can't install XP on NTFS drive

  • Thread starter Thread starter Paul
  • Start date Start date
Re-installing XP SP3

I've had to format the hard drive using Windows 98 FAT32. If I install using
NTFS or install onto FAT32 then convert to NTFS I get HAL.dll corrupt or
missing error. Why is this?

Thanks,

J.



already posted using outlook but it didn't show opn server so i'm trying
outlook express.
 
Jason said:
Re-installing XP SP3

I've had to format the hard drive using Windows 98 FAT32. If I install using
NTFS or install onto FAT32 then convert to NTFS I get HAL.dll corrupt or
missing error. Why is this?

Thanks,

J.

already posted using outlook but it didn't show opn server so i'm trying
outlook express.
Click to expand...

Google. About 3,570,000 results (0.05 seconds) including this one
for hal.dll:
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/findbyerrormessage/a/missinghaldll.htm
 
You should be able to format the main partition using NTFS from the
beginning.
(If you want to have another partition or two on the same drive formatted
as FAT32, you can do that, too. (I have a drive with NTFS and FAT32 in
different partitions (with different drive letters for each partition,
naturally).
Click to expand...

Better repost identifying your source for the XP operating
system (e.g. whether a MS OS instal CD or a home-made
slipstream CD or network source.)

As Bill posted, standard XP setup invites you to partition the
hard drive by your choice between:
-- single logical drive or two or more
-- NTFS or FAT32.
If you cannot do this before beginning installation of an OS,
something seems lacking from your SETUP medium.
 
The only way to install XP is to use FAT32! and don't convert to NTFS.
However I now have it working:
Edit c:\boot.ini and deleted the reference to the failed install.
Took the 300gb drive off the PATA card (XP was only recognising it as 160Gb
anyway)
Put it back on the motherboard swapping the SATA cable between the RAM drive
and hard drive.
Boot up using XP CD (XP Upgrade, OEM, Upgrade sp3 slipstrem, OEM slipstream
SP3 all did the same thing) and remove the 160b single partition.
Reboot from cd again.
Recreate partition - this time 300Gb and 8Gb unassigned - why does xp leave
the 8Gb (the C drive has this 8Gb too).
Install XP fine.
 
On this computer and another computer XP had to be on FAT32 otherwise it had
problems (like the HAL.dll error). Don't know what the fix is other than
what I did below finally got XP running on the NTFS partition on this
computer. The other computer has been dismantled.
 
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