Recovery Console not detecting HDD

[jlexen]

Windows won't load. It says:

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
<windows>\system\hal.dll
Please reinstall a copy of the above file.

So, I booted with the XP disk, tried to start the recovery console but it says that it doesn't detect my hard drive.

I can't start windows so these are the only specks I know:

Dell Dimension 8400
Rev a01 motherboard

[Rob Pomeroy]

Couple of suggestions:

1.  Go into the computer's BIOS and put SATA into compatibility or legacy mode.

or

2.  Boot the computer using a "Live Linux" CD and use that to copy the files via a floppy drive or whatever (assuming the hard drive is recognised).  Knoppix would be good for this purpose.

If you are not very technically inclined, it would make sense to have a techie friend on hand for either operation.

[killerb255]

To expand on suggestion #2:

BartPE or WinPE can also be used for that purpose.

I prefer WinPE because drivers can be added on the fly:

How to create a Windows PE disc:
http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/topic,87312.0.html

Once you're in your choice of liveCD (Linux, BartPE, WinPE), copy a fresh copy of hal.dll back to C:\Windows\System32 (you might want to rename the old copy first).

[jlexen]

Well, right now I have Linux Running off of a CD, but I can't seem to be able to access my HDD. I type c: and dir but it's giving me the contents the CD. When I type d: and dir it gives me the contents of my other CD drive which is ussally the E: drive... I'm really confused. How do I access my HDD?

[BC_Programmer]

what filesystem does your HD use?

[jlexen]

My HDD uses NTFS I think.

[killerb255]

Use WinPE then, unless you can get your Linux liveCD to reliably read an NTFS partition.

[BC_Programmer]

Almost all distros can read NTFS now...

[killerb255]

...then I stand corrected.

[jlexen]

I'll try WinPE tomorrow.
Another note: I ran diagnostics on my harddrive and got these errors

Error Code 0F00:0244
Msg: Block 6590718: Uncorrectable data error or media is write protected

and there was another with the error code 0F00:1A44

[killerb255]

I just created an FAQ on how to use WinPE if it's of any help:

http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php/topic,87312.0.html

[Rob Pomeroy]

I just created an FAQ on how to use WinPE if it's of any help:

*applause*

[jlexen]

Ok, I booted with WinPe, but still I can't access the harddrive.

I can access:

RamDisk (b:)
cd drive (d:)
WinPE (X:)

but not c:

[killerb255]

Use the following commands in WinPE, pressing Enter after each one:

diskpart
wait about 30 seconds or so while it scans your drives...
list disk
This will give you a list of disks on your PC.  Post what PE says here.
list volume
This will give you a list of volumes on your PC.  Post what PE says here.
exit
...to get out of DISKPART.

If the "list disk" and "list volume" commands don't show your hard drive, then it's either:
a) unplugged from the IDE ribbon/SATA cable
b) unplugged from the molex/SATA power cable
c) disabled in the BIOS (Dells have that option in the BIOS).
d) dead

[jlexen]

List disk and list volume aren't recognized as commands.
If it's dead, will it still be detected by BIOS?