If you have a crashed hard drive do not reformat your computer. You will lose all of your valuable information.

http://shanegfowler.wordpress.com/2009/06/22/computer-repair-for-computer-repair-service-in-rochester-nh/

Hal.dll errors…The Whole Story behind Hal.dll

Yesterday at Fowler Computer we had a customer who had tried to install the service pack updates for Windows XP (SP2). He previously had Sp1a that Came with his Dell Dimension 4600 Desktop.

He tried on the phone for hours with Dell to get his dell dimension computer back up and running but could not get into Windows and had very important files. 2500+ pictures for his ebay business, as well as address book, outlook emails, and invoice data would be lost if he simply reinstalled windows without some help recovering the data first.

A technician from the Fowler Computer Repair Office in Rochester NH was sent to his house to assess the situation and had all of the data recovered in just one day.

If you try the solution to the Hal.dll error below and can’t solve it yourself then Call Fowler Computer at 603-343-8331.

Click here for easy Data Recovery options

UPDATE: My phone plan does not reach Outside of the United States please email only shane@fowlercomputer.com I have had a couple calls from the UK and I am not able to return your calls so email me. shane@fowlercomputer.com

Windows XP- Missing HAL.DLL

Error Message: Cannot Find WindowsSystem32hal.dll

TRY THIS FIRST

Get the Windows XP CD, doesn’t matter if it’s one to upgrade, or to install Windows, any of them work.

Let it start the setup process. Then, when it gives you the option, press “R” to go into the recovery console.

once in, it asks you to select which windows installation you want to go into. Just type “1″ and hit enter.
For me, I just hit enter for the admin password, but if you have one, type it in and press enter.

You should now be in the C:WINDOWS directory. If not, navigate there I guess, although you should be there by default.
Next, type in the following command:

expand d:i386hal.dl_

(Replace D with the letter assigned to the CD drive that the Windows CD is in)
If it gives you an option to overwrite the file, type “Y” and hit enter. If it doesn’t, type in the command again, and it should ask you if you want to overwrite it.
Finally, type “exit”, and your PC should reboot normally. =D

Hal.dll might not be missing anymore. You’ll soon find out if you see the error or not.

That is the fix if the problem is actually the hal.dll file, it might also be the boot.ini file.

Click here for easy Data Recovery options

Another possible fix.

So far, this has been traced to an incorrect BOOT.INI file. To gain access to the Boot.ini:

Go to Start/Run and type in: msconfig. Then go to the Boot.ini Tab. Or…Right click the My Computer icon/Properties/
Advanced/Startup and Recovery/Settings/System Startup/Edit.

How to Edit the BOOT.INI File in Windows XP

This user had 1 hard drive, partitioned into C and D drives. His BOOT.INI file looked like this: (the erroneous lines are in “blue”)

[boot loader]
timeout=1
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)WINDOWS=”Microsoft Windows XP Professional” /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINNT=”Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional” /fastdetect

The 3 in the erroneous lines, above, points to the 3rd partition on the first physical hard disk. Since this user only had 2 partitions, this value was incorrect. Changing the value to 2, in both lines, allowed the user to complete Windows XP’s setup.

The corrected BOOT.INI looked like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=1
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)WINDOWS=”Microsoft Windows XP Professional” /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINNT=”Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional” /fastdetect

HAL – Hardware Abstraction Layer (hal.dll)

HAL is Microsoft’s abbreviation for the Hardware Abstraction Layer, the technology and drivers that let the Windows NT, 2000, and XP operating systems communicate with your PC’s hardware. HAL is one of several features–along with the NT file system (NTFS) that replaced the much less secure MS-DOS–that make NT-based operating systems more secure and reliable than Windows 95, 98, and Me.

HAL.dll prevents applications from directly accessing your PC’s system memory, CPU, or hardware devices (such as video and sound cards)–a method that can prevent many device conflicts and crashes. Unfortunately, HAL.dll sometimes also slows or stops DOS games and programs, which need to load their own memory managers or control hardware directly for better performance.

With HAL.dll in the way, developers must rewrite or even abandon their older software in favor of newer, HAL-compatible versions. Microsoft has pressured hardware makers to provide or support technologies such as MMX, DirectX, and 3D graphics language OpenGL, all of which allow fast but indirect access to the advanced high-performance features of video, sound, and CPU hardware. Such access also makes for a better visual experience when using Windows for Web and productivity applications; improved graphics performance is evident all over Windows XP’s new user interface.

