XP WIN RECOVERY CONSOLE missing or corrupt: <WINDOWS ROOT>....\hal

[1abnerd]

SYSTEM: WIN XP PRO SP2 AND ALL UPDATES
1 HD 1 PARTITION SO ONLY "C:"
2 GB MEM
INTEL 530J CPU, INTEL MB 945

START UP STOPS WITH MESSAGE: WINDOWS could not start because the following
file is missing or corrupt: <WINDOWS ROOT>\system 32\hal.dll
Please reinstall a copy of the above file.

what I’m trying to avoid: installing old drive already loaded with win xp
pro and making bad drive a slave; coping files I need then reinstall OS and
all my apps and programs.

In Windows Recovery Mode Dir of C:\ i see my doc files but no OS related
file, no c:\windows there is config.sys listed

using Recovery Console Commands and results:
RC is not installe on my HD started it from XP installation disk can not
boot into safe mode

logon or logon /windows result: returns to prompt "c:\"
shouldn't it "list the detected installations of windows?

bootcfg /list result: There are currently no boot entries available to
display.

cd \windows result: The system cannot find the file or directory specified.

chdir \windows result: diddo

bootcfg /scan result: error: failed to successfully scan disks for Windows
installations. This error may be caused by a corrupt file system.... Use
chkdsk to detect errors.

chkdsk /p and chk /r result: shows info regarding HD with no indication of
an HD error.

expand cd-rom:\i386\ntkrnlmp.ex_ c:\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe result:
Access is denied.

forgot command- it copies the missing hal.dll file from xp installation disk
to OS system32 and I also used the "expand" version of this command
result: Access is denied

FIXBOOT result: showed complete but same error message on restart

any ideas

 

[Andrew E.]

Recovery can still be accessed,simply boot to xp cd,at xp menu screen
press r For recovery,select 1 For C: Press enter key for password.

 

[1abnerd]

There must be some misunderstanding- I've added an ";" to my subject.
I can start XP WIN Recovery Console. I was hoping someone familar with RC
could look at the results from the RC commands entered and tell me what to do
next. The fact that i can't "eapand" or "copy" the missing file from the xp
dics to the hard drive indicates something else is wrong.

 

[1abnerd]

There must be some misunderstanding- I've added an ";" to my subject.
I can start XP WIN Recovery Console.

I was hoping someone familar with RC could look at the results from the RC
commands entered and tell me what to do

 

[John John]

You have to log on to the Windows installation that you want to work on.
If the Recovery Console does not list the Windows installations then
there is probably something wrong with the disk or file system. To log
on to the Windows installation you enter the corresponding number for
the installation and you are then usually prompted for a password (the
password requirement could have been changed via GPO within Windows).

Once logged on to the Recovery Console you will only have access to the
Root folder of the drive(s) and to the %systemroot% folders and its
subfolders, that is a security feature (that too could have been changed
via GPO). The CD %systemroot% command should change to the Windows
directory.

If you do not see a list of Windows installations or if you cannot log
on to the installation you can run a chkdsk on the drive without needing
to log on to any Windows installation, you should be able to run chkdsk
/r on the drive. Be warned that running chkdsk *always* presents a risk
of data loss! If chkdsk doesn't run then you may have other serious
disk problems, try mounting the disk in another computer or try running
a disk diagnostic utility from your drive manufacturer. If chkdsk runs
and reports no errors, and if you can't see any files on the disk or
only a few files, then maybe something nasty got you and deleted files
on your drive.

Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058/en-us

John

 

[thecreator]

Hi 1abnerd,

Your Boot.ini file is corrupt. Hal.dll is not really missing. It should
look like:

[boot loader]
timeout=6
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(4)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition G" /fastdetect


Here I have two copies of Windows XP on the same Hard Drive. Makes for a
more thorough Defragmentation of the operating system, when necessary.

Boot up your computer with a Startup Floppy Disk and go to the C:\ Hard
Drive and edit Boot.ini.