Computer crash!

[Vindingo]

Hello everyone,

My computer crashed and a black screen that says

"Winnt_root\System32\Hal.dll missing or corrupt:
Please re-install a copy of the above file. "

I have some recovery disks but not a Win XP cd.  When I put the recovery disk in, it says that it will overwrite all of the files on my C drive.  Does this mean that it will delete all of my existing files?

Does anyone have a windows XP cd that I can borrow to repair/install the missing file on my hard drive?     

stupid computers 

[Michael Moore]

PM sent.

[Vindingo]

I couldn't figure out how to upload that file...

anyone have an XP cd?  From what I have read online, this will be the only way to fix it without loosing everything. 

[MendoDave]

Don't you just insert that file where the old one used to be?

[MendoDave]

Oh never mind, I guess it might be hard to do if the Machine crashed eh?

[Popeye the Sailor]

Oh never mind, I guess it might be hard to do if the Machine crashed eh?

If you write the file on a piece of paper and insert that into the machine it works.

[MendoDave]

If you write the file on a piece of paper and insert that into the machine it works.

I heard that too, but you have to write it in Braille.
Not so easy...

[2 Wheel Wanderer]

I couldn't figure out how to upload that file...

anyone have an XP cd?  From what I have read online, this will be the only way to fix it without loosing everything. 

I was in a very similar situation a few months back but my computer was still 1/2 way working. I didn't have an XP CD, I was getting a similar .dll error message and my main hard drive was failing, literally dying. I called Microsoft ( United States: (800) 360-7561, Monday through Friday, 5:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. Pacific Time) with my product key and told them I needed a replacement CD. They charged me $30 and sent it  to me.

Unfortunately for me my hard drive was too far gone and couldn't use the XP CD (I believe it has a recovery program on it that will fix the problem your having)  but luckily I had all programs and files on other hard drives. I had an old tivo so I yanked the hard drive out of it, wiped it clean and now use it for running Windows XP. I still have all my programs and files on other hard drives. My computer has never worked better.

I'm no computer expert ( I have only worked on my own computer) but if you cant get your computer to operate you still have a few options. 1) Take it to someone who can fix it and pay em a few bucks 2) If you have the product key call Microsoft for a replacement CD 3) If you don't have the product key (but you registered your product) try calling them to see if you can give them enough info that confirms your identity (who knows it just might work) 4)Yank out the hard drive and hook it up to another computer and do a search for the product key or id # within that drive. Then call Microsoft and get a replacement CD.

Just thinkin out loud here. I hope my experience with a similar situation helps. Good luck man.

Edit: just thought of another option. If you know where the corrupt file is supposed to be located and have the replacement file, you may be able to hook the drive to another computer and drop the new file on the drive then replace the drive on the original computer and give er a test ride. Dont know if it'll work but it may be worth a shot.

[Vindingo]

thanks for the advice,  ptam hooked me up with an XP cd but i have had no luck so far.  I have found 3 different ways to "fix" the problem, but no dice.

i am going to play with it for another day or so, then some surgery might be in order.

[hypurone]

Are you saying you are uable to replace the file at the command prompt (recovery console) or that after replacing the file you are still SOL? If the latter, you can always do a "parallel" installation (install to a diff dir than the "windows" default--name it anything you want). This will allow you to get back in to the system and save any data you want/need. BUT, doing this will render all programs non-functional as their reg entries are still in the "other/original" windows install. I would do this, save all the data you need, off disk and reinstall clean AFTER running chkdsk /f at a command prompt and making sure you are NOT starting to get bad sectors on the hard disk (which causes files to corrupt or go missing...)

[Michael Moore]

Hey Vinnie - you didn't say if the computer you're using is a laptop or a desktop.

In either case, maybe the best ans safest course of action is to buy a new hard drive (I suspect your current one is about to go tits-up) and install XP to that. Then attach  your old hard drive as a secondary drive and copy your data over to the new drive. If you have a desktop, that's easy. You just plug the old drive onto the ribbon cable, making sure to move the jumpers so that it looks like the slave, not the master drive. If you're working on a laptop, you'll need to get a USB external drive adapter.

[sally101]

HAL.DLL stands for Hardware Abstraction Layer.. Also a clever reference to 2001, the movie.

Anyway, that is like the first file Windows needs to talk to the hardware.. If it's missing you either have a HDD issue or a nasty virus.

Recommend you use the recovery disk that came with your PC or try a generic XP recovery disk... If I recall it will ask you to do a disk scan. do it.

[TCK!]

If my memory serves me you have a laptop right? Bring it to my house and I'll fix it I won't even browse your tranny pr0n folder.

[MendoDave]

If my memory serves me you have a laptop right? Bring it to my house and I'll fix it I won't even browse your tranny pr0n folder.

And why would you want to browse his tranny Pr0n folder? 

[ptam]

+1 on what Sally101 and Michael Moore said... I think at this point, I'd say to try and copy off whatever data you need and try and do a clean re-install.