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Windows XP Home Edition - Hal.dll missing.


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#1
LittleWerido

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Laptop.. Dell Inspiron 1501:
Well, I'm pretty annoyed and pissed off right now.

Last night, automatic updates informed me of some updates, so I let it go.
Before I went to sleep, it said the updates were finished, please restart.
I turned it off instead.

Today, I turned on my laptop..
First, it flashes something about Boot.ini (which, after reading many articles, I believe says it's invalid.).
Then, it says -something- Hal.dll is missing, please re-install. (Meaning I cannot boot Safe Mode, nothing.)

Well, I've tried almost every single thing people have suggested.
Also, I have an OEM Windows XP Home Edition disk that cannot do the Repair Installation (which I think would probably help me..).

I'm kinda desperate to fix this laptop. I know there aren't any hardware issues because I completed the diagnostics test (F12[bootmenu]>Diagnostics) and went over the rest, 100%.

Well, thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
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#2
OpenOutcome

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Why can't your disk use the recovery console? Does 'last known good configuration' work(in the same options menu as safe mode). You can make an xp recovery disk..

If you don't have Windows CD...
Download Windows Recovery Console: http://www.thecomput...om/files/rc.iso
Download, and install free Imgburn: http://www.imgburn.c...hp?act=download
Using Imgburn, burn rc.iso to a CD.
When you start the comp make sure the CD/DVD Drive is the first priority boot device in BIOS setup (probably F1 at start up). Or just use the Boot Menu (probably F12 or C)

If you can ever get to the command prompt with the recovery cd, you want to use the following command:

expand d:\i386\hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32\hal.dll

:)

-Jason
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#3
OpenOutcome

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In the same Boot Menu (F12) where you went to diagnostics, can you boot the CD/DVD Drive? (when your xp cd is in).. Should have the recovery on it..

Choose R for recovery if it boots.
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#4
LittleWerido

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I can't get to Safe Mode or anything.

I can use the Recovery Console fine, but when I use the expand command in the recovery console (expand d:\i386\hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32\hal.dll), it unsuccessfully expands it - I forgot what message it gave me, but, it just didn't work.

When I said I couldn't do the Repair Installation, I meant since I had the Win XP Home Edition disk, I couldn't use it since the Repair Installation is only found on the Pro disk. I can format, I can use the recovery console, etc.

Edited by LittleWerido, 16 July 2009 - 06:15 PM.

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#5
OpenOutcome

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Get back to the command prompt and type in:

chkdsk /f /r

:)
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#6
LittleWerido

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Get back to the command prompt and type in:

chkdsk /f /r

:)


Well, I did chkdsk /r so I'll try again while adding /f.
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#7
OpenOutcome

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Alright, let me know how it goes. Could take a while. :)
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#8
LittleWerido

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Okay, I went into the Recovery Console and...
(This is what I typed in and appeared.)
C:\Windows>chkdsk /f /r
The parameter is not valid. Try /? for help
I typed in /? and it says there are only 2 parameters: /P /R
What's /F then if I cannot use it?
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#9
OpenOutcome

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Arghh.. Apparently the command prompt from the WinXP disk only supports /P and /R parameters.

What happened the first time when you tried /r? Any errors? And what is the message displayed when you try to expand hal.dll?

:)
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#10
LittleWerido

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Arghh.. Apparently the command prompt from the WinXP disk only supports /P and /R parameters.

What happened the first time when you tried /r? Any errors? And what is the message displayed when you try to expand hal.dll?

:)


cdkdsk /r I believe said it recovered (or fixed, I forgot) 1 file.

expanding hal.dll: Unable to create file hal.dll.
0 file<s> expanded.
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#11
OpenOutcome

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Hmm.. ok, Kelly's Korner is always helpful. LINK

This might work:

Attrib -H -R -S C:\Boot.ini
DEL C:\Boot.ini
BootCfg /Rebuild
Fixboot

Probably when it flashed about boot.ini it was legit :)

-Jason
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#12
LittleWerido

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Hmm.. ok, Kelly's Korner is always helpful. LINK

This might work:

Attrib -H -R -S C:\Boot.ini
DEL C:\Boot.ini
BootCfg /Rebuild
Fixboot

Probably when it flashed about boot.ini it was legit :)

-Jason


Is attrib -H -R -S C:\Boot.ini a single line? Whenever I type it out it says the parameter is not valid.
C:\WINDOWS>Attrib -H -R -S C:\Boot.ini
The parameter is not valid.

Also, I think it's quite relevant to say that after the chkdsk /r, I was able to login, but I thought it was done so I turned it off and went out. If it's needed, I think I could do chkdsk /r again and do something in XP.

Edit: I know I've done Bootcfg /Rebuild and Fixboot before.

Edited by LittleWerido, 16 July 2009 - 06:57 PM.

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#13
OpenOutcome

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I was able to login


Like, into windows?

If you can log into windows, I'd try the 'chkdsk /f /r' in the regular cmd..

:)

If you can't log in anymore maybe chkdsk /r again in the recovery console. :)

Edited by OpenOutcome, 16 July 2009 - 07:03 PM.

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#14
LittleWerido

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I was able to login


Like, into windows?

If you can log into windows, I'd try the 'chkdsk /f /r' in the regular cmd..

:)


Yeah, around 12pm local time, I performed chkdsk /r and I got to the login screen and logged in. I presumed everything was fine after so I turned it off. (chkdsk /r was my first thought after the error, which I found around 12pm.)
Then, maybe around 5pm, I tried to turn my computer on again, and the hal.dll error comes up again.

Edit: I'll perform chkdsk /r again and try to login.

Edited by LittleWerido, 16 July 2009 - 07:05 PM.

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#15
OpenOutcome

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Bummer, maybe chkdsk /r again.

:)
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