reinstall windows from disk

[lynn]

Dell Dimension 4550
256 RAM
windows xp home edition

Update IE to 8 and computer would not boot up. I got this error message.
"windows root system 32 hal.dll please re-install a copy of the above file.
Invalid boot file.

Tried everything I could find as solutions on Microsoft and Dell's community
boards. Nothing worked. I never got past F8 and F12 menu.
I decided to do a reinstall from disk.
The reinstallation CD disk is the disk I am trying to use. I could not get
the cd to run and be read. Any suggestions?

 

[JS]

Assuming you have tried all the suggestions see if any of these help:
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_repair_a_missing_or_cor.htm
and: http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_haldll_missing.htm
and: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/pcrepair/a/missinghal_dll.htm
and: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;330184

See this article from Kelly's Korner.
Cannot Start Windows XP if the System or Software Hive Is Missing or Damaged
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_sys32.htm

If still no joy then:
If you have a friend with a PC then remove your hard drive
and connect to your friends PC and backup any important
files to a DVD.

Next download all the latest drivers from Dell's web site and
burn these to a CD.

Reinstall the hard drive into your PC and check your BIOS
and set the first boot device to CD, second boot device = hard drive.

Then try the reinstall CD.

 

[Twayne]

Dell Dimension 4550
256 RAM
windows xp home edition

Update IE to 8 and computer would not boot up. I got this error
message. "windows root system 32 hal.dll please re-install a copy of
the above file. Invalid boot file.

Tried everything I could find as solutions on Microsoft and Dell's
community boards. Nothing worked. I never got past F8 and F12 menu.
I decided to do a reinstall from disk.
The reinstallation CD disk is the disk I am trying to use. I could
not get the cd to run and be read. Any suggestions?

It sounds like your BIOS isn't set to be able to boot from the CD? If
you don't get the "press any key to boot from CD" message, that's most
likely your problem.
Go into your BIOS and find the screen that shows what order the
drives are accessed in for booting. Put the CD drive as the first
choice, then save and exit the BIOS and continue booting.
Now when you boot with the CD in, you'll get the message to press a
key to boot from it, press a key, and you'll boot from that CD.

If that's not the issue, please explain it more clearly. The
reinstallation CD sounds like the right disk to use for that purpose so
it should work for you.

Twayne

 

[lynn]

Assuming you have tried all the suggestions see if any of these help:
http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_repair_a_missing_or_cor.htm
and: http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_haldll_missing.htm
and: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/pcrepair/a/missinghal_dll.htm
and: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;330184

See this article from Kelly's Korner.
Cannot Start Windows XP if the System or Software Hive Is Missing or Damaged
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_sys32.htm

If still no joy then:
If you have a friend with a PC then remove your hard drive
and connect to your friends PC and backup any important
files to a DVD.

Next download all the latest drivers from Dell's web site and
burn these to a CD.

Reinstall the hard drive into your PC and check your BIOS
and set the first boot device to CD, second boot device = hard drive.

Then try the reinstall CD.

--
JS
http://www.pagestart.com






Thanks I'll try these solutions. Will get back to you if any work for me.

 

[lynn]

It sounds like your BIOS isn't set to be able to boot from the CD? If
you don't get the "press any key to boot from CD" message, that's most
likely your problem.
Go into your BIOS and find the screen that shows what order the
drives are accessed in for booting. Put the CD drive as the first
choice, then save and exit the BIOS and continue booting.
Now when you boot with the CD in, you'll get the message to press a
key to boot from it, press a key, and you'll boot from that CD.

If that's not the issue, please explain it more clearly. The
reinstallation CD sounds like the right disk to use for that purpose so
it should work for you.

Twayne


Thanks, I will try this solution. Get back to you if it works.