Recovery Console Use

[Guest]

Can I use my Dell Recovery disk to boot in another brand of system in order
to copy a file from the recovery disk to the other system? My friend has
lost their own recovery disk and I've tried to expand a directory and copy a
file to the other system's HD but it is not working.

I've never done this so I don't know if I'm doing something wrong with the
command, or if it simply isn't possible to use my Dell disk and recovery
console in a different system. I know that I cannot use the disk to rebuild
their system and won't even try that.

This other system has been acting very flaky. At one point it simply turns
off, and the next I can almost boot. I thought it might be a heat problem
but I ran a looping CPU test for hours w/o problems. I've run HD diags and
nothing shows up as bad. I have an old W2K license that I keep around just
in order to load on an extra HD to put into systems to see if they'll boot in
order to make sure the MB is working. (It is not in use on any other system
and is retail.) This system simply says the NTLDR is missing as though the
HD isn't even there. Sometimes BIOS sees it, sometimes not. I've changed
ribbon cables and made sure the connections are firm.

With the system's own HD, I began getting the could not start due to a
missing or corrupt <windows root>\system32\hal.dll message. After looking
online I found instructions to use the recovery console to copy this file
from the XP disk onto the HD - but I get the message that the directory
cannot expand. I don't know if this is b/c the instructions aren't quite
right, or if what I'm trying to do just isn't possible.

Knowing I'd need help here, I removed the recovery disk and let the system
try to boot again to see if any other message would pop up "this time". Now
it simply gets past the "press F1 for setup" and starts non stop beeping.

Grief!

Help?

 

[Malke]

Can I use my Dell Recovery disk to boot in another brand of system in
order
to copy a file from the recovery disk to the other system? My friend has
lost their own recovery disk and I've tried to expand a directory and copy
a file to the other system's HD but it is not working.

I've never done this so I don't know if I'm doing something wrong with the
command, or if it simply isn't possible to use my Dell disk and recovery
console in a different system. I know that I cannot use the disk to
rebuild their system and won't even try that.

This other system has been acting very flaky. At one point it simply
turns
off, and the next I can almost boot. I thought it might be a heat problem
but I ran a looping CPU test for hours w/o problems. I've run HD diags
and
nothing shows up as bad. I have an old W2K license that I keep around
just in order to load on an extra HD to put into systems to see if they'll
boot in
order to make sure the MB is working. (It is not in use on any other
system
and is retail.) This system simply says the NTLDR is missing as though
the
HD isn't even there. Sometimes BIOS sees it, sometimes not. I've changed
ribbon cables and made sure the connections are firm.

With the system's own HD, I began getting the could not start due to a
missing or corrupt <windows root>\system32\hal.dll message. After looking
online I found instructions to use the recovery console to copy this file
from the XP disk onto the HD - but I get the message that the directory
cannot expand. I don't know if this is b/c the instructions aren't quite
right, or if what I'm trying to do just isn't possible.

Knowing I'd need help here, I removed the recovery disk and let the system
try to boot again to see if any other message would pop up "this time".
Now it simply gets past the "press F1 for setup" and starts non stop
beeping.

Whether or not you can use your Dell XP disk to help your friend is moot.
You may have done some hardware tests, but your friend's computer has
experienced hardware failure. Software solutions (copying the file you
think you need but in reality don't) will not help.

The "hal.dll missing" error means that boot.ini isn't found or is corrupted.
Simply replacing the hal.dll won't do it. However, in your friend's case
rebuilding the boot.ini isn't going to help. It's time for your friend to
either take his/her machine to a professional computer repair shop or, if
the machine is under warranty, call the OEM tech support for
repair/replacement.

Malke

 

[Guest]

I'd like to determine if it is the HD or the MB. If I put the HD into
another system of the same brand to see if it boots would that likely work if
the HD isn't bad? The system will not be the exact same model, but will be
the same brand.

 

[Malke]

I'd like to determine if it is the HD or the MB. If I put the HD into
another system of the same brand to see if it boots would that likely work
if
the HD isn't bad? The system will not be the exact same model, but will
be the same brand.

No. If you put the hard drive into a different computer, chances are it will
not boot into XP because of the difference in hardware. What you *can* do
is slave the hard drive in another machine and then run a drive diagnostic
downloaded from the hard drive mftr. Since you will be booting with the
bootable media (floppy or cd) that you make from the downloaded file and
not booting into Windows, you can do a thorough test of the drive that way.

However, based on your description of the errors, particularly the beeping,
I very much doubt that the hard drive is the culprit. There is nothing to
say that the hard drive *and* other components aren't bad either.

Malke

 

[Guest]

I really appreciate your assistance.

I've already run Samsung's diags and the drive tested fine. I ran a CPU
test for a several hours and it was fine.

Are there any diags for motherboards that I can try?

 

[Malke]

I really appreciate your assistance.

I've already run Samsung's diags and the drive tested fine. I ran a CPU
test for a several hours and it was fine.

Are there any diags for motherboards that I can try?

Hiren's Boot Disk has quite a few, but software tests don't always reflect
the reality. I really think your friend is going to need professional help
on this.

Malke

 

[Guest]

OK, thanks.

Hiren's Boot Disk has quite a few, but software tests don't always reflect
the reality. I really think your friend is going to need professional help
on this.

Malke
--
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic"