Pc won't start [TEH HELPS!]

[EEVILMURRAY]

I just installed the latest Windows Update on Shabba-X and restarted as you do. Now it says it can't start because the file is missing:

 

 

<windows root>\system 32\hal.dll

 

Would it be possible for me to get the file of someone and somehow install it back on? Because I've got some important uni work on there and really can't afford another fresh reinstall right now.

 

Muchos help needed please!

[Mr_Odwin]

You can have mine:

http://www.james.pike.dsl.pipex.com/hal.dll

[EEVILMURRAY]

Many thanks, I don't suppose you'd know how I'd be able to get that onto my systemz?

[Bogbas]

Just do a "repair" install of xp. Or you can use the repair console to copy that file from a floppy/cd to your system 32 directory. Boot it from the windows cd and pay attention to what it's saying. At first it will ask you to repair the old installation, if you do this it'll go to the console.

[Guest Jordan]

try this:

Make a boot disk (through floppy formatting)

boot using the floppy and wait for the prompt

type:

cd and press enter

copy A:\(file name) C:\windows\system32

and reboot.

[EEVILMURRAY]

I can make a boot disk with right clicking on the A drive and format [do I select it as a MSDOS boot thing?]

 

For some reason it doesn't seem to want to boot from the floppy, in the old days of former computers it asks for the disk to be removed [if it just had regular data on it] then it would load up. I've had a look in the Bios thing but I cannae make head nor tails of it.

[Guest Jordan]

Yes, select MS DOS boot disk. You need to select boot order stuff, put floppy first and HDD second.

Change it back after if you wish.

[EEVILMURRAY]

I don't understand it but it isn't booting from the disc at all. I've selected it to boot from floppy first, then disc, then HDD, but it seems to be ignoring it totally. Not making any noise.

 

I've formatted it as a MSDOS then added the hal.dll file for j00r transfer method.

 

I moved the write protection thing both ways in case that did anything but I'm not getting any results.

[Mr_Odwin]

Use http://www.troyedwards.com/downloads/BootDisks/boot98.exe

Yeah, I know it says win98, but a bootdisk is a bootdisk.

[EEVILMURRAY]

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=15491F07-99F7-4A2D-983D-81C2137FF464&displaylang=en

 

This is the one I got before, but if it won't register the floppy, what's the point in downloading another :'(

[Mr_Odwin]

Did you save your new bios settings as you exited? If you did then give the bootdisk I linked to a go. Can't hurt.

[EEVILMURRAY]

I'm letting it run now, it keeps giving me this bollocks

disk on track [number], head 0

error in reading

 

I'm pressing ignore every time [just about every percent] so who knows what'll happen.

[Bogbas]

what disk format ntfs or fat? if it's ntfs the win98 boot disk won't work.

[Andrew]

You could always use a Linux Live CD, mount a usb flash drive, copy your work across onto it, then format the HDD and reinstall windblows. But that requires too much effort. ;-)

[EEVILMURRAY]

what disk format ntfs or fat? if it's ntfs the win98 boot disk won't work.

 

I dunnae knoooow.

 

Managed to get Odwins boot thing to activate, but it said some file was corrupt.

 

I managed to get another boot disk working, but when I try the commands Jordan supplied it says C:\WINDOWS\system32 is an invalid path!

[Bogbas]

So why don't you boot from the winxp cd? The console in it supports ntfs, and behaves much like the dos prompt.

[Guest Jordan]

Jeeze, my shitty commands. I haven't done it in ages.

If you have that error, your floppy disk might be messed up or your IDE cable.

 

Your best bet is to just system restore (press F6 before XP boot screen) and select something about last settings used.

[RoadKill]

The fourth reply in this thread was the most useful one.

 

Put the XP disc in and boot from it and try and do a repair.

 

(NOT recovery console, go to install Windows normally and hit repair at the relevant time).

 

hal.dll is the hardware abstraction layer and usually something is seriously fucked when you get this error.

[EEVILMURRAY]

I've asked my PC knowledged flatmate to help me out, we're tried a load of shite, using teh XP disc and pressing repair/R, we managed to rename and overwrite the hal.dll file [meaning it was there but they're saying it isn't] and it still says it can't find it.

 

Now I've got some Ubuntu thing on my Pc which basically gives me internet usage.

[Andrew]

Ubuntu is a great Linux distro for beginners, it does a lot more than just allowing internet usage though, have a play around with it!