Hey.

My computer (or more specifically windows XP) has died, and although i know one way to fix it i first want to ask a few things and hope someone can help. firstly ill just explain how my computer go to where it is now. While on the internet, not doing anything where i could have downloaded a virus that i can think of, my computer suddenly shuts itself off. On trying to reboot i get the initial load up screen followed by a black screen with:
"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."

I can go no further. Stupidly i have not backed up any of my data for the past 3 years, and the only way my computer seems to want to let me revive it is to format the hard drive, thereby wiping all the data. I created recovery discs when i first got the computer (an HP) and gives the option of recovery insted of formatting, but when clicking R to select this option will then only let me take the option to format. I do not want to loose my data if at all possible as i have such documents as my dissertation from uni (which though i have finished now would like to keep the computer copy if possible) and lots of photos.

Finally, here are my questions. Does anyone have any ideas how i may be able to recover windows without having to perform a full system reinstall, hence loosing the data, or else any way of getting hold of my data which is locked in there. I have been offered a complex alternative by my brother involving somehow downloading the data to another computer using a different version of windows which he can do for me, but not until July, and could really do with having it back before then. Also, any ideas what may have caused this file to become missing or corrupt?

Any ideas greatly appreciated! sorry for waffling on a bit. Thanks for any help in advance.

Well, can you logon to windows xp at all? If you can, just download the file from dll-files. You can download it here -> DLL-files.com - hal.dll, free download

And to recover your data, you can set it as a slave in another computer and then transfer the data very simply. However, the computer you put as a slave in must have Windows 2000 or newer and a dual hd parallel cable in it. Then you just open My Computer on that system and find the slave drive and you can just do copy and paste.

If you cannot log on, to recover the file, you can use Windows XP Recovery Counsel. But from what your saying the recovery cousel is not working and I am sorry to hear that. However, how I described how to backup your files to another system by making the HD a slave, you can also restore the file that way. Just find your system32 dir in the slave and download the file from the link and copy it to there.

Good luck,
Adam

If you have your Windows Installation CD, put it, NOT your recovery disk, into the CD drive.
Reboot off the CD drive.
At the option page, select the R for Repair option. Do NOT select the Install option.
If this works, it will not damage your personal data.
Also, if this works, suggest your BACKUP your personal data.
You may still have a virus. But, we can go into that after you solve the bootup problem.

Good Luck

Hi Vicky, this website will have the answer for you

Missing Hal.dll - Missing Or Corrupt Hal.dll Error Message in Windows XP - Fix Hal.dll


If you get stuck, let me know

Hey guys, thanks for all the advice. The whole slave computer thing is i think what my brother must have been suggesting, but as i am a bit of a dunce when it comes to more complex computer issues i think it best to wait for him before trying this option, plus the only other computer i can use is my parents which i am using now, and they wont let me experiment! recovery council doesnt appear to be working, which is where i am hitting problems with wiping, and there is no way i can find to get into windows any other way to download the file i need. I will look and see if i can find my original windows disk (if i even have one, not sure if the computer came with windows already installed but definatly had some discs that i need to dig out) and will try them as soon as i get back to my computer.

Believe me if i manage to restore windows the first thing i will do is back up my data! let this be a lesson to me!

Thanks again for all the suggestion.

I know this is a very old thread i started but just thought id let you know how it all turned out. basically i am now sitting on a brand new computer (with vista which is quite strange by the way!) having had to buy a new computer as this problem never resolved. After trying every way possible to recover my data, and waiting 2 months for my brother who is good with this sort of thing to help me, we decided to format it and see if he could recover it after (he said he had a possibility) but on trying to re-format it went through once and then came up at the end with "unable to format hard drive" then on running it again every file it tried to restore came up with "unable to restore selected file".
So i am still none the wiser as to how it happend, a lot poorer, and quite hacked off. i think my hard drive must have had a built in 4 year self destruct feature put in by microsoft to make me buy a new computer!
anyway, just thought id post the outcome and thanks again for trying to help way back when i still had hope!

Hey, thanks for the update Vicky and glad to hear you're all sorted out now

**Note to self** Create a PCHF home repair service......