windowsroot>\system32\hal.dll

[Angel]

My windows xp computer crashed yesterday, and it gave me
this message (Windows could not start because the
following file is missing or corrupt.
Windows root\system32\hal.dll.
Please re-install a copy of the above file.) I need to
know how to fix it either by reinstalling the file again.
or someother way possible. But I just can't lose the info
that I have on my comp. I have a backup of my files, but
there a month old. I called tech support and they told me
that it was possible, but I don't know how to copy it
from another computer and install the file into mine.
PLEASE HELP.

-Angel

 

[Rory]

According to Alex Nichol:

This indicates instead that the boot.ini file is missing or damaged, so
that the boot is looking in the wrong place for windows files. Hal.dll
just happens to be the first one it looks for. Set the BIOS to boot CD
before Hard Disk. Boot the XP CD and, instead of Setup, take the
immediate R for Repair. Assume any password requested is blank, and TAB
over. Give
BootCfg /Rebuild

which should get you over the immediate problem - depending on what
happened in the crash though, there may be others. I think as a
safeguard I would also run
CHKDSK /F C:
after that command, before rebooting

 

[Angel]

HI,

Thanks, i will give it a try, I will let you know what
happened.

-Angel

 

[Angel]

One more thing,

I don't know how to get into the bios. BTW, it doesn't
start in safe mode and it also won't go to the last known
good configuration. I tried all this and none of them
worked.

-Angel

 

[Alex Nichol]

My windows xp computer crashed yesterday, and it gave me
this message (Windows could not start because the
following file is missing or corrupt.
Windows root\system32\hal.dll.

What has happened is that the boot.ini file is damaged, and the boot
does not look in the right place for windows components - hal.dll just
happens to be the first one it looks for. Provided you have a 'proper'
XP CD (not an OEM restore one), Set the BIOS to boot CD before Hard
Disk. Boot the XP CD and, instead of Setup, take the immediate R for
Repair. Assume any password requested is blank, and TAB over. Give

BootCfg /Rebuild

 

[ggook]

What if Shirley only has an OEM restore?

My windows xp computer crashed yesterday, and it gave me
this message (Windows could not start because the
following file is missing or corrupt.
Windows root\system32\hal.dll.

What has happened is that the boot.ini file is damaged, and the boot
does not look in the right place for windows components - hal.dll just
happens to be the first one it looks for. Provided you have a 'proper'
XP CD (not an OEM restore one), Set the BIOS to boot CD before Hard
Disk. Boot the XP CD and, instead of Setup, take the immediate R for
Repair. Assume any password requested is blank, and TAB over. Give

BootCfg /Rebuild

 

[Alex Nichol]

What if Shirley only has an OEM restore?

There is an Editbini program at the free tools of www.bootitng.com that
can be put on a DOS boot floppy and used to create a fresh boot.ini, or
edit the existing one - but you need to know what it should contain. At
good guess would be:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP" /fastdetect

But it *is* a guess, based on the Windows being installed in a folder
called WINDOWS on the first partition [ partition(1) ] of the hard disk