Recipe 20.9. Fixing a HAL Error

Problem

You receive the "HAL.DLL Missing or Corrupt" error message at startup.

Solution

1. Boot from your Windows XP CD-ROM.

2. At the first R=Repair option, press the R key.

3. Press the number that corresponds to the installation of Windows you want to repair. Typically this will be number 1.

4. When prompted, type in the administrator password.

5. Enter the following command. (If you are running bootcfg from CD_ROM, d:\path\ is replaced by the actual drive letter assigned to the CD-ROM drive; otherwise bootcfg is available directly within the Recovery Console.)

   > d:\<path>\bootcfg /rebuild

   
   

6. Remove the XP CD-ROM, type exit at the command prompt, and press the Enter key to restart the PC normally.

Discussion

This error often occurs during an installation of Windows XP, especially if you have used a boot utility or have otherwise modified the root BOOT.INI file, causing the NTLOADER process to lose track of where the Windows files are located. Rebuilding the boot configuration or removing modifications to the BOOT.INI file is a sure fix. You can modify the BOOT.INI file using the bootfcfg command line program available if you run the Recovery Console after booting from a Windows XP installation CD or the command line within XP. Bootcfg is a rudimentary editor specific to adding, deleting, or changing entries in the BOOT.INI file.

See Also

MS KB 314477, "Error Message: Windows Could Not Start Because of a Computer Disk Hardware Configuration Problem"