[Reddoug]

Hi All

Computer will not boot up. Displays error; Windows could not start because following fill is corrupt or missing. <WINDOWS ROOT>\system32\hal.dll
Computer is a HP Pavilion dv6000 AMD Turion 64 X2, 1.8GHz, 1 gb of ram. It will not boot in safe mode. Can use a boot disc to get up and running. Bios says it has Vista installed. Does not have recovery console. Can I just reinstall missing file?

Thanks, Doug

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Need to update. Found computer has XP home installed So I have this in the wrong forum.

Sorry, Doug

[Reddoug]

Need to update. Found computer has XP home installed So I have this in the wrong forum.

Sorry, Doug

[Reddoug]

Hi
I was looking around in another computer and found the file that is corrupt or missing. Is it possible to copy it from another computer and install it in this one?

Thanks, Doug

[Macboatmaster]

That answers the first problem as Vista does not have the hal.dll file.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO INSTALL the copy of the hal.dll you have found.

Does not have recovery console.

Do you have the XP CD or only the HP reinstall CD which is likely not to include the Recovery Console.

You say you can boot with a disc - which one please.

Your first task is to run "chkdsk /r" from the recovery console.
If you do NOT have the recovery console on CD and depending on which boot disc you have - download the recovery console and run the chkdsk.
Here is the download
http://www.thecomput...om/files/rc.iso

and here are the instructions and the program to burn the ISO file
http://sites.google....-console-for-xp

On that last link, on the bottom left of the screen click on the first Micrsoft link for the recovery console loading instructions and the commands.
When you get into the Recovery Console and the password it asks for is the built in adminstrator account - try it blank first and if that is not accepted try your usual windows passwords. The run on the proompt this command
"chkdsk C: /r"
that is without quotes, note space between chkdsk and C: and between that and the /r.
AND PRESUMING THAT WINDOWS IS ON C DRIVE

Post back when you have done this. After exiting recovery console and see how it is including booting normally and safe mode.

Edited by Macboatmaster, 17 February 2011 - 08:52 AM.

[Reddoug]

Hi
I used Bart's boot disk. I was able to get into drive and found everything is gone from inside WINDOWS\system folder. I am in the process of cloning drive to an external drive to save data on hard drive. I will give your suggestions a try and see what happens. This computer belongs to a friend of my mother's. Found that he has used system restore a lot lately. I will post back what happens with chkdsk -r. OS is Windows XP media edition.

Thanks, Doug

[Macboatmaster]

That Recovery Console I have sent you is JUST a Recovery Console, so of course it does not have the files that the XP CD has.
Therefore any command to copy fronm XP CD to C is not possible.
Personally I feel, that if by some chance the whole of the system folder has been deleted, your options of recovery as against restore to factory image are very limited and unlikely to succeed.

[Reddoug]

Hi
Was able to use recovery console from Win XP disk and run chkdsk. Walked away from computer when it was past 60%. Came back and computer had shutdown. Now it will not start when I push power button. A light comes on edge of computer when button is pushed and goes off when I let off. I disconnect power supply and remove battery. Will try it again tomorrow after it sits all night.

Thanks, Doug

[Macboatmaster]

Was able to use recovery console from Win XP disk and run chkdsk. Walked away from computer when it was past 60%. Came back and computer had shutdown. Now it will not start when I push power button. A light comes on edge of computer when button is pushed and goes off when I let off. I disconnect power supply and remove battery

It is too early to say but it sounds very like a serious hardware problem.
Was the computer used on a suitable surface, so that the cooling vents could obtain an air supply.
Shutdown on a chkdsk (not just chkdsk) and then no boot, is a classic sign of overheating and failure of CPU/Motherboard.
I have known this quite often, where it has been run on a soft surface or the vents have NEVER been cleaned since it was new.

At a long shot it could be the power supply - bit I doubt it.
On a laptop of course the external power supply simply provides one dc voltage which is then converted inside the laptop to provide the necessary 12v, 5v, 3.3v etc., as against on a desktop psu where those required voltages come straight from the PSU.

I think your first post was very possibly the start of the problem which has now manifested itself.

Edited by Macboatmaster, 18 February 2011 - 07:13 PM.

[Reddoug]

Hi
Let computer sit all night and know it will try to start. Going to reload Windows and will see what happens.

Thanks, Doug

[Reddoug]

Hi
Was able to chkdsk to run today but it did not repair the problem. I used the recovery partition to reformat and reinstall Windows.

Thanks for your help. Doug

[Macboatmaster]

Well good luck with it, but in view of what occurred I would still urge you to check that the system is not overheating. That would have caused exactly the symptoms you describe
See here
http://h10025.www1.h..._link=ot_search

Addsiitonally I have no idea of the age of that computer but I see there was a worldwide battery recall. reissue dating from 2006 approx.

Edited by Macboatmaster, 20 February 2011 - 04:50 PM.