I started installing Windows 7 but it failed

And now I can't boot into windows XP at all. The installation process didn't even get very far. So I just decided to forget it and just stick with XP cause its sweet, but I get this error.

"Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows root>\system32\hal.dll
Please re-install a copy of the above file."

I tried booting into a Linux Disc but didn't know what to do from there.

Any and all help would be appreciated. I'd rather not have to reinstall windows.

 

I'm confused here and please pardon my stupidity but I'm not at all familiar with windows 7???? Now if you are talkin about Internet Explorer 7, I follow you there so please post a follow up here and we will do what we can.

 

Read this link: http://www.crn.com/software/212701488

Microsoft says that one cannot update from XP to Windows 7. You should have gotten a warning.

Sorry I can't help you with the problems you encountered after trying to install Windows 7. Perhaps someone else can help you out.

 

I wasn't updating. I had made a partition of my drive and was gonna try and dual boot it.

 

win7 is the new microsoft OS but its still in beta.

 

That should have worked then as I triple boot now. If you have the XP CD, you can do a repair though you'll lose all your WU updates and have to redo them. or maybe just issue a

Code:

fixboot /mbr

command from the console.

 

I have A XP CD, but whenever I put it in it'll start doing like the thing that says loading setup files bla bla bla and then it goes to a blue screen of death. :/

 

Wo I thought I was on top of things as far as windows went. Thanks for giving me some input so I could check this out.

 

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm
This link has three files called xpquick.zip, xpquick.exe, and Read.1st. Read the Read.1st to see what you are getting into, and if the problem is one of the three files it will help you boot into windows xp. I have used these files on multiple occaisions without any trouble. You may need to enter the BIOS during start up to change the boot order, to put the media you are copying these files to, floppy, CD/DVD drive, etc. first.

 

Okay this seems like it would work, but I don't have a floppy drive on my laptop and don't see on that website anyway that I can create a CD with those files.

What now?