<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?

You don't know administrator password, we can not repair your computer. No, there is no other solution.

Ultimate Boot CD is probably the best way, you have alternative Repair Boot CD from Hiren - http://www.hiren.info/pages/bootcd

Visti this page:
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm

Hi again,

ok finally managed to download ultimate boot.

When I put it in the drive and turn the computer on I get the following message:

"No default or UI configuration driective found!
boot:"

Any ideas, if anything, what I should type here?

Thank you.

The file is not well downloaded. You have to download it again

You can use MIRROR links from this page :
http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/download.html

On left side you have small pictures , click on that and download will start. Do not use P2P download.

OK, I successfully downloaded a copy from the linux mirror link. Thanks

Now, you are going to think I am incredibly stupid here, but what do I do now!? Which option do I select on the screen? Or do I have to click on one of the "Name of tool" options on the UltimateBoot website?

I honestly can't find anything on their site that advises you what to do next.

Thanks again.

Okay, can you tell me what do you have to choose now ?

We have to find Offline NT Password & Registry Editor on the disc. Try to find it inside HDD section, if you miss, go back.

In Offline NT Password & Registry Edito, you have to do next :

1. You have to select which disk contains the Windows system.
   
2. PATH select, where on the disk is the system? Probably C:
   
3. File select, which parts of registry to load, based on what you want to do.
   
4. Password reset or other registry edit, we need Password Reset.
   

If I press enter on the HDD section I get the following:

..
boot management
data recovery
device info and management
diagnosis
disk cloning
disk editing
disk wiping
installation
partition management

Nothing about offline NT password & Registery Editor

Thanks for your continued help.

Hi, go to Data Recovery section and choose Offline NT Password & Registry Editor.

OK, as you know a load of information comes up and the user is asked various technical questions. I don't know the answers to these questions, but the cd does state "Dont Panic! usuall the defaults are OK. Just press enter all the way through the questions"

Which I did do to the first 3 steps then it says "Edit user info and passwords" & "enter the user name to change (admin)" and it shows my name, so I type that in and it leads me to believe that I don't need to enter a password as it has an X in the section under my name where "password is not req"

So I put the Win XP Dell disc in again and follow your previous instructions. I get to the admin password stage and I leave it blank and press enter... Nothing happens apart from C:\WINDOWS>

This is driving me crazy now! Any other ideas?

Update: I typed CHKDSK instead of CHKDSK / r and that told me that the volume appears to be in good condition.

Then I tried to type SFC / scannow but it wouldn't accept that!

If I type HELP is gives me a list of commands and the only option that starts with an S is SYSTEMROOT

Hope that helps?

Are you able now to enter Windows ? We just need to get to desktop. Can you try Normal boot, if you fail, go to Safe Mode. We need to go to Windows desktop.

nope i can't get in on either normal or safe mode. when i try either the original error message returns: windows root system 32 hal.dll

:sad:

Oh my god, lets try one solution again. Go to Recovery Console again, same steps to get DOS screen. Type this command :

expand CD DRIVE\i386\hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32

Important : Change CD DRIVE with name of your CD/DVD Drive, E:, F: etc.. i don't know which one you have.
If computer ask you to overwrite missing file, press Y for Yes.

After that command, type next, one by one, after every command press Enter :
ATTRIB -H -R -S C:\BOOT.INI
DEL C:\BOOT.INI
BOOTCFG /REBUILD FIXBOOT
exit

It must work now!

lol you have to remember that I am an idiot with computers.... So is the recovery console on the Ultimate Boot thing I downloaaded or do I get it by pressing F12 are start up!?

Sorry.

Don't say that for yourself That's on Windows XP CD, you have to enter Setup, press R to get to Recovery Console, after that follow above steps. You have to get to same windows where you already typed chkdsk command etc..

OK, you are saying that I need to enter: expand CD DRIVE\i386\hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32 - but replace the words CD DRIVE with the letter of my CD/RW drive yes? Well that is the E: drive, so I need to write:

expand E:\i386\hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32 ?

There is definitely a space between expand and E: ?

Yup, you'r right.

expand E:\i386\hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32

Also, space between _ and c.

Hi Nazzgull,

Got annoyed with it all in the end and gave it to a professional.

Just wanted to stop by and say thanks for the advice and tips.

Thanks mate.

Hi,
Okay. This was last step, and you was soo near..

No problem.

Read the instruction. Hope it will help you http://www.completepcpedia.com/file_missing.html

Good Luck