Winxp cannot boot - missing files message

CauseCauses of the "missing or corrupt hal.dll" error include, naturally, a damaged hal.dll DLL file or a hal.dll file that has been deleted or moved from its intended location. Additional causes may include a damaged or missing boot.ini file or possibly a physically damaged hard drive.
Resolution

1. Restart the PC. The hal.dll error could be a fluke.
   
   
2. Check for proper boot order in BIOS. You might see the hal.dll error if the boot order in BIOS is first looking at a hard drive other than your main hard drive.
   
   Note: If you've recently changed your boot order or recently flashed your BIOS, this may be what's causing your problem.
   
   
3. Run Windows XP System Restore from a command prompt. If this doesn't work or you're receiving the hal.dll error message before you're able to complete this process, move on to the next step.
   
   
4. Repair or replace the boot.ini file. This will work if the cause of the problem is actually Windows XP's boot.ini file and not the hal.dll file, which is often times the case.
   
   Note: If repairing the boot.ini does correct the hal.dll issue but the problem reappears after a reboot and you've recently installed Internet Explorer 8 in Windows XP, uninstall IE8. In this specific situation, IE8 could be the root cause of your hal.dll problem.

Hello,

• "Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
  <Windows root>\system32\hal.dll.
  Please re-install a copy of the above file."
  
  
• "<Winnt_root>\System32\Hal.dll missing or corrupt:
  Please re-install a copy of the above file."
  
  
• "Cannot find \Windows\System32\hal.dll"
  
  
• "Cannot find hal.dll"

The "missing or corrupt hal.dll" error displays shortly after the computer is first started. Windows XP has not yet fully loaded when this error message appears. CauseCauses of the "missing or corrupt hal.dll" error include, naturally, a damaged hal.dll DLL file or a hal.dll file that has been deleted or moved from its intended location.Additional causes may include a damaged or missing boot.ini file or possibly a physically damaged hard drive.

Please let me know you have any further questions or concerns.

Thanks.

Yes you need winxp or recovery disk.
Then boot your computer with that disk.
For that put that disk in cd rom.
Then when you power up the computer press F1 or F2 or "del" key to enter in bios.
Then go to boot option then set first boot device as your cd or dvd rom.
Then save settings then it boot with that winxp disk.
Then follow the procedure you get message when it find your previos version of windows then press "r"
then it repair your winxp.

Let me know if you need more assistanse.
Thanks.

for that you need winxp bootabler disk.
Tehn boot your computer with tht and go to recoverry console.
Then type in command prompt "chkdsk /r"
then press "y"
then it fixc error on harddisk.
Then after completing it restart your computer and boot with harddisk then it ok.

1. Verify the boot.ini file is found on the computer by using a boot diskette or use your Windows CD to get to the MS-DOS "C:\>" prompt.
2. From this prompt edit the boot.ini, verify that it is pointing to the correct operating system, and that no anomalies are found within the file. Below is a listing of what to verify

• If only one operating system is on the computer verify that the boot.ini only has one operating system listed. In some situations an alternate configuration line may be added for the same operating system, leaving the improper line.
• Verify that the "default=" line as well as the operating system line are the same and that they are pointing to the correct operating system.

Verify that the computer has the hal.dll file

From the MS-DOS "C:\>" prompt quickly determine if your computer has the "hal.dll" file by typing "dir hal.dll /s" at the prompt. If the computer returns a "File not found" message, the hal.dll has been deleted.

To recover this file boot the Windows operating system CD and choose the option to "Restore", "Repair", or "Recover." This option will prompt you for the Windows installation to use, the administrators password and will allow you to restore the proper file. At the MS-DOS prompt type the below command.

expand C:\i386\hal.dl_ D:\windows\system32\

In the above example "D" would be the letter of your CD-ROM drive and "C" the letter of the drive your operating system is installed on. For example, your disc drive may be D: and your hard drive is likely C:.

If you have a Windows XP CD, follow these steps.

1. Boot from the CD and start the installer
2. Choose to install onto the already formatted partition with the unbootable Windows, but opt to leave the existing filesystem and any other OSes alone. Choosing this will require you to create another folder for Windows to avoid writing over the existing installation. I usually call the new folder "WINXP."
3. Install Windows as you would normally, you'll need a Product Key but you can actually use your personal key on someone else's computer with no danger to you losing it or being accused of piracy, I'll explain this later.
4. Boot the NEW Windows XP install. Do not "Activate" or "register," you're going to be deleting this copy of Windows from the machine if all goes well.
5. Edit the BOOT.INI on the hard drive from the original installation of Windows with the corrupted HAL. This file should be in C:\ (may be hidden)

Sample BOOT.INI for XP Pro
Microsoft wrote:[boot loader]
timeout=10
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN /FASTDETECT
6. Go to C:\WINXP\system32\hal.dll (where "WINXP" is the folder you installed the second copy of Windows XP) and copy it from the new Windows to C:\WINDOWS\system32\hal.dll (or wherever you installed Windows XP originally, I use "WINDOWS" but some people use strange folder names for their XP) and overwrite any file there. The new hal.dll is uncorrupt and newly regenerated. The file is specific to each machine's hardware configuration and we needed to rebuild it. The installer did that for us with the new installation.
7. Try rebooting your computer to see if you can get into your OLD Windows installation. If you can, congratulations!
8. DELETE the "WINXP" folder (or wherever you put your new Windows install).

PS: Please rate this solution

HAL.DLL Missing or Corrupt

If you get an error regarding a missing or corrupt hal.dll file, it might simply be the BOOT.INI file on the root of the C: drive that is misconfigured

Insert and boot from your WindowsXP CD.
At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
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
Type bootcfg /rebuild to repair it
Take out the CD ROM and type exit

Regards

Just make sure you get these files on your computer.
Download hal.dll from here:

http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?hal

Place it in windows\system32 folder.

Now go to the drive you have windows installed in (C:/ for example), and then create a new file, name it boot.ini.

Open boot.ini with notepad, and enter this:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS /usepmtimer
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /usepmtimer
Save boot.ini now, and try booting your computer, it should work.

You didn't need to replace the hard drive if there is a missing NTLDR file, it just means that the boot sector is missing or corrupt. You can fix it by putting in your WinXP CD, and choosing REPAIR.(This is known as the Recovery Console and it's in DOS just to warn you...) Then you can type the following at the dos prompt: fixmbr - Fixes corrupt master boot record fixboot - Fixes corrupt boot sector bootcfg /rebuild - Fixes corrupt or missing boot.ini