hal.dll missing but huge hibernation file exists on disk

[Mark E.]

I get the hal.dll file missing message on boot.
However, when I boot from the CD and choose the "R" option it doesn't know
there is an XP installation on the hard drive.
If I change to the C: drive I cannot cd to the WINDOWS directory.
There is a huge file (> 3.2GB) on the disk that starts with "hiber...". I
assume this is a hibernation file but find that odd because this is a desktop
computer.
Is it possible the whole OS is rolled up in this file and the BIOS doesn't
know how to come back to life from it?
I'm very confused and really don't want to start from scratch. This is a
corporate computer and it takes days to get it all loaded and configured!
Thanks!

 

[Mark E.]

Addendum...
The file is hiberfil.sys
Any idea what this is? how it was created? what I can do to recover?

 

[Jim]

Addendum...
The file is hiberfil.sys
Any idea what this is? how it was created? what I can do to recover?

Hiberfile.sys is, as you suspected, the file that XP uses when the system
goes into hibernation. It was created during the installation of XP.
I can't see how hiberfile.sys has much to do with the problem with hal.dll.
Jim

 

[Mark E.]

Thanks for the background on the file.
I have a copy of HAL.dll burned to a CD and could copy it to the C: drive
but thw WINDOWS directory is not accessible. I can see it but it reflects 0
bytes. Is there a permission that needs to be turned on? It currently lists a
d----------

 

[Jim]

Thanks for the background on the file.
I have a copy of HAL.dll burned to a CD and could copy it to the C: drive
but thw WINDOWS directory is not accessible. I can see it but it reflects
0
bytes. Is there a permission that needs to be turned on? It currently
lists a
d----------

You have a permissions problem on the windows folder. You can see the
folder because the folder is located inside the MFT. You cannot determine
the size of the folder because you do not have the permissions correct.
However, I think that your situation is quite strange because everybody
needs to have access to the system programs. Thus, it seems that you have
serious problems.

If I understand Windows correctly, the hal.dll is created during bootup and
is specific to that particular computer. So, while you might try copying
this file from some other computer, the chance of hall.dll being correct and
workable is quite low.

A much better way to proceed is to go to another computer, and search Help &
Support for the string "missing hal.dll".
Jim