Missing files, Default partition, re-installation after replacing HD

  • Thread starter Thread starter P. Jayant
  • Start date Start date
P

P. Jayant

Missing files, Default partition, re-installation after replacing HD



I have been having two partitions on my Pentium IV system; each on a
separate hard disk. I got an error message while re-installing ME that it
could not be done since there was not enough memory, even though 60 GB out
of 80 GB on one HD and 30 GB out of 40 GB on the second HD was free. Since I
have 1MB RAM, I think I do not need to worry about that aspect. As a
relieving measure, I replaced the 40 GB HD by an 80 GB HD, piping the
contents from one to the other by Norton's Ghost software.



In the process, I have created six problems for myself:

1) As the BIOS ends, I get an error message saying <WINDOWS
ROOT>\system32\hal.dll file is missing, asking me to install it. I do not
know how important a file it is and can I just copy it from someone else's
computer and paste it in Systen32 Folder. Sounds totally unbelievable.
Anyway, the Windows processing continues, if I just press the Escape Button.
What is the correct way to restore that file?

2) At the end of the BIOS processing, I now get three instead of two
options for opening Windows: XP, ME or Default. I of course select ME or XP.
But I want to understand if the presence of the third option is eventually
likely to create any problems for me. In the MY Computer configuration I see
only Floppy Drive A, Hard Disks C and D, CD ROM Drive E and CS Writer F. Do
I need to get rid of this Default Option? If yes, how?

3) As soon as XP opens, there is an error message saying Entry Point
Reinitialize Critical Section could not be located in the Dynamic Link
Library Kernel32.dll.

4) No application in XP can now be opened since a System Shutdown
within 60 seconds is initiated by NT\Authority\System

5) I have RegClean in both partitions and have attempted to fix any
errors which might have cropped up but that has not helped. The XP
installation disk does not permit re-installing, except by reformatting the
HD which means that I lose all the upgrades of XP, the security patches, the
virus patches and even important drivers for video cards installed using
very poor instructions from manufacturer of the Video and Audio cards.

6) ME still gives the error message saying there isn't enough memory
for re-installation.



How can I get the system back to its original shape and smooth functioning?



P. Jayant
 
Hi, P.

WOW! You've got quite a mess, haven't you? ;^{

Maybe I can help with a few of your items.
4) No application in XP can now be opened since a System Shutdown
within 60 seconds is initiated by NT\Authority\System
Click to expand...

This is the easiest to diagnose: You have the Blaster or Sasser worm. I've
not had to deal with this, but the solution has been posted here MANY times.
If you had religiously visited Windows Update, you would have been protected
from this problem. Now that you have it, see this page:
What You Should Know About the Sasser Worm and Its Variants
http://www.microsoft.com/security/incident/sasser.asp
6) ME still gives the error message saying there isn't enough memory
for re-installation.
Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with this specific message, but installing WinME AFTER
WinXP is not so easy, especially if your system partition (almost always
Drive C:) is formatted NTFS. If Drive C: is formatted FAT32, the process is
easier, as we shall see. But, are you sure you need or want to reinstall
WinME? Why?
1) As the BIOS ends, I get an error message saying <WINDOWS
ROOT>\system32\hal.dll file is missing, asking me to install it. I do not
know how important a file it is and can I just copy it from someone else's
computer and paste it in Systen32 Folder. Sounds totally unbelievable.
Anyway, the Windows processing continues, if I just press the Escape
Button.
What is the correct way to restore that file?
Click to expand...

The HAL is the Hardware Abstraction Layer, and hal.dll is part of the
foundation on which WinXP is built. During installation WinXP, Setup
selects and installs the proper version of hal.dll for the computer hardware
it detects. So, it is an extremely important file, but it usually is
handled automatically and we seldom need to think about it.
2) At the end of the BIOS processing, I now get three instead of two
options for opening Windows: XP, ME or Default. I of course select ME or
XP.
But I want to understand if the presence of the third option is eventually
likely to create any problems for me. In the MY Computer configuration I
see
only Floppy Drive A, Hard Disks C and D, CD ROM Drive E and CS Writer F.
Do
I need to get rid of this Default Option? If yes, how?
Click to expand...

It's easy to install WinXP (or any of the NT-based Windows) as a dual-boot
(actually, multi-boot, since there can be more than two) with one copy of
Win9x/ME. One of those Windows installations is designated the default,
which means that's the one that will boot if you do not select a different
one from the menu presented during the boot process. You should not see the
"default" label, but it's a simple matter to edit C:\boot.ini to correct
this if necessary after reinstallation.
3) As soon as XP opens, there is an error message saying Entry Point
Reinitialize Critical Section could not be located in the Dynamic Link
Library Kernel32.dll.
Click to expand...

No idea about this one - but it should be fixed automatically by
reinstalling WinXP - see below.
5) I have RegClean in both partitions and have attempted to fix any
errors which might have cropped up but that has not helped. The XP
installation disk does not permit re-installing, except by reformatting
the
HD which means that I lose all the upgrades of XP, the security patches,
the
virus patches and even important drivers for video cards installed using
very poor instructions from manufacturer of the Video and Audio cards.
Click to expand...

DO NOT use RegClean or similar utilities, or be very careful. It's too easy
to delete things that really should not be deleted.

