Cannot Start Windows NT on Notebook with Docking Station

• Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.5
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.5

SYMPTOMS

After you install Windows NT on a notebook computer outside of the docking station and place the notebook computer in the docking station, the following error message may appear:

   The system did not load because it cannot find the following file:
   <systemroot>\SYSTEM32\NTOSKRNL.EXE
   Please reinstall a copy of the above file.
   Boot failed.

CAUSE

This problem occurs due the limitation of the computer BIOS. The docking station may have another hard disk controller and hard disk which may be set as the master hard disk. If the docking station equipped notebook computer is placed in the station, the hard disk on the notebook computer may be assigned as a slave hard disk. When the notebook computer is placed in the docking station, the boot sector read is the one on the notebook computer, and the ARC path specified in its BOOT.INI file is the first hard disk (hard disk on the docking station).

RESOLUTION

In the CMOS setup of the notebook computer, set the hard disk controller from Internal/Docking Station to Internal Only. This disables the access to the hard disk on the docking station and reads the hard disk on the notebook computer.