missing hal.dll

Upon further searching while waiting for a reply, I re-checked the kellys korner article.
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_haldll_missing.htm

I attempted the suggestion to fix the boot.ini file. A windows search returned a backup boot.ini in windows\pss dated before the crash.

OK ... but ...

From a command prompt, "dir f:\" (f is the broken windows install) displays autoexec.bat, config.sys, drivers, program files, windows, documents and settings, etc. but no BOOT.INI ???

Now I'm definitely in over my head.

Edited by dbldady, 24 February 2008 - 10:43 PM.

read it all before doing anything....
go here for the lowdown on replacing the hal.dll



if you remove the drive and slave it to a working computer first ...you should be able to backup all your data before proceeding with any other fixes..
another option to back up your data is using puppy linux...it boots and runs totally in ram as long as you have at least 265 mb of ram...this option saves you the trouble of removing the hd...
get puppy linux...Get puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso download it and burn it to cd ...if you don't have a burning program that will burn .ISO files go here and get burncdcc ..a small FAST no frills iso burning program...make sure in the bios the cd drive is the first boot device....put the cd in the cd drive..boot your computer....puppy will boot and run totally in ram...if your hardware is is good working order you will know...
after you get it running and your at the desktop...you take the puppy linux cd out and then you can use the burner to copy all yor data to cd/dvds
you can also use it to backup your data to a external usb harddrive..just have it hooked to the computer when you boot up with puppy...
==========================
quick guide for saving data...music..files on a system that will not boot using puppy Linux..
these instructions are for backing up to a flash drive...they will work using a external usb hard drive too

after you get to puppy desktop..
click on the drives icon...looks like a flash drive...top row..it will list all the drives connected to

your computer...

click on the red icon for the drive you want to mount...in this case its a flash drive ...puppy will

mount the drive..the drive icon turns green when its mounted...
minimize the drives mounter window..you will need it again in a few minutes..
drag the right edge of it sideways to shrink it to its narrowest size...then drag the window to the
right edge of the screen...

now click on the icon that looks like a filing cabinet (kind of yellow) on the main drive...it should
already be green..
you will see a list of all the folders on the main drive Usually your C: drive..shrink that window to

the narrowest you can..drag that window to the left side of the screen...
at this point you should have 2 windows open on your desktop..the flash drive on the right side..
go back to the folders on the C: drive...click on the documents and settings folder...then your user
name or all users..find the folders that has your data..
drag and drop the folder with the data you want to make copies of to the flash drive window...

your options are to move ..copy ect...JUST COPY..if its to big you will have to open the folder and
drag and drop individual files until the flash drive is full...(I have a 120 GB external USB drive for
big data recovery jobs and a 4 GB flash drive for the smaller jobs)..after you get the files copied to
the flash drive...
Click on the drives mounter you minimized earlier
UNMOUNT THE FLASH DRIVE by clicking on the green icon..you will once in awhile get error messages when
unmounting the drive..ignore them..when the flash drive icon turns red again its safe to remove the
flash drive..trot on over (stroll if you want to look cool) to another computer and plug in the flash

drive and copy all the data files ( I drag and drop) to the other computer..
make sure the other computer can read them...

now delete the data on the flash drive...take it back to the misbehaving computer and plug it in

again..click on the drives icon again and repeat until you have all your data transferred to the working
system..

Edited by happyrck, 22 February 2008 - 09:41 AM.

Hey happyrck

I tried puppy linux and got "permission denied" when I tried to copy the encrypted files from one mounted drive to another ... oh well ... I did make a 3.01 iso disk as well, thanks for turning me on to PL!

So ... today I attempted this repair suggestion which I found here:
http://webcast.broad...e.jsp?id=8658-0

NOTE: The above link has some incorrect info. Read the replies following this from ztruker, who learned me some 'bout this!

This procedure is also explained in M$ kb307545.

I did this: from the repair console

md c:\windows\tmp
copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system.kpp
copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software.kpp
copy c:\windows\system32\config\sam c:\windows\tmp\sam.kpp
copy c:\windows\system32\config\security c:\windows\tmp\security.kpp
copy c:\windows\system32\config\default c:\windows\tmp\default.kpp

( the misbehaving files are at least backed up incase I really mess this up )

Next your told to do this:

delete c:\windows\system32\config\system
delete c:\windows\system32\config\software
delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam
delete c:\windows\system32\config\security
delete c:\windows\system32\config\default

Then:

copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy c:\windows\repair\system\software c:\windows\system32\config\software
copy c:\windows\repair\system\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy c:\windows\repair\system\security c:\windows\system32\config\security
copy c:\windows\repair\system\default c:\windows\system32\config\default

In the first line here, my comp. listed the file in "windows\repair" as "system.bak" Ok, I copied it to the "windows\system32\config" folder and renamed it to "system"

When I next tried to copy "windows\repair\system\software" I got a "could not find file" ... drats ... now I'm stuck
I can't find a subfolder under "windows\repair" named "system"
Or more likely I can't figure out how to find it.
While searching for that answer, I read in M$ kb307545:

"WARNING Do not use the procedure that is described in this article if your computer has an OEM-installed operating system. The system hive on OEM installations creates passwords and user accounts that did not exist previously. If you use the procedure that is described in this article, you may not be able to log back into the recovery console to restore the original registry hives."

