Hi all. I turn my computer on and it goes to a screen that says 'Microsoft windows XP Professional Microsoft Windows XP Professional setup' I click the first one and avoid the setup and then it comes back with a page saying; ''Windows could not start the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows Root>\System32\hal.dll Please re-install a copy of the above file'' What am i suppose to do? How do i install that file (whatever it is) if Windows doesn't even start? Someone please help me, thanks in advance.
Is this a dualboot? If you had a dual boot and removed one of the hard drives, (the one that held the hal and other startup files) you will have to replace those files from your windows xp installation cd. But I would first check the boot.ini file and see where the windows xp installation is located. If the boot.ini file is pointing to the setup partition, then windows won't start because it won't find the HAL file. You will have to edit the boot.ini so that it points to the windows xp partition. This is a quick fix if you have a bartpe cd. It'll bootup your computer and let you edit the boot.ini file. Also you can remove the entry to the setup partition so you won't see it during bootup. This is What it might look like with dual hard drives on a windows xp system with 2 hard drives. some definitions for reference. multi(x)disk(x) = disk controller number (ide drives) will always be "0" scsi will have different numbers rdisk(x) = hard drive number "starts at "0" for first drive partition(x) = partition where os is located starts at "1" [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 Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP Pro CLONE " /noexecute=optin /fastdetect If you don't have a dual boot system and modifying the boot.ini doesn't fix the problem, you might have to do a chkdsk c: /f this will fix any "system files" corruption that you might have. A missing hal error is also a symptom of file corruption. This missing hal problem is fixable, no need to reinstall windows for this repair. more info missing hal http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314477
Edit the Boot.ini file i have to right click 'my computer' and click properties right? But the thing is i cant get the windows to start so how am i suppose to right click 'my computer' it's still stuck on the same sceeen ''Windows could not start the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows Root>\System32\hal.dll Please re-install a copy of the above file' Thanks for replying btw
If you have the windows xp installation cd, you can make a bartpe bootcd. You can use the bartpe bootcd to bootup your computer, from there you can check/edit the boot.ini file. You can also run a chkdsk or scandisk from the bartpe. The software to make a bartpe is free, you just need files from windows installation cd to build the bartpe. It takes about 10 minutes to make it.
