[Moneyman]

I have 2 hard drives . Samsung and Western Digital. My main PC can't load Windows XP from Samsung Hard Drive. It shows-

"missing /or corrupt file <Windows Root>/System32/hal.dll".

My computer can't load Windows XP from Samsung Hard Drive anymore but It can load Windows XP from Western Digital. And when I connect my Samsung hard drive to another PC it loads Windows XP perfectly. There is nothing wrong with my Hard Drive.

I tried the following tricks but nothing worked-


1. Scanned for viruses

2. Updated/repaired/reinstalled/modified BIOS.

3. Repaired & Reinstalled Windows XP.

4. CHKDSK /P & /R.

5. FIXBOOT, FIXMBR, BOOTCFG /REBUILD and Fixed boot.ini

6. Formatted hard disk

7. Reinstalled windows again

8. Changed Hard disk ports

9. Removed Western digital



Do you guys know how to fix this?

[Amlak]

Strange. Can you see the Samsung hard drive while XP is loaded from the Western Digital one?

[Moneyman]

Amlak, on 29 April 2012 - 10:09 PM, said:

Strange. Can you see the Samsung hard drive while XP is loaded from the Western Digital one?

Yes, I can run applications, copy files and there is a hal.dll file in the System32 folder.

[Amlak]

Could it be a compatibility issue with the motherboard? Maybe certain drivers missing or something?

[Amlak]

Details about the motherboard of your PC and your Samsung drive would be great (model and such).

[Moneyman]

Amlak, on 29 April 2012 - 11:34 PM, said:

Details about the motherboard of your PC and your Samsung drive would be great (model and such).

Motherboard Model: INTEL D945GCNL.

Hard Drive Model: Samsung SP2004C

I don't think it's a compatibility issue as they had been running together for 3 years. This problem started 10 days ago after my UPS suddenly turned off.

[Amlak]

Ok, let's go back a few steps. What is the boot order in your BIOS? Is the drive mentioned in the boot order?

Might want to reset the BIOS load settings to default, too. Let me know what happens.

[Moneyman]

Amlak, on 30 April 2012 - 12:35 AM, said:

Ok, let's go back a few steps. What is the boot order in your BIOS? Is the drive mentioned in the boot order?

Might want to reset the BIOS load settings to default, too. Let me know what happens.

BIOS boot order:
1. DVD drive.
2. Samsung HDD.
3. WD HDD.
4. Floppy Drive.
5. PCI Device.

I've reseted the BIOS settings to Default but still the result is same.

[Macboatmaster]

I suggest you examine the boot. ini file on that Samsung drive


Open the drive, in Explorer
Tools, folder options, View, Check show hidden files and folders and uncheck Hide Protected operating system files and then open the boot file

The fact it is listed in Boot Priority does not of course mean that it has the correct boot.ini file

It may also be worthwhile, depending on how you have set it up, examining the boot.ini, in Windows when booting from the WD

System Properties, Advanced tab, startup and recovery, settings and then the edit button.
That will open that boot.ini in notepad.
Unless of course you do have it set, as select drive from which to boot, in that case of course the boot.ini on the WD is PROBABLY irrelevant.

[Moneyman]

Macboatmaster, on 30 April 2012 - 11:25 AM, said:

I suggest you examine the boot. ini file on that Samsung drive


Open the drive, in Explorer
Tools, folder options, View, Check show hidden files and folders and uncheck Hide Protected operating system files and then open the boot file

The fact it is listed in Boot Priority does not of course mean that it has the correct boot.ini file

It may also be worthwhile, depending on how you have set it up, examining the boot.ini, in Windows when booting from the WD

System Properties, Advanced tab, startup and recovery, settings and then the edit button.
That will open that boot.ini in notepad.
Unless of course you do have it set, as select drive from which to boot, in that case of course the boot.ini on the WD is PROBABLY irrelevant.

Samsung's boot.ini:

[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="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

WD's boot.ini:

[boot loader]
timeout=15
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP on K:\" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Windows XP on C:\" /fastdetect

I have Formatted C: drive, reinstalled XP, ran fixboot, bootcfg /rebuild commands. If there is a problem in boot.ini then how can my other PC load Windows XP from Samsung?

[Macboatmaster]

Edit the boot.ini

[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="Microsoft Windows XP Professional " /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional " /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

__________________
Take out the drive letters, they mean nothing in a boot.ini

To answer your specific question, there is no problem with the boot.ini on the Samsung drive and when it is the primary hard drive it will boot
The reason it will not boot on this computer when you take out the WD drive is I suspect, if THIS is the problem, that it is not then allocated disk 0
Again drive letters mean nothing, they are simply to some extent randomly allocated.

rdisk()
rdisk() refers to physical hard disks and starts counting from 0. Therefore rdisk(1) refers to a second disk.
Every hard disk counts, not just disks with OSs installed.
The Primary Master hard disk is always rdisk(0).
If a Primary Slave exists, it has priority over any Secondary disk(s).
If a Secondary Master exists, it has priority over a Secondary Slave.

[Moneyman]

Macboatmaster, on 30 April 2012 - 01:35 PM, said:

If a Primary Slave exists, it has priority over any Secondary disk(s).
If a Secondary Master exists, it has priority over a Secondary Slave.

I just changed the boot.ini file. Restarted and still same hal.dll error message.

[Macboatmaster]

Please send me the boot.ini files as they are now and would you also send me a screenshot of disk management when both drives are connected.

Control Panel, admin tools, computer management, disk management

with image on screen press prt scrn key once.
Start
Programs
Accessories
Paint
Click edit tab, click paste
Click file tab
click save as
it defaults to bitmap that is too large
save as jpeg
on reply
use full editor and attach

[Moneyman]

Macboatmaster, on 01 May 2012 - 09:14 AM, said:

Please send me the boot.ini files as they are now and would you also send me a screenshot of disk management when both drives are connected.
on reply
use full editor and attach

Attached...

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[Macboatmaster]

Please send me the boot.ini

and please send the disk management as a screenshot following the notes of guidance for screenhot of the actual image please attached to your post, not as a zip file.

NOTE I have done it for you now.

Hope you do not think I am being awkward, but can you imagine the quantity of files I would have to open if all were sent as attachments