This a Dell OEM windows setup CD ( why did I pay extra for it when I bought the PC? )

I stopped right there
and put the "windows\system32\config" files back the way they were. Now it is again "missing hal.dll" upon boot.

For those of you who are as troubled as me, but bought your OS off the shelf, read the above article and comments carefully, many have claimed success. Read ztruker's post below also! For those who are willing to help me, I promise not to buy proprietary anything again.

Are there any Dell PC users or other XP repair mullahs out there who can guide me through this?
Again I really want to avoid a windows reinstall because I have encrypted data that I cannot get backed up to a PC with a working OS.

Well ... and I don't feel confident that a repair install will allow me access to those encrypted files when that odyssey is completed anyway.

Thanks again to all who can help !

Edited by dbldady, 24 February 2008 - 10:48 PM.

Your best bet would be to borrow a retail copy of XP from a friend and use it to complete the repair procedure you started, only follow the MS Article, not the one you posted a link for since it's wrong.

http://support.micro...kb;en-us;307545

I know the MS one works as I've used it several times but only with a retail version of XP, not a OEM version. You may be able to use a retail XP Home or XP Pro CD, even though you have Media Center. Worth a try.

Your link:
copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy c:\windows\repair\system\software c:\windows\system32\config\software
copy c:\windows\repair\system\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy c:\windows\repair\system\security c:\windows\system32\config\security
copy c:\windows\repair\system\default c:\windows\system32\config\default

MS Article:
copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy c:\windows\repair\software c:\windows\system32\config\software
copy c:\windows\repair\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy c:\windows\repair\security c:\windows\system32\config\security
copy c:\windows\repair\default c:\windows\system32\config\default

See the difference? Also, the following files should be in the Repair directory, sizes may vary but should be similar):

1,688 autoexec.nt
	 2,577 config.nt
 1,462,272 default
	24,576 SAM
   785,350 secsetup.inf
	45,056 SECURITY
   203,778 setup.log
29,065,216 software
  4,427,776 system

Edited by Ztruker, 24 February 2008 - 08:41 PM.

Thanks for all your thoughts ztrucker!

I realized the folly of the article I referred to after I made the post, guess I'll edit out the link. The website it came from had some html formatting issues, according to comments posted there.

Anyway ... I am worried about the OEM issue. kb307545 warns against using the procedure outlined there because it could overwrite existing user accounts on an OEM install, or something like that. Thus making any previously encrypted files inaccessible, I presume. That is what I am worried about.

So at this point I am in over my head, but learning.

The OEM cd does get me into the recovery console. What I don't understand is how OEM system files behave during the procedure. I need to fully understand the "warning" in KB307545 before I proceed.

By the way, when recovery console starts, I have only to hit enter without typing an admin password ( I thought I had once set an admin password )

If I follow the procedure in kb307545 and kb309531, how can I first preserve the EFS security certificates so I can retrieve encrypted files after windows is working again? If the EFS thing isn't an issue here then let me know and I'll forge ahead.
Well ... I want to back up EFS certs no matter what, with all the scary stories I have read about, that seems prudent, I just don't know how.

praise be to the XP mullahs

Edited by dbldady, 24 February 2008 - 10:51 PM.

This MS Article seems to indicate you can recover but you need a working, bootable XP. Read through it and see what you think.

Edit; Forgot the link! http://support.microsoft.com/kb/890951

Edited by Ztruker, 25 February 2008 - 12:00 PM.

I tried puppy linux and got "permission denied" when I tried to copy the encrypted files from one mounted drive to another ... oh well ... I did make a iso disk as well

get the version of puppy linux I told you to get puppy-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso ...I had the same problem with "permission denied" when I tried using 3.01

this thread here may also help...post #2 about how to access encrypted files

Edited by happyrck, 25 February 2008 - 08:57 AM.

happyrck

Thanks for keeping an eye on this thread, I did try puppy linux-2.16-seamonkey-fulldrivers.iso. The "permission denied" message appeared while using 2.16. Still something to do with the origional XP EFS on those files I suppose. I'll keep experimenting however. I need to learn more about puppy.

I mentioned that I made a 3.01 iso also because I appreciate you telling me about those little puppy linux gems.

Thanks for any new ideas.

I edited my last post,,,gave a link to a thread that may help

Edited by happyrck, 25 February 2008 - 09:03 AM.