[keltydog12]

Black screen; won't boot - even trying to go Safe Mode. When it asks the Operating System to start and I hit Windows, the next screen gives me "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."

So, I have no idea ......can't get anything !!!

Now, as I'm messing with it (I keep trying to boot it back up) now it is shutting itself down after I hit f8 and before the prompts come up. I'm at a loss. The only thing I really care about on the computer is pictures - I've not backed up the last couple months !!!!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you !!!!!

[Advertisements]

If you have a Microsoft Windows XP CD (not a recovery disc supplied with the PC), you can restore the hal.dll file like this:
http://pcsupport.abo...storehaldll.htm

[Grandad Phillip]

If you have a Microsoft Windows XP CD (not a recovery disc supplied with the PC), you can restore the hal.dll file like this:
http://pcsupport.abo...storehaldll.htm

[keltydog12]

OK - so I tried getting into the Recovery Console and I get all the way to the black screen where I am supposed to enter 1 for "Which Windows Installation" ...........yet no option is there for me. It gives me the 3 lines of text:
Microsoft Windows XP ...
The Recovery Console provides ....
Type Exit to quit ...
C:\> (and cursor)

It gives me no options.

Any suggestions ??!!!!

[gclipse02]

Yeah... it sounds like you are at a command prompt, and you need to navigate to the CD. Try typing "D:" or "E:" to switch to the cd drive that contains the XP cd. Then use "dir" to list all files and folders. This will help you confirm this is actually the CD drive you are in. Then "cd i386" to get into the i386 folder on the cd. Then "expand hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32\hal.dll" This should copy and expand the hal.dll file from your cd to the C drive in your computer.

BUT... I'm pretty sure that when you put in the CD and choose to SETUP a windows install, it will still give you an option to repair the current one automatically, which would be SO much easier for the average user!

[keltydog12]

Still seem to be screwed .......the disc does not seem to be giving me what I need. I get the C:\ prompt and it'll let me play around with the commands listed n=but it won't take D or E drives solo. I was able to get it to look at teh disk and it just gave me some general info but would not list anything on the disk.

Tried it the other way and after agreeing to the terms for XP got to the setup screen. In the box at the bottom is the following:

76317 MB Disk 0 at Id ) on bus 0 on atapi [MBR]
-: Partition1 <EISA Utilities> 5130 MB < 1849 MB free>
C: Partition2 [NTFS] 71186 MB < 18555 MB free>

Unknown Disk

<There is no disk in this drive.>

??????

[gclipse02]

hmmm. So it acted like it didn't recognize those commands ("xxxx" not recognized as internal command)? Or was it that you didn't have priviledge to do it (Access Denied)? Or was it that command prompt was unresponsive to those commands? Do you have a second CD drive? There's another possibility, using a type of linux to repair it.

And I'm not sure what exactly the no disk in the drive message meant. Was it referring to your CD drive?

[keltydog12]

Yeah - acted as though didn't recognize ........No second CD drive. It's a Vaio laptop. I'm assuming it was talking about the CD Drive .....but then in other instances it seems to think and see something there - it just won't do anything with it !!