Endless Paradigm

Okay, so today, I started by computer, and was greeted with this message:

Quote: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.

So, I went to here:
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/findbyerro...haldll.htm
And tried a couple of those options.
I am at #7, and I am having troubles with the recovery console that is talked about in the article.
When I open it up and get to command, it does not ask me to log in to my Windows installation, but only displays C:\, and not C:\WINDOWS.
When I tried the 'expand' command shown in #7, I get an access denied error.

This thread on another forum is very similar to my problem:
http://forums.techarena.in/windows-xp-su...838982.htm

I want to try as much as possible before doing repair or clean installation of XP.

What happens when you try "cd C:\Windows"

Also, have you tried sfc /scannow


It scans all critical system files and replaces corrupt ones, again ran through the recovery menu. It might work better if copying the single file is failing

cd C:\windows gives me an "Access is Denied" error message.
And the sfc command doesn't work in the Windows XP recovery console.

im afraid i can't do that for you, dave.

ProperBritish Wrote:im afraid i can't do that for you, dave.

Damn... You 'borrowed' my thunder...

I can't get into Windows, so that won't work.
I have tried using safe mode and the last known good configuration, but I still get the hal.dll error.

Use a Linux Live CD...

I recently had the missing hal.dll file issue on my ACER Aspire One notebook.
Ended up doing a complete recovery...    grrrrr...

Served as a reminder for me to back stuff up   :(

PSPkiller Wrote:Use a Linux Live CD...

I'm using my Ubuntu 9.04 live CD right now, so the hardware is fine. I'm posting this from the live CD.

Mr. Shizzy Wrote:I recently had the missing hal.dll file issue on my ACER Aspire One notebook.
Ended up doing a complete recovery...    grrrrr...

Served as a reminder for me to back stuff up   :(

Do you mean a repair install, or a complete reinstall?
I can still view all the files on my harddrive.
Also, I see hal.dll in C:\hal.dll.
And there are no system and system32 folders in my WINDOWS folder.

show hidden folders?