Tip: To see which HAL.dll is currently installed, open Device Manager, and expand the Computer branch. The entry that
appears in this branch corresponds to the currently installed HAL.

HAL.DLL is Missing – Updated by MVP Alex Nichol

Option 1:

Boot from your CD and follow the directions to start Recovery Console. If you cannot get into recovery console seek the advice of a professional.

Click here for easy Data Recovery options

Then:

Attrib -H -R -S C:Boot.ini
DEL C:Boot.ini
BootCfg /Rebuild
Fixboot

Option 2:

Boot from your CD and follow the directions below to start Recovery Console.

Insert the Setup compact disc (CD) and restart the computer. If prompted, select any options required to boot from the CD.
When the text-based part of Setup begins, follow the prompts; choose the repair or recover option by pressing R.

If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot system, choose the installation that you need to access from the Recovery Console.
When prompted, type the Administrator password. (if you didn’t create one try pressing enter).

At the system prompt, type Recovery Console commands; type help for a list of commands, or help commandname for help on a specific command.

Most likely you will need to expand the file from the CD. The command would be expand d:i386hal.dl_ c:windowssystem32hal.dll. Substitute d: for the drive letter of your CD. Once you have expanded the file type “exit” to exit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.

TIP: Recovering Windows XP using the Recovery Console

Update:

Shaun Gray (3/2005) states:

Let me review my experience / problem with hal.DLL with you all:

I Received a computer with win XP home sp2 that after uninstalling IML4, and Installing IML5, and rebooting. (IML being Imesh light)
Computer displayed windows rootsystem32hal.dll is missing or corrupt, please re-install.

NO MODES would boot from advanced boot options
Only bootable option was from CD
Repair console would not EDIT system from OEM XP HOME CD
FixMBR did not solve anything
Bootcfg /list, bootcfg /rebuild did not solve anything
Fixboot did not solve anything

Solution Option 1 wouldn’t work with multi attributes with out “|” in between them. ******
Solution Option 1 didn’t solve anything, except inadvertently adding a second OS to boot.ini
Solution Option 2 was unusable with OEM XP HOME SP2 CD.
Solution Opt 2 with XP PRO SP2 Integrated CD “Functioned”, but was “unable to expand file”

REINSTALLING WINDOWS IS NOT AN OPTION.

Final Solution:

Removed hard drive from system.
Added Hard drive to a 2nd WORKING XP PRO System. As Slave on Cable select.

***(all references to “D:” are the Slave Hard drive damaged windows)***

Booted system and enabled – Explorertoolsfolder options

Display contents of system folders.
Show Hidden Files and Folders.
UN-check Hide Protected OS Files.

Go to “D:” open Boot.ini in NOTEPAD, remove the Extra OS’s added with option 1.
Close and Save changes to Boot.ini

Go to “My Computer” Right click on “D:” select SEARCH “D:”

Search “All or Part of the File Name” = “hal”

Hal.dll may or may not be found in “D:WINDOWSSystem32” either way it’s no good.
A working copy of hal.dll WILL be found in “C:WINDOWSServicePackFilesi386”
COPY THAT FILE “D:WINDOWSServicePackFilesi386hal.dll”
And Paste it to “D:WINDOWSSystem32” folder; if it asks to overwrite say YES.

You may now un-do the changes made to Explorertoolsfolder options to RE-Hide files.
Shut Down the computer.

Remove the 2nd Drive and reinstall it to its own tower as Master.

You should Now be able to boot the computer up as if nothing ever happened.

With the exception that it will prompt you to reinstall some drivers, Just say YES and let it auto detect …THEY ARE ALREADY THERE. And will setup fine.

This “FIX” assumes that the computer in question HAS at ther very least service pack1, if not service pack 2.

If these patches have NOT been installed , I dont belive any such Reserve copy of hal.dll will wxist on the drive!

If these tips don’t work and you need your data…

Call Fowler Computer for

• Data Recovery of lost files fast.
  

• Custom Built Business and Gaming machines and upgrade parts.
  

• Troubleshooting hardware/software

• Virus/Spyware Problems

Call Today or Bookmark (CTRL+D) for future reference

1+(603) 343-8331

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