[hype85]

Ive had xp on my computer for well over a year and out of nowhere i got the "missing or damaged \system32\hal.dll. error"...

after doing alot of searching on another computer i went into the recovery console via cd and when i tried to do any commands in there i needed my administrator password which i never evan knew i made so obviously i didnt know it...

so not really knowing what to do i chose to re-install windows over the same partition it was already installed on.. well now my computer works again but i cant see any of my files or anything but my hard drive says i still only have about 20gb out of 160 left?

so did i pretty much screw myself on being able to get my old files?

ANY suggestions would help because im clueless at what i should do now...

thanks....

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Hi hype85...

Quite a pickle you've got going there... You're files are fine and we can get them back, but we need to look at a couple other things first.

Open "My Computer" and double click on the C: drive. How many windows folders do you have in there?

wannabe1

[wannabe1]

Hi hype85...

Quite a pickle you've got going there... You're files are fine and we can get them back, but we need to look at a couple other things first.

Open "My Computer" and double click on the C: drive. How many windows folders do you have in there?

wannabe1

[hype85]

Hi hype85...

Quite a pickle you've got going there... You're files are fine and we can get them back, but we need to look at a couple other things first.

Open "My Computer" and double click on the C: drive. How many windows folders do you have in there?

wannabe1

yea i always find ways to get in these situations haha.. but actually i found all my files.. it was because i named my computer something different this time so when i went into the folder "Documents and Settings" i seen a folder named what i called my comp before all this stuff happened and when i looked i it everything was there...

am i safe now?

if not.. to answer your question i have eight folders and two files in the c: drive...

folders...

DELL
Documents and Settings
DRIVERS
I386
My Music
My RoboForm Data
ProgramFiles
WINDOWS

stand-alone files..

$LDR$
txtsetup.sif


thanks for the help....

[wannabe1]

Ok...I just wanted to make sure you hadn't inadvertantly created an additional Windows directory.

Now let's have a look at the boot.ini file. Open Control Panel and double click the "System" icon. Under the "Advanced" tab, in the Startup and Recovery" section, click the "Settings" button. Click on the "Edit" button and copy/paste the contents of the notepad window to your next reply.

Have you tried to open your files?

wannabe1

[hype85]

first off heres the boot.ini file...

[boot loader]
timeout=30
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" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect


and i still have more of a problem then i thought.. when i click on start and look at my programs theres only the factory set programs.. but if i manually go thru "My Computer > C: drive > Program Files" all my programs are still there.. pretty much all of them work but im guessing they're still running under my previous computer name so unless theres an easier way am i going to have to uninstall then re-install all my programs? hopefully that makes sense...

also my iternet doesnt work so i guess im gonna have to re-install that as well?

and for my files.. no audio files work i get an error saying "theres a problem with your sound device".. but video files work theres just no sound....

[wannabe1]

Right click "My Computer" and choose "Properties". Under the "Hardware" tab, click the "Device Manager" button. Do you see any yellow ? or ! in there?

The boot.ini file looks fine.

Edited by wannabe1, 16 April 2006 - 08:45 PM.

[hype85]

yea.. actually everything under "Other devices" is yellow.. no ! though...

should i just update drivers?

[wannabe1]

Yes...update the drivers.

Go into the Program Files folder, and open one of your program folders...find and double click the program icon. Does the application still start?

Also, Open the System Restore feature...are there any restore points prior to when you reinstalled Windows?

[hype85]

theres no restore points since i re-installed windows...

and every program i clicked on worked in the program files but all my programs are in "My Computer > C: drive > Program Files" while also being in "C: drive > Documents ad Settings > hype (my previous name before i re-installed windows > Start Menu > Programs" if i un-install a program in one folder it automatically deletes it in the other folder...

and i forgot my internets not working so i cant update the drivers but im gonna run my sbc internet install disc and that should get my internet back up.. then ill update all the drivers...

Edited by hype85, 16 April 2006 - 09:13 PM.

[hype85]

well it just got a little worse.. when i try to install the internet i get a configuration error

and then i just looked at my task manager and svchost.exe is in it 7 times.. that cant be right...

got any more ideas?

[wannabe1]

Sorry about the delay in getting back to you...apparently my ISP did a little unannounced maintenance...

Some Dell Recovery CD's include a repair option. It's simmilar to an install, but will many times fix issues such as those you are experienceing. If you are unable to do this procedure, see if you are given the option to use Recovery Console.

See if you can run this REPAIR to your installation of XP. This procedure will not damage or change your current files or settings...it will just repair or replace damaged system files. You will be asked for your Installation CD and may be asked for your product key. Follow the instructions carefully...print them out if you can. Note: This option is not always available on OEM Recovery Cd's

Once this repair has completed, you will have to download all Windows Updates again.

wannabe1

[hype85]

no problem.. im just glad to have some help and i know all about the random isp maintenance

the first thing i tried to do was use the recovery console but it asks for the administrator password and im almost positive i never evan created one so i dont know it.. when i re-installed windows shouldnt it have re-set the password anyways? because i just tried it again and its still asking for the password....

[wannabe1]

Did you try just pressing "Enter"? See if you are able to run the repair first, though.

Edited by wannabe1, 16 April 2006 - 11:38 PM.

[hype85]

actually no haha.. i tried to think of passwords i would have made it.. but i just tried pressing enter and it looks like it works

you go to the recovery console and where it asks "Which window installation would you like to log onto" you type in "1" right? thats where it asks for the password and i just press "enter" to get by that.. then it says "C:\WINDOWS>" .. what do i put after that?

[wannabe1]

Let's back up and see if your cd contains the repair option. If you look at the guide (link in post #11), do you get the first blue screen it shows you? If yes, press "Enter" just as if you were going to install Windows...on the next screen, press "F8"...on the next you will select the operating system you want to repair (there should be only one, press "1") and press "R". This will look just like an install of Windows, but will repair the current installation.

If these options are not present, post back and we'll try a few things using Recovery Console.

wannabe1