Windows boot error: Missing file

[lee551]

it asked me to enter a loder identifier, i didn't know what to put, then it asked for some kind of options.

after a reboot, it seems i just created another boot entry and the file is still corrupt, so maybe i need to replace it with that command i found earlier.

i gotta head to work now, but i'll work on this later. thanks for the help.

[99%]

what i would try is

1.

Select Repair ® option.
Go to the DOS prompt.
Now type "chkdsk /r" (space after Chkdsk without " ")and enter leave it to finish. Now restart by typing "exit" and press enter. It should work.

if it doesn't

Type chkdsk /p /r + enter. When check disk is finished, type fixmbr + enter.

If it doesnt - type "chkdsk /p" and enter. If it finishes. type "fixboot X:" (X being the drive letter windows is installed on, it's usually C, but sometimes it can be a virtual drive like E). Next press enter.

Finally type exit to restart. It should work.

or if that dont work

2.put working hall.dll and boot.ini on a floppy disk (see attachment)
these two attachments are for windows XP professional!
then

1. Boot to Recovery Console.

2. type the following commands
cd system32 [enter]

ren hal.dll hal.old

3. C:\ [enter]
ren boot.ini boot.old


4. a:\ [enter]
copy hal.dll c:\windows\system32
copy boot.ini c:\

3 Type EXIT and hit enter
if other missing or corrupted dlls turn up you will have to replace them likewise

reboot

[Vargas]

can you look at boot.ini and see something like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=1
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\Your WINDIR here
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Your OS Here"

what does it have in the spots where it sez 3 above?

[lee551]

i'm back. was gone for awhile, but i'm still working on this problem.

i managed to replace the boot.ini and hal.dll files from the attachments (thanks 99) but then i got a 'corrupt or missing...' message for ntoskrnl.exe. i went in and expanded that from the windows cd, and rebooted.

now i get this message:

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

wow. its telling me to give up.

[lee551]

no one have any advice?

[peat moss]

Sorry don't mean to be funny but boy do you have pateince . Your a better man than me ghunga din . I would of formated a week ago. All of the above advice is tryed and true I can 't add anything . Wish you luck .

[lee551]

would it be alright to just re-install windows? i would like to try and keep everything on the hdd.

[peat moss]

would it be alright to just re-install windows? i would like to try and keep everything on the hdd.

Have you tryed a repair install ?


http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm




Edit : You'll notice the warnings ! Use at your own risk . You 'll have to reinstall all the winupdates of course .

[lee551]

would it be alright to just re-install windows? i would like to try and keep everything on the hdd.

Have you tryed a repair install ?


http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm




Edit : You'll notice the warnings ! Use at your own risk . You 'll have to reinstall all the winupdates of course .

wow! thanks, that would have been a good solution in the beginning i think.

thanks everyone that helped.

[lee551]

bringing this topic back because this problem is haunting me again.

same problem happened to the computer. it fails to boot and comes to a message saying that the file 'hal.dll' is missing or corrupt. last time i finally solved the problem by just doing a repair install to xp pro.

i solved the problem *again* by doing this just a few days ago. i restarted the computer multiple times without any problems and after cleaning a few things i gave it back to my buddy. now when he got it back again it gives him the *same* message on the first startup. wtf? i just had it booting normally about 10 times in a row.

i told him to find an xp pro cd and we can just do a repair install over the phone again. well, for some reason, this time the menu lacks the repair function where it was last time.

well, we tried to replace the file by expanding it from the cd, but it comes back with an 'unable to create file hal.dll.....' error.

1. is the cd he got a hold of just messed up or is there a reason the repair option is missing?

2. if a repair is not possible this time, could windows just be installed again, while keeping files intact? i know that the windows & docs&settings folders will be overwritten, but what about other stuff?



thanks for the help.