My desktop has died....

....it won't boot up, 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

Any ideas how I can get my computer back to normal please? I don't have a WinXP Boot Disk I'm afraid.

Many thanks,

Lee.

LeeDevelopment":rz2w2ekh said:

Any ideas how I can get my computer back to normal please? I don't have a WinXP Boot Disk I'm afraid.

Click to expand...

By boot disc do you mean CD? If you've got the CD then you can boot from it as though you were installing XP for the first time and then chose to repair current installation. That should do the trick.

Once XP is up and running again I'd do a full virus scan because the file that you mention is a major part of windows and shouldn't spontaneously corrupt (unless you have a virus or your hd is on its way out).

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/findbyerr ... haldll.htm

i got into the habit of googling any error or possible virus in december when my laptop decided that system pack 3 should fight it out with the unessesary intel drivers that are factory installed ( its an amd )

i was lucky that the house had an abundance of computers so i could find that out , otherwise id still be sat here in diagnostic mode wondering why it would only boot to a blue screen

all was fine until the computer i was using decided to catch a virus that made the desktop refresh every 8 seconds :x that was 2 days of hard work getting rid of that , i knew where the virus was hiding but i couldnt get there in the 8 seconds before the desktop refreshed . id have reinstalled windows but the missus has a lot of stuff on that computer that isnt backed up :roll:

what is it with system32 anyway ? any problem and its in there guaranteed , either an exe or dll file

a few programs i find invaluable for keeping that one running are

avg avast antivirus . schedule boot time scan is brilliant
regruns reanimator . the only thing that would sort out the refreshing desktop problem
autoruns . provides a list of programs that startup and anything thats looks iffy gets googled and removed

my laptop now uses linux

my zero clutter desktop

I had this about a month ago,i ended up having to wipe the HD and then a full install,i tried the repair..twice ,but it wouldnt do anything ,i decided to wipe and reinstall
I'm convinced its malware or something nasty thats come in via some site or other
During the attempted repairs ,i had an inkling the problem was being repeated in system restore ,my advice is to wipe the restore points first and then try the repair

Worst shit happens ,use transfer wizard to keep the majority of you progs/files/pics/, games and software is easily reloaded so you can keep the risk of malware[if it is that] transferring over low
Scan everything when you transfer it to disc ,full scan using at least 3 antispy progs 1 of which should be spybot


My system works now,a bit slow and the DVD drive is missing from device manager[its in the reg' but nowhere else :? ]any attempt to run a disc in the drive causes a system shutdown,im now scared to even open it

Thanks for mentioning the disks, got in touch with a geek-mate and he's sending me some in the post to try out. Touch wood it works

*fingers crossed*

Dyna ti - sounds like you might be suffering with this...?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7832652.stm

Had a look at that ages ago - alas i don't think that's what have happened here. A lengthy discussion with my computer geek mate just thinks my Hard drive is on its way out (and let's face it, it's ancient). So he's sent me some disks to try and if Royal Mail are on form they should land tomorrow.

Once that's done and it boots back up will transfer everything else to my external drive and start to look for a new computer, tempted to change over to Apple at the moment.

The disks have worked, hoorah, hooraahhhh......ran a CHKDSK and that seems to have done the trick. Currently running two different antivirus scans and SpyBot to be on the safe side mind.