Missing Hal.dll to Recovery that hangs to BSOD

Yes...I've been through it all.

1st, this isn't my computer and am unsure what was done to cause the original issue of missing hal.dll.

When I came onto the scene, my friend had tried to recover from this error by expanding hal.dl_ into the original subdirectory of C:\Winnt, which failed because of rights. He tried some other stuff and decided to reinstall XP. He installed to C:\Windows.

I used the recovery console to do a bunch of stuff:

1. rebuilt boot.ini with bootcfg \rebuild (result: missing hal.dll error again)
2. wrote a new partition boot sector with fixboot (result: missing hal.dll error again)
3. restored hal.dll by expanding it from the cd to C:\winnt (result: missing other dll files - can't remember which)
4. performed a repair installation to C:\winnt (result: disables/hangs the mouse and keyboard but is looking for files from systemroot instead of CD)
5. hard boot and F8 gets me back to recovery console
6. BSOD with "Check for viruses on your computer. Remove any newly installed hard drives..." Stop: 0x000007B (0xF89D2640, 0xC0000034, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

I'm at a loss now. Should I continue to try to recover C:\winnt or try to use the new C:\Windows (which works fine).

If it's the latter, I need to know if I can recover/move their old info (users/groups, desktop look & feel, etc. etc.) to the new installation.

 

Seems to me that at this point, a clean install might be the best option. Slave the current HD to a different PC and save any data that's important; or boot to a PE CD (like Barts or UBCD4Win) and save the data that way. Yeah, I know any apps and progs currently installed will be gone, but hopefully the PC's owner has the re-install CD's...... I know this isn't the most helpful advice on the planet, but it sure beats bangin' your head against a brick wall :banghead !!!!!

hd2k

 

I do have an install...on the same HD that works just fine. If that's my only option, then is there a way to recover/move their old info (users/groups, desktop look & feel, etc. etc.) to the new installation.

Am I making sense?