<windows root>\system32\hal.dll

Uninstalled a piece of Samsung software from my computer last night and turned it off. Tried to log on this morning but I get the above message.

I did some research on the net to try and fix it but I am having no luck even getting past the error message notification when I install the "operating system reinstallation XP Pro service pack 2" cd from dell which came with the laptop and re-boot.

The only other cd's I have which may be useful are the Office XP Small Business one's?

Any help at all would be so valuable because I work for myself and right now is probably the busiest time of the year.

Thanks.

Hi,
Can you enter Windows ?

Do you still have that Operating System Installation CD ?

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

No I can't enter windows but I can get to a screen with details about the computer pressing F2 or F8 (I forget which one)

Yes I have the cd.

Thanks again.

Okay, that's what i want to know. Follow next steps:

• When you turn on your computer, press DELETE on keyboard to enter BIOS settings.
  
• Find Boot Devices and put DVD/CD Rom as First Boot Device, press F10 to Save your changes.
  
• Put your Windows XP CD in your DVD/CD Rom and start your computer.
  
• When you get message - Press any key to boot from CD.. press anything you want on your keyboard.
  
• Let your Setup to begin, do not press anything.
  
• When you receive the message to press R to repair Windows by using the Recovery Console, press the R key.
  
• Select the Windows installation that you want, and then type the administrator password when prompted.
  
• At the recovery console command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
  

CHKDSK /r

• After that command, please run next one:
  

SFC /scannow

• When your computer finish, type exit and press Enter. Your computer should restart now.
  

Let me know if your problem is gone.

Thanks for the help, by my dell laptop doesn't quite follow the above sequence.

Pressing delete at start up does not open in BIOS mode, but I found that pressing F12 did open a new screen.

I arrowed down to "boot sequence" where it advised me of a list of hardware that try to find the operatiing system. 1. disc drive 2. internal hdd 3. USB storage device 4. cd/dvd drive.

I think it says that if I hit the space bar on the first 3 then the fourth option becomes the default. So should I do that and then continue with your other instructions?

F10 didnt work on this screen either.

Thanks again.

Hi, sorry, i forgot we are talking about Dell laptop.

That's okay, you just have to put CD/DVD drive to first place and than Save. You can go back from that screen and click on Save and Exit Bios or something like that.

After that, follow steps above, it's same procedure.

"which windows installation would like to log on to?"

Ummm what do I type here?

Choose C:, i think you install your Windows there.

Sorry about all the messages, but it doesn't give me the option to choose 1: C:\WINDOWS

It will only let me type 1 character after saying "which windows installation would like to log on to?"

So I typed C but it came back with "invalid selection. please select a valid installation number"

!?

Type 1 and press Enter. It should be default..

Great, thanks.

Unfortunately this laptop is 5 years old and I have no idea what the admin password was. I tried 3 of my usual passwords but it was none of them.

Does this mean I have to buy a new pc and have lost all my data?

Maybe you don't have admin password. Do not type anything, just hit Enter.

This is only way for fix, because we can not enter Windows.

If you can not use Recovery Console, we have to reinstall your Windows. And Yes, you will lost all data. But you don't have to buy new laptop.

Ok, thanks. Can you recommend a quality password recovery tool?

Okay, we could do alternative way, but you have to download Ultimate Boot CD from here and Burn that ISO to your CD.

Just put that disc in your CD/DVD drive and start computer. Follow steps from http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/ and you can easy recover your admin password. Because UltimateBoot Cd provide you Offline NT Password & Registry Editor. Also, the TestDisk might fix your problem with corrupted and missing files from Windows.

OK, I just tried downloading this and it took over an hour and then it failed for whatever reason. Any other ideas or equivalents?