MAJOR PROBLEM!!!! HELP!!!!

Carnage7p · Post by **Carnage7p** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:12 pm

ok my roommate's computer is really screwed up. his internet wasn't working so he used a system restore point to go back to another time which had worked for him in the past with this problem. however this time he did the system restore and when the computer restarted after the system restore and it shows the following message

Windows could not restart because the following file is missing
or corrupt:
<Windows root>\system 32\hal.dll.
Please re-install a copy of the above file

Anyone know what the problem is and how it can be fixed. he just doesn't want to loose all his files if possible.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:22 pm

try to reinstall Windows over itself without formatting.

U.S.Amateurfilmaker · Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:25 pm

Try restarting in safe mode, and the go here, download this file, and drop it in the system 32 directory...

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

Carnage7p · Post by **Carnage7p** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:27 pm

how do i restart in safe mode?

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:30 pm

have you got a boot disk?

Carnage7p · Post by **Carnage7p** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:36 pm

no he doesn't know anything about computers other than how to turn it on and use the internet so he doesn't have a copy of windows with him and he doesnt have a boot disk or anything. i can't let him use my copy of windows cause mine is professional and his is home edition.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 10:42 pm

upgrade his Home to Pro and see what happens

U.S.Amateurfilmaker · Mon Nov 01, 2004 11:01 pm

To start in safe mode, go to start>Run>type in "msconfig"> press enter, and a window should come up. Go to the BOOT.ini tab and check "/safeboot". Then restart, and after you're done, dont forget to iuncheck the box by going to msconfig again or the comp will keep starting in safe mode.

However, if you absolutely cannot even get windows to run, try tapping the F8 key during the bios boot-up (the logo screen for the computer brand). then, select safe mode.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:01 am

yeah by the sound of it i dont think he can start Windows. F8 may help

Raptor · Post by **Raptor** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 12:34 am

Without hal.dll you won't be able to boot - hal is the hardware abstraction layer, the interface from windows to the CPU. If this message is at bootup, after the retore is done, it sounds like either a virus or spyware corruption issue. You could do a reinstall over the existing OS and perhaps recover, or do a repair with the installation CD but that is about the only way to recover from an error like that.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 1:35 am

too true Raptor too true. What OS is it?

Carnage7p · Post by **Carnage7p** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:05 am

OS is xp home edition. thanks for your help guys. im just glad its not my computer.

Grant · Post by **Grant** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 1:21 pm

well it does not sound like a life threatening error, just a pain in the butt

thewarmovie · Post by **thewarmovie** » Sat Dec 04, 2004 9:34 pm

Grant wrote:upgrade his Home to Pro and see what happens

I hate to say if you already installed it on your computer if you try to install it on his next time he goes on the internet windows will think he stole it cause 2 people have it so the'll like arrest him