Windows XP can't start...system32\hal.dll missing or corrupted...

[Canuckasian]

Hello all!

Here what happened. I just bought a used computer. It comes with Windows XP .It's OEM so I don't have any related CDs.  Yesterday I wanted to see what actually in the hard drive, so I enabled the computer to let me see the hidden files . While looking around, I found out that I had a second Temp folder (in Documents & Settings folder)  besides the one in Windows folder. So I clicked on it, I couldn't believe the junks that were in it. I thought to myself: why do I need this second folder so I deleted it. Now I have a horror of turning off the computer after surfing and still have junks in the system. What I usually do is (besides asking my brower to automatically delete Temp files when I close it) to open the Temp folder and delete what is there myself. On top of that I also run a free program called Easycleaner .  After deleting the second Temp folder, I ran the Easycleaner. There poped up a few warnings not to delete such and such files because they are system files. This have never happened before. Then I couldn't remember the computer crashed right away or after I turned it off but when it' s turned on again , it couldn't start. What I got was the error message: Windows can't start... hal.dll missing or corupted...Please re-install ...I spent about 5 hours yesterday looking around (including this forum) for solutions. I tried a few suggestions like to get to the command prompt but I had no luck. I also used the F8 and F12 keys , but no luck there. I even put my Windows 98s boot floppy disk in, but I only got the command prompt for A drive , couldn't change it to the C drive. Anyway, Windows XP can't start, no related CDs, have the old computer with Windows 98, CD rom, floppy disk.. Any suggestion from anyone would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[patio]

You will need to DLoad and create the XP bootdisks from Microsoft.

Once you have done that Travel Here for instructions on using the Recovery Console.
Skip the first section which deals with installing the RC which is not what we want to do here...
Start in the 2nd section and read the instructions on How to Use the Recovery Console...

Once you are in the command window you want to run fixboot and fixmbr....

After running both of these remove any floppies and re-boot.

Good Luck.

For future protection contact the Co. that sold you the machine and ask for instructions on creating a bootable Recovery CD from the hidden partition.The system needs to be running properly to do this.

[Canuckasian]

Thank you patio for your reply,

After many hours, I managed to replace one problem with another! Now the error message is :

Windows could not start because of an error in software.
Please report this problem as:
Load needed DLLs for kernel.
Please contact your support person to report this problem.

As I stated, my Windows XP is not purchased separately; I have the (OEM) COA sticker that comes with the machine, but I suspect that it's not kosher and therefore the Windows XP. I guess then that I can't contact official sources for help. So I am screwed heh!

I am able to access the Recovery console using the floppy disk drive as you suggested. Other than that , I am not able to boot the computer into anything.

Any idea anyone?

Thank you again and Take care.

[patio]

Thanx for posting back...

Did you run the following from above ? ?

Once you are in the command window you want to run fixboot and fixmbr....

If so and there was no change in the situation you will probably have no choice but to borrow a WinXP CD that matches your installed version...

Once you get one of those repeat the steps above using the XP CD and also run sfc /scannow as well from a command prompt...

[Canuckasian]

Thank for the follow up 

Yes I did run fixboot and fixmbr. I also ran the bootcfg and the dir command to see if the hal.dll was there. Well, it's gone. So I down loaded a copy of the file on the web and move it to system32 folder, rebooted , got the new error message. Actually, on top of this new error message are these lines:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\Windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\Windows\system32\hal.dll
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\Windows\system32\KDCOM.DLL

These files were all there when I checked again.  According to the new error message, these files need to be loaded for kernel ( I might be wrong here). Anyway, I just don't know what to do next.

Take care.