Startup problem

Tried to start-up my home Dell this morn, with no luck. It's a model 83?? with XP Home. Got one normal screen, then it stops with this screen:

Windows startup failed due to a missing or corrupt file:

<windows root>\system32\hal.dll.

Please reinstall.... etc...

Help please!!
Much obliged!!!

 

Have you tried to simply reboot the machine? (sometimes it is just a fluke-yeah windows)
MS has this to say and a few fixes-short of reinstalling the OS

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477

your error message is #3

hopeithelped

 

Petaluma,

I'll give those fixes a shot; thnx! And, stupid question: by "boot" do you mean alt-ctrl-del, or turning the base on/off? I've tried both, to no avail.

Will post what works when I get home tonight. Thnx again!!

 

Yup a cold restart-power down not just reset-(did not work anyway..)
Keep us informed if any of those fixes work.