I shall appreciate if some one could help me in starting
Windows. On starting the computer - getting the following
message.
Windows could not start because the following fle is
missing or corrupt.
<Windows root>\system32\hal.dll.
Please reinstall a copy of the above file.

Thanks

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;330184
"Invalid Boot.ini" or "Windows Could Not Start" Error Messages When You Start
Your Computer

http://support.microsoft.com/default...en-us%3b320252
Error Message: Windows Could Not Start Because the Following File Is Missing or
Corrupt...

http://support.microsoft.com/default...en-us%3b307654
How to Install and Use the Recovery Console in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314477
Error Message: Windows Could Not Start Because of a Computer Disk Hardware
Configuration Problem

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=298898
How to Determine the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) That Is Used in Windows XP

Error Message: Cannot Find \Windows\System32\hal.dll
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_haldll_missing.htm
Also see http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_h.htm for troubleshooting issues
with HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer).



"(E-Mail Removed)" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:7c3f01c3e88a$21c47580$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I shall appreciate if some one could help me in starting
> Windows. On starting the computer - getting the following
> message.
> Windows could not start because the following fle is
> missing or corrupt.
> <Windows root>\system32\hal.dll.
> Please reinstall a copy of the above file.
>
> Thanks

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:

>I shall appreciate if some one could help me in starting
>Windows. On starting the computer - getting the following
>message.
>Windows could not start because the following fle is
>missing or corrupt.
><Windows root>\system32\hal.dll.


That message is rather misleading. It happens because the boot.ini file
that tells the boot where to look for 'Windows' is damaged, so it is
looking for files in the wrong place - hal.dll just happens to be the
first one it looks for.

Set the BIOS to boot CD before Hard Disk. Boot the XP CD and, instead
of Setup, take the immediate R for Repair. Assume any password
requested is blank, and TAB over.

Use
Attrib -H -R -S C:\boot,ini
DEL C:\boot.ini
to delete the bad one
BootCfg /Rebuild

to search for Windows installations and make a new one

--
Alex Nichol MS MVP (Windows Technologies)
Bournemouth, U.K. (E-Mail Removed) (remove the D8 bit)