phrase: L_intl.nls

Results 1 - 26 . . .

2. If I use the following search engine URL at Microsoft:

http://support.microsoft.com/search/?adv=1&spid=1173
For: L_intl.nls
Search Product: Microsoft Windows XP
Product Filter: Filtered Search
Search Type: Full Text
Using: All of the words entered or The exact phrase entered
Modified: Anytime
Results: Community Solutions Content
Categories: Unchecked box for "Downloads" only

http://support.microsoft.com/search/default.aspx?query=L_intl.nls&catalog=LCID%3D1033&pwt=false&title=false&kt=ALL&mdt=0&comm=1&ast=1&ast=3&ast=8&ast=9&mode=a&x=13&y=11

There are no documents that match your search for "L_intl.nls"

3. If I change Search Product: All Products

Results 1-2

XADM: How to Manually Add Code Pages for Mixed Languages

REG: CurrentControlSet, PART 1

4. http://search.microsoft.com/search/search.aspx?st=a&View=en-us&c=3

This exact Phrase: L_intl.nls

Results 1 - 24 . . . (Note the 1 - 24)

Thanks for the heads up.