hal.dll Missing on Windows Setup

[Vicenarian]

Something I haven't experienced yet...

Background:
Doing a fresh install of XP MCE 2005 on Gateway Desktop PC. Inserted XP Disc, etc. etc. selected partition to install onto (same partition as previous install), chose to format (not quick) as NTFS, setup program did that, then copied over files, computer rebooted, only to greet me with an error like this:

Windows could not start because the following file is either missing or corrupted,

"<windows root>\system32\hal.dll"

Not sure what could have caused this. Maybe the computer is trying to continue setup from the built in Gateway Recovery Partition (which I haven't even touched)?

(Btw, recovery partition won't work right now, because it requires some discs which I don't have atm. Otherwise, I would have just used that)

Any other ideas?


EDIT:

Ok, that is EXACTLY what it was. boot.ini was pointing towards the install (named minixp or something) on the recovery partition, as opposed to the actual install I was performing on the correct partition.

 

[ATTech]

What model gateway is it, and what have you done to troubleshoot this?

 

[dannyd]

Check the boot.ini file to make sure it is pointing correctly to windows and not pointing to the recovery partition.

Google hal.dill error very common error when installing on hard drives with more than one partition


Edit just seen your edit

 

[meanderer]

I had one laptop that can't complete the install because it overheated, then rebooted during installation and cause the same error.

 

[sharpwitz]

Answer

Had this problem the other day, simple fix

if you don't know how to edit boot.ini

take the drive out and connect it to your main computer

go to administrative tools -> computer management -> storage management

delete all partitions (esp. the partition holding the recovery)
notice i said delete partition, not format partition

create new partitions

re-install windows

 

[sharpwitz]

boot.ini

out of curiosity, what should the correct line of code in the boot.ini for this situation?

Check the boot.ini file to make sure it is pointing correctly to windows and not pointing to the recovery partition.

Google hal.dill error very common error when installing on hard drives with more than one partition


Edit just seen your edit

 

[MobileTechie]

That would depend on what type of disk and which partition Windows is installed on

 

[gazza]

Something I haven't experienced yet...

Background:
Doing a fresh install of XP MCE 2005 on Gateway Desktop PC. Inserted XP Disc, etc. etc. selected partition to install onto (same partition as previous install), chose to format (not quick) as NTFS, setup program did that, then copied over files, computer rebooted, only to greet me with an error like this:



Not sure what could have caused this. Maybe the computer is trying to continue setup from the built in Gateway Recovery Partition (which I haven't even touched)?

(Btw, recovery partition won't work right now, because it requires some discs which I don't have atm. Otherwise, I would have just used that)

Any other ideas?


EDIT:

Ok, that is EXACTLY what it was. boot.ini was pointing towards the install (named minixp or something) on the recovery partition, as opposed to the actual install I was performing on the correct partition.

I have found that this message is usually the result of bad sectors on the drive, run HDD regenerator scan to be on the safe side.

 

[sharpwitz]

What's the difference b/w hdd regenerator vs spinrite? Which is better?

http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm

I have found that this message is usually the result of bad sectors on the drive, run HDD regenerator scan to be on the safe side.

 

[Xander]

Really?

I have found that this message is usually the result of bad sectors on the drive, run HDD regenerator scan to be on the safe side.

You've found that a HAL.DLL error is usually the result of bad sectors? Wow, even Microsoft missed that one.

Edit: Keyword here is "usually"

 

[MobileTechie]

Bad sectors were the the cause of the missing hal.ddll I just had so MS did miss a trick.

 

[gazza]

What's the difference b/w hdd regenerator vs spinrite? Which is better?

http://www.grc.com/sr/spinrite.htm

I have only used HDD Regenerator, you can download a demo version from http://store6.esellerate.net/store/catalog.aspx?s=STR793615240&pc=