<windows root>\system32\hal.dll

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