Can I replace *only* "hal.dll" if I move a HD to another computer?

[Steve Maser]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if I'm missing something...

I have a computer that currently has an "Advanced Configuration and
Power Interface (ACPI)" HAL. I want to move it's hard disk to a
machine that has an "ACPI Uniprocessor" HAL.

I was thinking I could "sysprep" the computer with "mini-setup"
checked, then replace the hal.dll file from a different "ACPI
uniprocessor" computer before booting the hard disk in the other CPU.

But, that didn't work...

Yes, I could reinstall Windows at this point, but I'm curious if
there's more to just replacing the one "hal.dll" file to get it to
recognize the new computer hardware using the method above.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

- Steve

 

[Jonathan]

Hal.dll is the only file you need to replace. What error did you get?
Hi all,

I'm wondering if I'm missing something...

I have a computer that currently has an "Advanced Configuration and
Power Interface (ACPI)" HAL. I want to move it's hard disk to a
machine that has an "ACPI Uniprocessor" HAL.

I was thinking I could "sysprep" the computer with "mini-setup"
checked, then replace the hal.dll file from a different "ACPI
uniprocessor" computer before booting the hard disk in the other CPU.

But, that didn't work...

Yes, I could reinstall Windows at this point, but I'm curious if
there's more to just replacing the one "hal.dll" file to get it to
recognize the new computer hardware using the method above.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

- Steve

 

[Steve Maser]

Hal.dll is the only file you need to replace. What error did you get?

Actually, I got no error at all -- it's just that the sysprepped
harddisk never started to run the "mini-setup".

Just a black screen overall. Which makes me wonder if I missed
something else (like deleting files in the \windows\repair directory.)

If I boot into safe mode, I get the message that the mini-setup can't
be run in Safe mode, so I'm stuck.

- Steve

 

[Steve Maser]

As a follow-up to my own question:

Do I need to replace:

hal.dll
ntkrnlpa.exe
ntoskrnl.exe

To do this? I only tried replacing "hal.dll"...

The properties for "Computer" in the device manager show me that these
3 files make up the "driver", so maybe that's what I missed?

- Steve

 

[Guest]

Rember the movie 2001? He's back. I do not know if you intended to simply remove an HD from one machine, withs its OS and data intact, and place it in another system, or what the current status of your situation is. I do know that the three files listed in Device Manager "drivers" can only be changed by selecting an available HAL. Perhaps you know that. If not, open Device Manger, select your ACPI Machine, right click, update drivers, use the opened Hardware Wizard and select the second radion button (Advanced) > next select DOn't Search > then check Show Compatible Hardware. Hopefully your choice will be there. If so, you are in luck. However, when you go back into Device Manager to look at the files, it will still say, always say, HAL !! good luck.

 

[Hans-Georg Michna]

As a follow-up to my own question:

Do I need to replace:

hal.dll
ntkrnlpa.exe
ntoskrnl.exe

To do this? I only tried replacing "hal.dll"...

The properties for "Computer" in the device manager show me that these
3 files make up the "driver", so maybe that's what I missed?

Steve,

if all else fails, you can still do a repair installation by
booting from the install CD, selecting install, selecting your
current installation, which should be presented, then select to
reinstall XP over that installation.

This should keep all your software settings and installed
software, but adapt the system to the new hardware.

Hans-Georg

 

[Steve Maser]

Steve,

if all else fails, you can still do a repair installation by
booting from the install CD, selecting install, selecting your
current installation, which should be presented, then select to
reinstall XP over that installation.

This should keep all your software settings and installed
software, but adapt the system to the new hardware.

Hans-Georg

Actually, I found my issue. I was trying to load what I thought was an
"ACPI Uniprocessor" set onto an "Advanced Configuration and Power
Interface" computer.

Problem was, something had toggled my set to "ACPI Multiprocessor" so
both the hal.dll *and* the "ntoskrnl.exe" file had to be replaced --
not just "hal.dll".

Once I did this, then everything worked. Which is really good. It
means I can write up a batch file for post-load processing instead of
having to maintain 3 different load sets.

- Steve

 

[Hans-Georg Michna]

Actually, I found my issue. I was trying to load what I thought was an
"ACPI Uniprocessor" set onto an "Advanced Configuration and Power
Interface" computer.

Problem was, something had toggled my set to "ACPI Multiprocessor" so
both the hal.dll *and* the "ntoskrnl.exe" file had to be replaced --
not just "hal.dll".

Once I did this, then everything worked. Which is really good. It
means I can write up a batch file for post-load processing instead of
having to maintain 3 different load sets.

