The cause of this error message can be varied. A major virus or malware
infestation can lead to this error. Installing and/or uninstalling software
that is spyware laden, such as so many peer to peer (P2P) file sharing
programs, or a faulty hard drive can also lead to this error. Recently, a
customer got was the error message: Windows could not start because the
following file is missing or corrupt: <windows root>/system32.hal.dll. In
this case it was a combination of events that led to this error and
subsequent to the BSOD which had apparently been caused by a hard drive
corruption. (not a hardware problem but mimicked by an old virus which
appeared to be changing the odd hex character in files). The most common causes of this error are: A missing or corrupt boot.ini file
A missing or damaged hal.dll file What is the boot.ini file and how do I
repair it? This is the file that is used that identifies the location of
Windows. It is a hidden system file located in the root partition of the
primary hard drive (C). It identifies which hard drive, which partition on
the drive and the folder where Windows is installed.
Warning! This can result in permanent loss of data
The steps to repair a missing or corrupt boot.ini file are: Insert and
boot from your Windows XP CD. When you receive the "Press any key to boot
from CD" message, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP
CD-ROM. When you receive the "Welcome to Setup" message, press R to start
the Recovery Console. 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. At this point you may get a message telling you that the boot.ini file
does not exist. The next step will correct this error. Type bootcfg /rebuild
to repair it. This will scan your hard dives for installations of Windows
XP, 2000 or NT and display the results. Follow the on-screen instructions to
add your Windows installations to the boot.ini file. Those step will be:
Total Identified Windows Installs: 1 (1) C:\Windows Add installation to boot
list? (Yes/No/All) Type y and hit enter Enter Load Identifier This is the
name of the operating system. When you receive this message, type the name
of your operating system, and then press ENTER. Enter OS Load options When
you receive this message, type /fastdetect, and then press ENTER.
Note: The instructions that appear on your screen may be different,
depending on the configuration of your computer. Take out the CD ROM and
type exit. What is the hal.dll file and how do I repair or replace it? HAL
is an acronym for hardware abstraction layer. The hal.dll file is a Windows
NT file that is used by windows when communicating with your computer's
hardware. It enables hardware from different vendors to allow them to accept
a common set of Windows commands. If it is missing Windows will not
function. In situations where it has become damaged, either from virus
activity or hardware failure, it may be necessary to replace it with an
undamaged copy.
Here are the steps necessary to replace the hal.dll file
with an undamaged copy from the Windows CD: As above, insert and boot from
your Windows XP CD. When you receive the "Press any key to boot from CD"
message, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM. When
you receive the "Welcome to Setup" message, press R to start the Recovery
Console. Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the
installation of Windows you want to repair, typically this will be #1. At
the command prompt type: expand d:\i386\hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32\hal.dll.
(where d: is the drive letter of your CD and c:\windows is the location for
your Windows installation folder.) If prompted for permission to overwrite
an existing version of the hal.dll file select yes. Once you have expanded
the file type "exit" to exit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.
In rare cases this will not replace the hal.dll file. In those cases you
have three choices. Remove your hard drive and install it in another
computer with the same OS as a slave or D drive, so that you can copy an
undamaged hal.dll file from that system to your hard drive. In this case
Hal.dll may or may not be found in: D:\WINDOWS\System32 but regardless if
found it will need to be replaced. A working copy of hal.dll will be found
in: C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386. Copy that version of the file to:
D:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386\hal.dll as well as the D:\WINDOWS\System32
folder; if it asks to overwrite say YES.
Warning! This can result in permanent loss of data
Perform a repair installation of Windows. Reformat and perform a complete
installation of Windows.
If this error is unexpected i.e. you haven't just installed something new,
then get expert advice first
The
cause of this error message can be due to
a corrupt file due to virus or hard disk corruption/damage
damaged or corrupt FAT (file allocation table) or MBR (master boot
record)
incorrect CMOS (Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) settings
accessed by the BIOS (Basic Input Output System)
If you are familiar with accessing your BIOS check the settings for your hard
drive are correct. Otherwise use the autocheck facility to test your hard
drive is installed correctly.
Top 200 Most Common Registry Problems & Error Messages
Your PC is likely to be infected with Windows registry errors if it has ever
experienced any of the problems or error messages listed below: PC runs much slower than when you first bought it, PC keeps crashing at critical times, Unable to remove a software using add/remove dialog, PC doesn't shutdown correctly, PC doesn't startup correctly, PC needs frequent rebooting, "blue screen of death", .dll error message, runtime error message, 404 error message, .exe error, msg error, script error, error 999, error 403, http error, forbidden error, error1606, windows error, windows 2000 error, vx%d error, script error, fatal exception error, protection error windows, bit error rate testing, visual basic error handling, startup error, hard disk error, system error, printer error message, 500 internal server error, 404 error, windows me error messages, gateway error, fuser error, kernal32 dll error, windows error log, runtime error xp, bit error rate, email error messages, type 2 error, error reading fixed disk, dos error codes, lsass exe error, microsoft visual c++ runtime error, error messages oracle, vpn error 678, survey error, error coins, error 619, windows xp update error, pc error code, win error, error problems, protocol driver error, error and omission insurance, error deleting file, ie runtime error, computer error, windows xp blue screen error, bootup
error, window error, 18 error media player window ,
2000 216 error runtime window.
Not all errors can be fixed or prevented by the use of software that "fixes
computer errors" but they will help prevent serious errors. If your system has
crashed contact us first.
The cause of this error message can be varied. A major virus or malware
infestation can lead to this error. Installing and/or uninstalling software
that is spyware laden, such as so many peer to peer (P2P) file sharing
programs, or a faulty hard drive can also lead to this error.