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- TCDToxic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+73 * Boot from your XP Setup CD and enter the Recovery Console
* Run "Attrib -H -R -S" on the C:Boot.ini file
* Delete the C:Boot.ini file
* Run "Bootcfg /Rebuild"
* Run Fixboot - ldhertert, on 10/12/2007, -5/+67If by boring, you mean clearly written, simple to follow instructions that someone with little to no experience could follow, then yes, this was mighty boring.
- ElectroOverlord, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/recovery_console_cmds.mspx?mfr=true
fixmbr & fixboot also do wonders for me. - mercatfat, on 10/12/2007, -3/+19Clearly, it lacked the fart jokes that it so sorely needed.
- Finster27, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, DON'T DELETE YOUR BOOT.INI FILE.
Just rename it or something. Seriously. - macbirdie, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9sfc /scannow is also worth to remember of in some cases.
- CaughtThinking, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7same. when my hal.dll finally went bad, it was the hardware itself that causing the problem. i guess that huge clicking sound should've been a clue ;)
- chicken101, on 10/12/2007, -4/+11You can also do a "fixmbr" if you get an error saying "operating system error" or if you've just unistalled linux and deleted the grub menu.
- MichaelHolcomb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Sometimes it has to do more with a hardware failure or disk errors. This was the first sign of a dying hard disk for me.
- jhuebel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6This is a frequent occurrence in an IT contractor's life. I found out about these commands a few years ago after someone botched a PartitionMagic run. Anyone who supports XP for a living needs know this. Good information.
- tylerl, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5FTA: The safest, surest way to resolve problems such as "Missing or corrupt HAL.DLL," "Invalid Boot.Ini," or "Windows could not start..." is to boot the PC from an XP Setup CD and use the pristine, uncorrupted files and tools there to effect repairs.
This is incorrect (and dangerous). Boot.ini is customized specifically for your computer and no on-CD replacement exists. More importantly, there are multiple versions of most of the kernel code libraries, including and especially HAL, on the install CD. Each of these targets a different machine type (UP vs. SMP, ACPI vs. standard, etc.), but all get copied to the same library name on your computer (e.g. hal.dll). The only way to tell which file your computer has is to check your %WINDIR%/repair/setup.log file. For example, if you see the following in your setup.log
WINDOWS/system32/hal.dll = "halaacpi.dll"
then you need to get a copy halaacpi.dll instead, but still copy it to "hal.dll". In short, don't try to copy core system files from the CD unless you really understand what you're doing. Read Mark Russinovich's "Windows Internals" for more info. - jinexile, on 10/12/2007, -7/+11I uninstalled linux the other day on a spare pc, I just found it was too much of a hassle to setup and use (the OS and the programs) for what I wanted to do with that pc.
- fluffebunnie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I am not sure if I would blame Windows in this case. I would blame whatever tool came up with this adware and whatever sites are using it.
- mikkel, on 10/12/2007, -7/+11This did not help me out when I had the Missing HAL.DLL error, could help out other people in the situation though
- spacebar14, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4"* Run "Attrib -H -R -S" on the C:Boot.ini file
* Delete the C:Boot.ini file"
Are these really necessary? I didn't see them on page 2 or 3 (the long version)... - sporkwitch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"I tried renaming it all uppercase and then all lowercase"
Am I the only one put off by the fact that he clearly isn't aware that Microsoft has yet to release a case-sensitive operating system? I mean, how long was it before they made it so even just passwords were finally case sensitive? I suppose it is possible that he was trying for hyperbole, but I doubt that, especially due to hiw awe at one of the more basic features of the recovery console. - johndi, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4"To save you time, we'll concatenate the instructions here." and then we will waste that time and misuse words like concatenate.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4-digg for adding "just kidding". Commit to a joke next time please. thanks.
- mattozan, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Old news. The late Microsoft MVP Alex Nichol recommended this all the time in the Aumha.org forums. Recorded here:http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_haldll_missing.htm. No Dig.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2There is a lot of information on the internet. And in order to search something you must know what your looking for. Unless you are lucky enough to come across forum posts and digging through user groups. But this post on digg is to make people aware that didn't know. To assume people should have come across the same path of knowledge as you is a bit void of logic.
- affinity, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I learned this by trial when it worked more than once on some customer units at work :)
Corp would have hated to know I ditched the dishonest response of needing an OS restore --which would have netted $120-- for just the $60 the customer paid for the diagnostic. - velatiog, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I think his name is Fred Langa.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Yeah, boot from the XP CD, select fix or repair windows installation, type "Help" at the command line. You'll see every command and what all they do in detail.
