Posted: 6/10/2005 7:39:28 PM EDT
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I just tried to re-boot my comp and the following message came up on a black screen: "Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows root>\system32\hal.dll. Please re-install a copy of the above file.  I was re-booting after installing the new BF2 demo. |
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Look here Did you recently uninstall Norton or similar type tools? |
Not really. The HAL is the Hardware Abstraction Layer. Not the Kernel, but it's pretty damn important! |
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Yeah, basically, the OS cannot talk to any of the devices. 'tis a bad thing. Since you seem to have another computer, and if it is the same OS, find hal.dll on there, and put it on a CD. Then use the windows repair to copy it back to your lobotomized computer. Either that, or take this as sign from God to install Linux. |
You mean a repair install? Boot to the OS CD, at the first menu, choose install, then it should tell you you already have it installed and ask if you want to repair it. You hit Yes, and it basically reinstalls over itself, and then when it's done, you restart, and you SHOULD be ok. |
+1 on knoppix it works I use it everyday!!! It works when you have a LAN at your location you can copy files from a unbootable system to a working system just by shareing a folder on the working computer. and starting samba on the non bootable system.. ill post a page here shortly on doing a recovery bear with me
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You can also do a "parallel" install to a different directory on the HD. Install to like C:\WIN2. After installation, it may be possible to repair the original install, assuming it's just that HAL.DLL is missing. Let us know how it goes, and good luck. |
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ok, i tried to do a bootcfg /rebuild from the Xp Recovery Console and got the following error: "Failed to successfully scan diss for windows installations. This error may be cause by a corrupt file system, which would prevent bootcfg from successfully scanning. Use chkdsk to detect any disk errors." |
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That's bad. I'd definitely say the the HD is going tits up. Was the drive formatted NTFS or FAT32? If you have an extra drive laying around, install it as master and the other drive as a slave. If this works and you can boot to XP after the install, you may be able to use Disk Management to access the other drive and get your data off. Good luck, man! |
knoppix is linux? My friend used to think that linux was the best thing since sliced bread.. "undefeatable". Until his HD crashed, and lost all his files. Oh boy.. he never went back to Linux, he now runs 2k. 
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Never tried it, but it sounds too easy. Honestly, with the other errors that you have received, I don't think the actual DLL is corrupt or missing. More likely, the file system is hosed, and there's a missing pointer to that file. I'm not a Linux guy, but the Knoppix solution sounds good, or installing a second HD and switch the boot order, reinstall and see if you can access the original drive that way. |
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| Knoppix is a live CD Linux operating system. Yes, the OS is on a CD. You need to download it (google it) and burn it to a cd as a Hard Disk image. Then you need to set the Bios to boot from your cd drive. It should start the OS and give you a pretty GUI. Then find your C drive and see if you can see the files. |
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You never answered what the file system was... If it is FAT32, you can boot the machine with a Windows 95 or 98 startup diskette (if you have one), then see if you can access the HD. I also found a couple of references that state this can happen if the Boot.INI is damaged. You can create a boot diskette that mimics the correct config for your HD in case this is the problem. It may be worth a try. You would need to create this from another XP machine. Here's a link: support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305595 |
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knoppix its a ISO image so you will need a cdrw drive, and you will have to have some type of software that will write an iso image .. i use Nero. there are others available Roxio would be the other popular one. its about a 650MB file.. Knoppix is a whole operationing sytem on a cd . You can surf the web, check email, write papers, play basic games built on the cd. it dsl cable ready meanign if your computer is hooked up to a router it will load the driver for your network card on start and connect you to the internet on startup. if you don't have a router more configuraion is required. Knoppix will read NTFS, FAT, Fat32 and many other. like posted before you MUST change your bios to boot from a cd first. I change it too cd first floppy second harddrive last. best config IMO.... burn the ISO image to the cd. leave the cd in the drive of the busted up system and reboot it. it will display the bios screen then should boot off the cdrom. it will display a knoppix starup screen, just press enter and it will do the rest. it will talk a couple minutes to load.. you must understand its load ton of info from the cdrom. the hd is not being used. BTW the more ram you have on the system the better it will perform. it load the OS into your physical RAM. instead of using your HD.. Tell me about your network setup at your location what kind of internet, do you have router, switch or what. and i need to know the operation systems of you comptuers. well go from there unless you've given up |
I am assuming because its a newer system.. that its a NTFS. |
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i'm going to try and just copy the file from a floppy 1st (but i have to go pick up some floppies b/c it turns out i don't have any here  )If that doesn't work, i'm going to try and slave my HD to my working system and fix it htat way. If that doesn't work, i'll try the knoppix thing. If that doesn't work, i'm taking my comp. out to the range. |
"Access is denied"
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you can't copy files from a floppy to a ntfs hardrive.. its read only you'd have to buy a program what will make it readable :link ive not had much luck with it. did you try the restore i posted about? booting of the cd. act like your going to install windows. if it detects your install of windows press R and it will reinstall the system files |
tried the steps you said, it did not give me the option of reinstalling, only a fresh install with format |
Xp, AMD Athlon, 1GB RAM, on a Linksys BEFSR41 (but i think i'm using it as a Hub instead of a router) Computer i'm on now is also running Xp, hp pavilion 554e |
support.microsoft.com/kb/315341/ INTRODUCTION This article describes how to perform an in-place upgrade, or reinstallation, of Microsoft Windows XP. This is also named a repair installation. It reinstalls Windows XP to the same folder. You may want to perform an in-place upgrade if your installation of Windows XP must be repaired. Such a repair installation may be required if one of the following conditions is true: • You cannot start Windows XP in Safe Mode. For additional information about how to start your Windows XP-based computer in Safe Mode, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 315222 A Description of the Safe Mode Boot Options in Windows XP • The problem is caused by a recently installed Microsoft software update, and you cannot solve the problem in any other way. • There is a registry problem that cannot be solved by using other tools such as System Restore. • You must apply default (file and registry) permissions to your Windows XP installation. • You must register Component Object Model (COM) components and Windows File Protection (WFP) files. • You must use the Windows Setup program to enumerate Plug and Play devices again, including the hardware abstraction layer (HAL). To reinstall Windows XP, use the appropriate method in the "More information" section. |
It does not give me the option to repair, only to format and fresh install. |
"The following lists shows the existing partitions and unpartioned space on this computer. Use the keys to select an item in the list. - To set up Windows XP on the selected item, press ENTER. -To create a partition inthe unpartioned space, press C. -To delete the slected partition, press D. 58644MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi [MBR] C: Partition1 (unknown) 58636 MB ( 58635 MB free) Unpartitioned space 8MB " |