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Thread ID: 55884 2005-03-21 23:58:00 xp no boot vicki (7669) Press F1
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336608 2005-03-21 23:58:00 I was updating my ie browser (don't know why I never use it) and the screen cut out. I tried to start up and was met with the message missing or corrupt
<windows root>\system32\hal.dll reinstall file.
Rebooted from a floppy I had prepaired ages ago and managed to get safe mode. Did a system restore and I'm up and running now, but have I fixed the problem or do I need to do something else. I'm worried that if I turn off it will stop working again. help please
vicki (7669)
336609 2005-03-22 01:13:00 Hi Vickie,

I don't know how comfortable you are with your system but you might find a solution in one of these links:

Link 1 (www.kellys-korner-xp.com)

Link 2 (www.dll-files.com)

Link 3 (www.computing.net)

HTH ~ John

PS: Since you have successfully restored your system once, you can do it again if necessary. So why not go ahead and reboot - at least you'll know where you stand. If it doesn't work, go ahead and restore as you did before.

Post back here if you need more help :)
braindead (1685)
336610 2005-03-22 01:15:00 If you are up and running, you should have no problems (comp would have rebooted while doing Sys Restore)
As far as a browser is concerned, try Firefox 1.0.1 (www.mozilla.org)

If you try and update I.E. the same problem may strike again, then again it may not (you just can't tell with MS :p)
Myth (110)
336611 2005-03-22 01:21:00 I second Myth's suggestion of Firefox 1.0.1. Works like a charm and you can import all your bookmarks from IE. braindead (1685)
336612 2005-03-22 02:29:00 Thanks for your help. I'm going to try some of the advice on the links you posted. Had to reboot again and still had to give it help.

You tech guys are a godsend, thanks
vicki (7669)
336613 2005-03-22 03:32:00 Vickie - you can also do your own search for more hal.dll info on Google:

Hal dll (www.google.com)

:)
braindead (1685)
336614 2005-03-22 03:48:00 Vickie - I just found this thread on Experts-Exchange . I've posted the guts of it below . George is the asker of the question . It sounds as if, after all wasd said and done, George did a so called in-place re-installation of XP . You'll find a link to info on how to do this below .

:)

Hi Everyone

I am getting an error message as follows: cannot load necessary dll's to run Windows . I get this message when I boot in normal mode . However, if I boot to Safe Mode, I get the following error message: <windows root>\system32\hal . dll at bootup . Is it possible I can download this file from my other pc on the LAN and copy it to the system32 folder of windows on the troublesome pc?

Any advice on this one will be appreciated .

George

-----------------------

George,

Did you try my suggesiton in the other link ? if that didnot work check this

. kellys-korner-xp . com/xp_haldll_missing . htm" target="_blank">www . kellys-korner-xp . com

-------------------------
Comment

Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console
. microsoft . com/default . aspx?scid=KB;en-us;314058&" target="_blank">support . microsoft . com

. michaelstevenstech . com/XPrepairinstall . htm" target="_blank">www . michaelstevenstech . com

. webtree . ca/windowsxp/repair_xp . htm" target="_blank">www . webtree . ca

How to Recover from a Corrupted Registry That Prevents Windows XP from Starting

. microsoft . com/default . aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;307545" target="_blank">support . microsoft . com

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP

. microsoft . com/default . aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;315341" target="_blank">support . microsoft . com

-----------------------

Also check these

Error Message: Windows Could Not Start Because the Following File Is Missing or Corrupt . . .
. microsoft . com/default . aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320252" target="_blank">support . microsoft . com

"Invalid Boot . ini" or "Windows Could Not Start" Error Messages When You Start Your Computer
. microsoft . com/default . aspx?scid=kb;en-us;330184" target="_blank">support . microsoft . com

Error Message: Windows Could Not Start Because of a Computer Disk Hardware Configuration Problem
. microsoft . com/default . aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314477" target="_blank">support . microsoft . com

------------------------

Hi Everyone:

After about 5 hours of working with this problem, it looks like I will need to go back to it . First, I went into the Repair Section of XP Install CD and used the expand command as instructed in the link, but, it never made the error message go away . Perhaps I used the expand command incorrectly, but, the link indicated the following command to use . . . expand d:\i386\hal . dl_ c:\windows\system32\hal . dll . I am not sure if I applied this command properly because in theory it should had worked .