- Coppertop, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3If only I had known this 3 months ago... if only...
DAMN YOU CRUEL FATE! A POX UPON YOU! - xlocust, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2or fdisk /mbr (if you have a 98 bootdisk) for bootloader errors
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1as long as you have a working cdrom and xp cd.
- fluffebunnie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Hey, I am finding this a bit strange.
Just this morning, someone at my work had this problem. Now I am seeing that some of you have just had this problem.
It just seems like a coincidence, which I don't really believe in. That's a pretty hardcore error to suddenly have at the same time as other people. - zmigliozzi, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4good stuff, i wish i would have known this before i got rid of dual booting with vista...
- fluffebunnie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1We just had this error on one of our computers at my work today. It looks like it could be some sort of adware. Once we repaired the boot.ini file, a scan revealed a ton of adware.
- Rice, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4I found that a very informative and well written article. Doubleplusgood.
- cnt2infinity, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2 I have used the crash dump analysis feauture in Winternals Admin pak (ERD Commander), which has done similar fixes by examining the crash dump file. But the 'Rebuild' method seems faster and I would usually use ERD as a second option.
- EBFoxbat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Don't have SATA drivers on a floppy? Don't have a Floppy drive?
Use nLite to compile your own CD. I know many people use nLite to automate the install. I have added tons of generic Dell drivers including SATA/RAID drivers. Works like a charm. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1for the really accident prone
dual boot to recovery console
d:i386winnt32.exe /cmdcons
from the xp cd
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307654 - board2, on 03/12/2008, -0/+1That's great find
http://www.nasavo.com
http://www.nasavo.com/acne
http://www.nasavo.com/forex
http://car.nasavo.com
http://tire.nasavo.com/
http://www.jurugan.com
http://health.jurugan.com
http://www.vrid.net
http://laptop.vrid.net
http://projector.vrid.net
http://tire.vrid.net
http://hyip.ej.am
http://car.ej.am
http://hyipnews.freehostia.com
http://hyipnews.freehostia.com/hyip
http://nano-tech.freehostia.com
http://www.p812.com
http://www.r563.com - sporkwitch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1While good information, anyone that IS in the technology industry should already know about this. All this does is run the same thing the "repair installation" option of reinstalling does, from what I've ever been able to tell.
- cadpo76, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I just had the missing "hal.dll" error last night on an XP SP2 box. I wish I would have seen this before reinstalling the entire OS though...
- SoulMaster2, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Just FYI, copies of most system-crtitical files are kept in C:/i386
That folder saved me quite the hassle... - Guder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I went through this last year... only found the info on an obscure forum and as a side comment.
- kb9vgr, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1hmm i got that same answer on microsoft technet when it happened to me
- spacebar14, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Actually it doesn't really matter. Its just a bootloader. That's the whole point of running Bootcfg - to rebuild it!
- OBKenobi, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3[quote]I think his name is Fred Langa.[/quote]
It clearly isn't Shakespeare.
I remember there was a story on Digg about proper technical writing for the WWW, the main point being: BE CONCISE. Don't write a ***** novel about obscure command line switches like they were the Da Vinci code. - treycranson, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2If only this would've been posted three days ago when I went through it. I found the same MS KB article and it mentioned these steps. Everything worked great.
NOTE: If running SATA drives, you'll need to go through the F6 while loading the XP Setup CD and load your SATA drivers from Floppy. You do have a Floppy don't you? :)
I didn't, so it took me longer to find a floppy that than it did to fix the issue. - pjoyce1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I tried to add MCE to my new ThinkPad T60 (wanted dual boot for testing) and encountered this error in the middle of OS install. /rebuild really helped me out. thanks!
- xMikey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I wish I would have known this a month or two ago.
- StealthTomato, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1They concatenated somethin'. That thing was DURN long.
Your post deserves a cookie and a half. You get the other half. - mark1372, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4He'd be more the man if his personal site didn't look like it was made in FrontPage.
Blue and red text on a white background is very 1997. - Mongoose, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1What a coincidence. I encounted this problem a few days ago. I wasted 4 hours working on the problem, but I resolved it by essentially "tricking" my computer into thinking I installed a separate copy of windows.
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/pcrepair/a/missinghal_dll.htm - antdude, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Is this any useful if one switches motherboard without repair reinstalling XP?
- bobdole34, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2HAL: I'm sorry Dave, but I can't load Windows...
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