System 32\hal.dll missing

Hi,
I have seen various posts for this but none that solve my problem.
My wife's computer shows a message on a black screen that system 32\hal.dll is missing, please reinstall but when I insert the CD rom for windows XP, nothing happens, the screen remains the same.
I have used F8 and tried every item shown such as start in safe mode etc. but still receive the same message,
Can anyone advise me how I can get her machine to operate.
Thanks

 

Have you gone into the BIOS and changed the boot order so the computer knows to boot from the CD and not the hard drive?
If you see the same screen, the computer is still trying to boot from the hard drive.

Read and maybe print out the directions here
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

Hi, I had tried various things but eventually when I rel;oaded the XP disc and preseed F2 it allowed me to reboot from disc and problem now solved although I had already tried this earlier, but many thanks for your help.