Secondly, I downloaded the hal . dll onto another computer, extracted it to floppy, and copied it to the system folder of windows . To my surprise, the error message still reappeared . It is noteworthy to mention at this point the contradictions with regards to the "location" to place the hal . dll file . The link suggesting to use the expand command says to place the file into the system32 folder, however, the readme . txt file for the download of hal . dll indicates the file to be placed into the system folder . At this point, I am confused because I am not really sure where to place this file .

Now, I have not tried to edit the boot . ini . Is it possible to copy the boot . ini file from a smooth operating pc using xp pro and install it into the malfunctioning pc? Or, will I need go edit this file? The link suggests editing it from with the msconfig utility, however, I can not boot up to the windows desktop at all because of the corrupted or missing hal . dll file .

In closing, it appears I will need further assistance with this post . Any further thoughts of anything I may have overlooked will be greatly appreciated .

Thank you

George

--------------------------

Comment from GMartin
Date: 02/14/2004 11:44PM PST
Author Comment

Hi

I am not sure if this is relevant or not, but, during the recovery console procedures, an administrator password was asked . Since we never assigned an administrative passwork, I simply pressed the Enter key to signify non and it went onto to allow me to run the expand command .

George

-----------------------------------

Accepted Answer

> Since we never assigned an administrative passwork, I simply pressed
> the Enter key

OK this is correct . You are supposed to do that only

Now after doing all the changes ,you still get hal . dll missing . Can you enter the sytem with either safe mode .
When you restart the machine , press F8 and it gives you the boot menu . select safe mode and enter windows . Once you enter ,
copy all your data to CD or another drive in your machine and then reinstall windows xp .

check instructions for that here : . pcmag . com/article2/0,4149,1205165,00 . asp" target="_blank">www . pcmag . com

------------------------------

Comment from GMartin
Date: 02/15/2004 10:19AM PST
Author Comment

Hi

The error message manifests itself differently in Safe Mode as compared to Normal Mode . For instance, if I attempt to go to Safe Mode, I get the following error message: <Windows Root>\system32\hal . dll is missing or corrupt . In contrast, if I attempt to start in Normal Mode, I get the following error message: Cannot find dlls necessary to load the kernel or something along those lines . Interestingly, in Safe Mode, the pc does indicate the troublesome file, which in this case, appears to be the hal . dll file .

George
-------------------------------
Comment from ShineOn
Date: 02/15/2004 12:12PM PST
Comment

Do you know what precipitated this condition? Was this an issue where a PC failed and you replaced the motherboard?

The HAL has to be fresh for each set of hardware . The more you change the hardware, the harder it is to get the HAL to function . It is worst when the bus topology (chipset) is radically different, like going from an Intel A&B chipset to a VIA A&B chipset .

-------------------------------------------
Comment from GMartin
Date: 02/15/2004 09:41PM PST
Author Comment

Hi Everyone:

Thanks so much for the great feedback . This certainly was not an easy problem to troubleshoot . After repeated tries with correcting the boot . ini file and trying to extract the hal . dl_ from the XP CD to c:\windows\system32, I finally decided it was time for a change in strategy . So, I simply used the XP CD to repair problems, and then, did a fresh install of XP on top of XP .
To my relief, I found all of the data left intact along with the desktop reapppearing as it did before the problem .
George
braindead (1685)
336615 2005-03-22 17:44:00 I also found this Vicki:

If you get an error regarding a missing or corrupt hal.dll file, it might simply be the BOOT.INI file on the root of the C: drive that is misconfigured.

Here's what to do:

Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
Type bootcfg /list to show the current entries in the BOOT.INI file
Type bootcfg /rebuild to repair it
Take out the CD ROM and type exit

From htp://www.compphix.com/corrupthal.html
braindead (1685)
336616 2005-03-22 22:11:00 If you are up and running, you should have no problems (comp would have rebooted while doing Sys Restore)
As far as a browser is concerned, try Firefox 1.0.1 (www.mozilla.org)

If you try and update I.E. the same problem may strike again, then again it may not (you just can't tell with MS :p)


FIREFOX all the way!!!!
straightpath1906 (7670)
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