I just installed Windows XP Professional on my PC and now Home Edition wont load up

Windows could not start because the following system file is missing or corrupt :
<Windows root>\system32\hal.dll .

Please re-install a copy of the above file .

Quote from shaun463 :

Windows could not start because the following system file is missing or corrupt :
<Windows root>\system32\hal.dll .

Please re-install a copy of the above file .

I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that...

Google, hal.dll, and you'll see all you need to know, should have been the first thing you did really.

....daisy, dai..s..y...

Quote from thisnameistaken :

I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that...

Are you just trying to make yourself look old with all these 30 something target references?

Do a checkdisk from recovery console and see if it helps, it may repair the logical structure of the system partition. Otherwise you'll have to reinstall the hal.dll from recovery console (possibly from dllcache) after you rename the original one if still present. Mind you, there are multiple versions of hal.dll, you have to choose the right one otherwise you may end up with your pc asking for the drivers of all peripherals, and some other less than funny side effects that may render your computer useless or almost useless until you choose the correct driver for your computer (mine is - for instance - Uniprocessor ACPI PC, or something like that, I translated from Italian). Refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base for more information on Hardware Abstraction Layer and relative drivers to make sure you understand the differences, so you know why you have to be careful.
Keep in mind there may be some other file missing or damaged. Read also this and check if it applies (maybe, maybe not).

Shaun, since XP Pro works, could you boot into that and paste the contents of c:\boot.ini please. I reckon it may be one of two things: either boot.ini pointing at the wrong partition for XP Home, or both copies of Windows being on the same partition, creating a conflict between the two.

While we're on the subject, is there a safe (non-destructive) way of repartitioning a volume that already has data on it?

I'm thinking about setting up a Linux partition but I'd rather not have to move too much stuff around to do it.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

While we're on the subject, is there a safe (non-destructive) way of repartitioning a volume that already has data on it?

I'm thinking about setting up a Linux partition but I'd rather not have to move too much stuff around to do it.

I've used Norton(?) Partition Magic under the exact same circumstances with no problems in the past. I did make sure that any data on the partition to be doctored was disposable though, just in case.

Partition Magic will work fine, just shifts any spread out data to the beginning of the partition so it can resize it.

Quote from Albieg :

Do a checkdisk from recovery console and see if it helps, it may repair the logical structure of the system partition. Otherwise you'll have to reinstall the hal.dll from recovery console (possibly from dllcache) after you rename the original one if still present. Mind you, there are multiple versions of hal.dll, you have to choose the right one otherwise you may end up with your pc asking for the drivers of all peripherals, and some other less than funny side effects that may render your computer useless or almost useless until you choose the correct driver for your computer (mine is - for instance - Uniprocessor ACPI PC, or something like that, I translated from Italian). Refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base for more information on Hardware Abstraction Layer and relative drivers to make sure you understand the differences, so you know why you have to be careful.
Keep in mind there may be some other file missing or damaged. Read also this and check if it applies (maybe, maybe not).

The hal.dll is awkward though, in the way that it is custom generated on installation of your computer based on hardware, so simply copying it from elsewhere won't work. In most cases when my computer has rendered me a hal.dll error, I've simply done a repair installation on XP, because theres not much else that you can do.

Quote from dawesdust_12 :

The hal.dll is awkward though, in the way that it is custom generated on installation of your computer based on hardware, so simply copying it from elsewhere won't work. In most cases when my computer has rendered me a hal.dll error, I've simply done a repair installation on XP, because theres not much else that you can do.

It is not custom generated, it's chosen during the installation between a few different ones (which have different names before the install). There can also be hal.dlls installed as custom drivers during install boot time, but that's kinda rare in normal situations.

And if you cared to read my post I referred to MS Knowledge base for more info. The relevant discussion for Windows 2000 is here, but the model for Windows XP changed slightly, so the information in that article applies only partially for Windows XP. This one is for Windows XP.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

While we're on the subject, is there a safe (non-destructive) way of repartitioning a volume that already has data on it?

I'm thinking about setting up a Linux partition but I'd rather not have to move too much stuff around to do it.

There's also a free alternative, QTParted for Linux. The Ubuntu CD offers that resize and partition management tool during installs. Some boot cds offer QTParted too.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that...

HAHAHAHAHA! Post of the year

Quote from Albieg :

There's also a free alternative, QTParted for Linux. The Ubuntu CD offers that resize and partition management tool during installs. Some boot cds offer QTParted too.

Ooh, that might be handy, thank you.

I need to RMA my stupid optical drive first though - it's stopped reading CDs.

They are on different partitions and i have done what Albieg said but i am downloading graphics and sound drivers to Partition D to use with pro so i can use lfs on pro

Shaun, the solution to your problem should probably be in the link I posted in the first post of mine. Since your trouble follows a double Windows XP install probably you can sort it out correcting the boot.ini to sort out the boot options.

I found this was some help EI System 214 Tech Guy Recovery Help

My Pc is a EI System 214

A nice tutorial with everything explained: http://pcsupport.about.com/od/ ... ssage/a/missinghaldll.htm

Quote from thisnameistaken :

I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that...

I don't get it...

Me neither and thats probably the reason.

Quote from danowat :

Are you just trying to make yourself look old with all these 30 something target references?

Quote from The General Lee :

I don't get it...

While trying to find the reference for you, I found this!

Important! Only funny for people familiar with 2001, and Papa Lazarou.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

Important! Only funny for people familiar with 2001, and Papa Lazarou.

And Strauss's "Blue Danube."

formatted it but saved all data to chris's computer (Data 80gb)

Quote from thisnameistaken :

While trying to find the reference for you, I found this!

Important! Only funny for people familiar with 2001, and Papa Lazarou.

You my wife now Dave...

bump it was a virus but now it just wont load (it did work till today) im using ubuntu