Steve,

thanks for reporting this! I didn't actually know that swapping
these two files would work.

Hans-Georg

 

[Steve Maser]

steve,

I am curious also. Can you tell me how you actually accomplished

'replacing' the two files.

I am despartly trying to set up my XP machine as

an ACPI Multiprocessor, and it appears the proper files are not being
selected and loaded.

thank you,
user

1

(e-mail address removed)


We "sysprepped" the machine.

Then we boot from a CD that lets us select a batch file that basically
just replaces the "hal.dll" file with the appropriate hal.dll file from
whatever hardware we are installing it on.

For what we have here, when we install the ACPI *Uniprocessor* HAL and
the single-processor "ntoskrnl.exe" file, the OS automatically is
picking up that it's a multi-processor machine (or, more likely a
"hyperthreaded" machine) at startup and changing things to ACPI
Multiprocessor (and prompting for a reboot.)

Though, I don't see any reason why doing it *manually* wouldn't work.
You'd just have to extract these two files into "hal.dll" and
"ntoskrnl.exe" and put them into C:\windows\system32

ACPI Multiprocessor PC = Halmacpi.dl_
Multi Processor Kernel: NTKRNLMP.EX_

These would be in your i386 directory on your Windows CD.


- Steve

 

[Darrell Gorter[MSFT]]

Hello Steve,
Not supported and there will probably be issues post setup.
Copying over the files does not properly install the correct machine type,
this is not a good thing to do for your systems.
You really should be maintaining separate images for this to work properly,

There is no guarentee that the machine will boot after swapping the files,
nor will all the options be present that would be in the machine type was
detected, plus there would be remnants of the old machine type settings
still on the system.
So behavior on these machines could very well be inconsistent
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------

From: Steve Maser <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment
Subject: Re: Can I replace *only* "hal.dll" if I move a HD to another computer?
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 11:58:21 -0400
Organization: University of Michigan Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Lines: 40
Sender: (e-mail address removed)
Message-ID: <220420041158219878%[email protected]>
References: <190420041219559114%[email protected]>

<[email protected]>
<190420041425318177%[email protected]>
<190420041514540100%[email protected]>
<[email protected]>
<200420041441108787%[email protected]>

 

[Steve Maser]

Hello Steve,
Not supported and there will probably be issues post setup.
Copying over the files does not properly install the correct machine type,
this is not a good thing to do for your systems.
You really should be maintaining separate images for this to work properly,

There is no guarentee that the machine will boot after swapping the files,
nor will all the options be present that would be in the machine type was
detected, plus there would be remnants of the old machine type settings
still on the system.
So behavior on these machines could very well be inconsistent
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

If copying over the appropriate hal.dll and ntoskrnl.exe files does
*not* install the correct machine type, then what does?

We've been doing this for about a week now and haven't had any troubles
yet.

- Steve

 

[Darrell Gorter[MSFT]]

Hello Steve,
You can use Device Manager to make some of the changes, only certain
changes are permitted.
read this article:
309283 HAL Options After Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 Setup
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=309283

Installing is the best method for correctly detecting the hal and getting
all the setting correct on the system.
You have not installed the correct system type, you have only copied over
the files, the system may or may not boot.
If your case it does boot, that doesn't mean that problems do not exist
with these systems
Your systems are in an unsupported configuration.
You really need to create separate images for your different machine types,
that is the only supported way to deploy.
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------

From: Steve Maser <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment
Subject: Re: Can I replace *only* "hal.dll" if I move a HD to another computer?
Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2004 15:03:02 -0400
Organization: University of Michigan Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Lines: 26
Sender: (e-mail address removed)
Message-ID: <230420041503020205%[email protected]>
References: <190420041219559114%[email protected]>

<[email protected]>
<190420041425318177%[email protected]>
<190420041514540100%[email protected]>
<[email protected]>
<200420041441108787%[email protected]>
<[email protected]>
<[email protected]>

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Hello Steve,
Not supported and there will probably be issues post setup.
Copying over the files does not properly install the correct machine type,
this is not a good thing to do for your systems.
You really should be maintaining separate images for this to work properly,

There is no guarentee that the machine will boot after swapping the files,
nor will all the options be present that would be in the machine type was
detected, plus there would be remnants of the old machine type settings
still on the system.
So behavior on these machines could very well be inconsistent
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

If copying over the appropriate hal.dll and ntoskrnl.exe files does
*not* install the correct machine type, then what does?

We've been doing this for about a week now and haven't had any troubles
yet.

- Steve