Windows 2003 OS will Not Start

[simulacra]

I must have installed win2k a dozen times in VMware with no trouble. Now, all of a sudden and out of the blue my install gets to the part where windows initializes and after the reboot the screen returns that windwos could not start because it can't find ntoskrnl.

I would think I'm missing something very simple, but this is so odd because I have so many good installs, however now can't do a thing. Any ideas?

[DSTAVERT · Accepted solution]

I would try booting with the install CD / ISO and do a repair. Do a checksum on the ISO or CD to verify it is good.

[jb12345]

Did you check the boot order?  Any chance the boot is pointing at a floppy or physical CD that is no longer attached?

[simulacra]

Yep, it was a bad iso. Actually two of them if you can imaqine that. Both were working at one point in time, very frustrating.