Missing or corrupt Hal.dll

pelipost

I cannot boot up my computer because of Am running xp media centre on a Dell computer (C & D partitions as per usual)

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt
<Windows Root>\System32\hal.dll

Please re install a copy of the above file


HELP......HOW do i recover the machine. I don't have recovery disk, I can't get into CMS prompt.
Claire

gunte

Turn off the computer.
Turn on the computer and press the <F8> key every other second until the Windows Advanced Options window appears.
Press the <Down Arrow> key on the keyboard and select Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
Press the <Enter> key on the keyboard.
Log in as the administrator or as a user with administrator rights.
At the command prompt (blinking cursor), type:
C:\Windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
and then press the <Enter> key.

pelipost

Unfortunately when I do that I do not get the cms prompt but the missing or corrupt hall file message.

NiftyDigits

What's it's Service Tag?

There are three different version of XP Media Centre. Though they are based on XP Professional. So if all else fails, you can try a XP Professional disc.
Personally, I would use a Live OS to back up your data and then to think about upgrading the OS.

forgotmyname

Someone tried to install an older operating system?

Got a CD/DVD in the drive?

You need a bootable disc to give you a DOS prompt, Windows CD/DVD will have a recovery option.

gjchester

pelipost wrote: »

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt
<Windows Root>\System32\hal.dll

Please re install a copy of the above file

Have you seen other issues before this. Typically when a Hard drive starts to fail there will be other signs, noises or odd reboots. Many times I've been down this line before and re-added the file, only to find the system will then report another file missing.


You may be able to use a Ubuntu Live CD to get the file back if you can get it from anyone else's computer, but it may be a case of the start of a long recovery process, and you may be better using a Ubuntu CD to get the system up and running and copying your important and critical files off now before the hard drives fails completely.

pelipost

No other issues previously.
No CDs left in slot.
I don't have a recovery disk.
The service tag is cxvst2j
What is my next step to get past the error message and reinstall or repair damaged file?

gjchester

pelipost wrote: »

No other issues previously.
No CDs left in slot.
I don't have a recovery disk.
The service tag is cxvst2j
What is my next step to get past the error message and reinstall or repair damaged file?

Are you sure about the service tag, that comes up as a Dutch laptop system that had Vista on it? That may explain why you have no Recovery disk as it shipped with a Vista one.

First lets see if the file really is missing. Download and create a Live Unix CD (or USB stick). See - http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/try-ubuntu-before-you-install

Start the PC up with the USB or DVD in the drive, (if it does not start from the CD automatically you may need to tell it to boot to the CD, Dells you usually press F12 to select what it boots from) and use Ubuntu to Look for the HAL.DLL on your PC. When you look in the c:\windows\system32 directory see if the file is there. If it is there the file isn't missing and the cause lies elsewhere.

If the file is there then try and follow either Microsoft or Dells steps.

These are Microsoft's recover steps - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477

And here are Dell's
http://www.dell.com/support/article/us/en/19/SLN132839/EN

If HAL.DLL is not there, then you can try and get a copy from any other similar XP system. It should be in the c:\windows\system32 directory. You should be able to copy it to a USB stick.

HLL.DLL does exist in various versions, and you will may be able to search for it on the web but need to get the right one, I suspect you need a 32BIT XP version.

Once you have the file use the Live Unix CD again to start the PC with the DVD in the drive, and use Ubuntu to copy that HALL.DLL to your PC. again it needs to be copied to the c:\windows\system32 directory.

Try and reboot the system.