MSI U135DX error hal.dll

SnowWhiterThanWhite

Hi, I thought I would try & sell my very old laptop as still in perfect working condition, would suit young kid etc. Anyway, I tested it & all great, running Windows XP. I obviously wanted to restore to factory settings before trying to sell, and I stupidly followed some advice on google which had me starting the PC, pressing F3 and resetting from there. I did that and now all I get is a black screen with the following error msg: Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt - Windows Root System32 hal.dll Please reinstall a copy of the above file. Everything I've looked at since seems to have a cost involved in getting Windows XP installed. I don't have any docs/discs only the original sticker on bottom of laptop. Can anyone help me getting the pc working again? 

debitcardmayhem

I would install linux or perhaps/(not) chrome os flex. Its not the fastest beast on the planet but a “lightweight “ linux may prolong its life! I did similar with an old netbook and the person who has it is still using it as an emergency network enabled standby and for messing with coding.

SnowWhiterThanWhite

debitcardmayhem said:

I would install linux or perhaps/(not) chrome os flex. Its not the fastest beast on the planet but a “lightweight “ linux may prolong its life! I did similar with an old netbook and the person who has it is still using it as an emergency network enabled standby and for messing with coding.

Thanks, no idea what that is, is it easy to install, do you have a link please?

debitcardmayhem

It may pay you to read first e.g. https://www.techradar.com/news/best-lightweight-linux-distro, I wouldn't suggest chrome os flex, it's more like a chromebook , google has got its claws in it since they bought out the maker (was cloudready by neverware). That PC should have been capable for running Windows 7 (albeit slowly) though.

forgotmyname

A common error when you unstall an older OS over a newer one.  Should be plenty of tuitorials tell you how to use command prompt to

replace it.

Ultimate Boot CD is free to download and is likely to have quick fixes built in.

SnowWhiterThanWhite

There's no way of just getting the original XP back?

Neil_Jones

I'd be intrigued to know exactly what F3 is supposed to do with regards to resetting a laptop, because that is a not standard fix for... well anything basically.  The typical reset for branded machine is usually F10 (or F11), not F3.

Anyway this is one of those deceptive errors because that's not the file that's actually missing, its just the first file in the list of files that XP loads and it probably isn't missing.  Something else is missing/corrupt instead.  But you need a working XP installation (or a disk) to do anything else.  These are on the Internet Archive, as there was never an official XP download, as ISO file.

The fix is here:

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-repair-or-replace-boot-ini-in-windows-xp-2624512

forgotmyname

Been a long time since I had that error, installing XP after windows 7 used to trigger it.  Correct that the file was sometimes
still there but simply replacing the file got the system to boot again. Must contain some boot data especially if there are more
partitions/drives even hidden ones.

Laptop with recovery will certainly have at least one hidden partition, sometimes 2.  MBR been altered?

Bonhomie

SnowWhiterThanWhite said:

Hi, I thought I would try & sell my very old laptop as still in perfect working condition, would suit young kid etc. Anyway, I tested it & all great, running Windows XP. I obviously wanted to restore to factory settings before trying to sell, and I stupidly followed some advice on google which had me starting the PC, pressing F3 and resetting from there. I did that and now all I get is a black screen with the following error msg: Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt - Windows Root System32 hal.dll Please reinstall a copy of the above file. Everything I've looked at since seems to have a cost involved in getting Windows XP installed. I don't have any docs/discs only the original sticker on bottom of laptop. Can anyone help me getting the pc working again? 

I cannot imagine any kid wanting such a thing. You'll have trouble giving it away.

What do you think they are going to do with Windows XP and an single core Atom CPU in 2022? 

If you actually want it to be a usable device, max out the RAM to 2GB, drop an SSD within and install Windows 7 Starter. Total cost under £20 for the parts which you can easily fit yourself in minutes. It also has the Windows 7 licence attached to the motherboard, so you only need to install using an MSI recovery disc, which I happen to have somewhere, so no cost attached to that.
Then at least you can run a modern browser. XP is for oldies who know what they are doing or who just don't want to let go.

You can have the recovery image regardless of whether you upgrade or not, but it may run like a two legged dog.Still more attractive than XP.

Bonhomie

Currently enjoying SARS COVID, so don't expect prompt replies.