DO reinstall WinXP, and, if you insist, WinME. DO reformat! DO let WinXP
Setup detect your hardware and install the WinXP-compatible drivers for it.
DO visit Windows Update and let it download and install the latest Service
Pack and all the critical updates! If you had done this earlier, you would
not have been infected by the Sasser worm - see above. WinXP can be
reinstalled without reformatting (see KB article 315341 for instructions on
how to do an "in-place upgrade"), but you would still need to revisit
Windows Update to reinstall those patches. That would preserve your
installed applications, but would put WinXP itself back to the beginning
status.


First, though, think about where you want to end up. Do you want WinME on
your computer in the future? Why? Just for "comfort", since you are
already familiar with it? Chances are, you need to "graduate" to WinXP and
leave Win9x/ME behind - in the past, where it belongs.

Let's review the simplified version of the WinXP boot process. The computer
BIOS looks at the first physical sector of the first physical drive it sees
and finds the partition table for that HD, plus a few bytes of MBR code that
tell it to find the "System Partition", which is usually the first partition
on that first HD, and is almost always Drive C:. It reads the "boot sector"
of Drive C:, which tells it to look in C:\ for the "system files" (NTLDR,
NTDETECT.COM and boot.ini for WinXP, plus bootsect.dos, io.sys and msdos.sys
if Win9x/ME is installed). NTLDR reads boot.ini and presents that opening
menu. If you choose WinXP, NTDETECT.COM goes to where boot.ini points,
finds WinXP's "Boot Folder", and loads WinXP. If you choose WinME, NTLDR
turns control over to bootsect.dos, which uses io.sys and msdos.sys to load
WinME from its boot folder. There's only one System Partition in the
computer, but there is a separate Boot Volume, holding the Boot Folder, for
EACH Windows installation. Drive C: may be the Boot Volume for one Windows
installation, as well as being the System Partition for the whole computer.

Win9x/ME cannot read, write or boot from NTFS. So, if WinME is installed,
you will have to be sure that Drive C: is formatted FAT (16 or 32), and that
any partition that WinME will use is also FAT. If Win9x/ME is not to be
installed, then you can forget FAT and format all of your computer NTFS for
its better security and performance.

Before reinstalling, you should backup all your data. Don't bother to back
up Windows itself; you'll be installing WinXP (and WinME?) from the CD-ROMs.
Don't bother to back up your applications; you'll need to reinstall those
from the original media after installing Windows. Even if the program files
are preserved, you'll still need to reinstall so that they can make the
proper entries in the Registry.

If you insist on keeping WinME, then boot into MS-DOS and format Drive C: as
FAT32. If you plan to install WinME on Drive D:, or if you plan to access
D: from WinME, then format D: as FAT32, also. Then install WinXP into the
other drive; WinXP Setup will automatically create the dual-boot setup for
you.

To install WinXP, simply boot from its CD-ROM and follow the prompts. One
of the first questions is whether you want to repartition and/or reformat
your hard disk. Considering the current condition of your drives, you
probably should at least reformat; repartitioning is not necessary if you
want to keep each physical disk as a single partition.

After installation, and before you go online, be sure that the built-in
firewall is turned on, unless you install and activate a third-party
firewall. The built-in firewall will protect you from incoming intrusions;
most third-party firewalls also protect you from applications that might try
to "phone home". Also, be sure that you have installed a good antivirus
program. THEN go online to Windows Update, as I said earlier.


There's a lot in this message, and you may well have some questions. In
your next post, tell us if you want to keep WinME, and why. We may be able
to convince you that you don't need Win9x/ME any more. Also, please assure
us that you have an effective firewall and antivirus to protect you from
getting the Sasser worm again - or one of the many other present and future
viruses.

Let us know what you decide to do.

RC
 
I had installed the MS Fix for Sasser but during the havoc following
installation of the new HDD, I used a restore point which was prior to the
installation of the Fix. That is why the problem came up but even after
re-installing the Fix, the Isass.exe shutdown message keeps popping up.
The hal.dll and the "Entry Point Reinitialize Critical Section could not be
located in the Dynamic Link Library Kernel32.dll.\" messages still crop up
but Windows ME works at least erratically.
My main concern is with ME saying there is not enough memory for even
re-installation of ME or opening some applications like Outlook Expresss,
not consistently, though. if you have any thoughts on solving or by-passing
that problem, do let me know.

Thanks for your comments.

P. Jayant
 
Hi, P.

I never installed WinME on my own computer. A relative (a computer newbie)
bought his first computer with WinME installed and I helped him with that
until the computer got struck by lightning; his new computer came with
WinXP. I've been using Win2K/XP since February 2000. So my experience with
WinME is practically nil. There are several WinME newsgroups; you might
have a better chance for an answer to your WinME problem there.

Just as a matter of curiosity, though, I still wonder why you need to
reinstall WinME.

RC
 
Because there are quite a few applications which I still use and cannot be
installed under XP.

By the way, does the Sasser virus keep reappearing as soon as the PC is
connected to Internet? After applying the MS Fix, I get a report saying
"Sasser has been removed successfully" but the next time I go on the Net, it
crops up again? What does one do?

P. Jayant
 
In
By the way, does the Sasser virus keep reappearing as soon as the PC
is connected to Internet?
Click to expand...


Are you running a firewall? If not, yes, you will get reinfected
soon after connecting to the internet.
 
Back
Top