XP Boot Error

It doesn't sound like the password removal worked. Well, you are in for now.

You should be at a C:/Windows> type in cd system32 <enter>

The prompt will change to C:/Windows/System32> type in dir Hal.dll <enter>

See if it says something like 08/22/2010 10:27 PM 16,166,274 hal.dll or if it says file not found or 0 files.

 

Near the end of the message it says "no matching files were found".

Full Message:

C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32>dir Hall.dll
The volume in drive C has no label.
The volume serial number is ______
Directory of C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\Hall.dll
No matching files were found
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32

*PS ~ I LEFT MY SERIAL NUMBER BLANK HERE.

 

No, don't need the whole thing.

Just to make sure the prompt is now C:\Windows\System32>

Try dir hal.* <enter>

 

I apologize for not being clear, but that's a s p a c e between dir (and) hal, correct? And am I to type the dot (period) at the end of hal? And what about the asterisk (*), please?

 

Yes. dir (space) hal(period)(asterisk)

 

Yes, the prompt is "C:\Windows\System32>", and I get the same thing (same message) by adding "dir hal.*"...

 

And just one last time do the dir hal.dll

Only because your message before was for HALL.dll not found. I don't know if that was a typo (two L's instead of one in hal) here in your post or if you searched for the wrong file on the PC. I just want to be sure you typed it correctly on the PC.

 

Thanks, I appreciate that (good eye on your part), but yes - same message when I type "dir hal.dll".

It changes it (from what I type), to: "C:\Windows\System32\hal.dll", but then the same "No matching files were found" message after that.

 

Well it appears hal.dll is really missing.

This is what you want to do http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/ht/restorehaldll.htm


Basically, type the following at the command prompt: expand (space) d:\i386\hal.dl_ (space) c:\windows\system32


First we should make sure D: is your CDROM drive. So do the following:
at the C\Windows\System32> type in D: <enter>
Then type dir <enter>

Do you see an i386 folder?

 

Sorry I have to ask, but

1. command prompt: expand (space) d:\i386\hal.dl_ (space) c:\windows\system32

And then;

2. D: <enter>
Then type dir <enter> ?

 

No just do the second part. D: <enter> and then dir <enter> so that we can be sure that D: is your CDROM before doing the expand command.

 

In trying to expedite (for us both) I did the expand command already (???) which returned "There is no floppy or CD in the drive".

I will do the 2nd instruction now (and I apologize for the delays - I am running between two rooms, working off a desktop here...both machines are desktops...

 

When I type: D: <enter> dir <enter> I get the same message as with instruction #1: "There is no floppy or CD in the drive".

 

Try E: <enter> and then the dir <enter> command.
If still no floppy or CD try F: <enter> and then the dir <enter> command.

We are trying to find which letter is correct for the CD drive that has the Windows installation disc in it. I doubt it is a letter above F:. Do you have more than one CDROM on that computer or more than one HD?

 

No sir - 1 CDROM & 1 HD - I think the CDROM "may" be "E" - I'll try until I find it...

 

Ok, I apologize, I'm getting confused now. Is it supposed to look like this please?:


C:\Windows\System32>D: [or E or F] (enter)

dir (enter)

I'm wondering about the "arrow" (>) after system32?

If I've done it correctly, I have a big problem because I keep getting "command is not recognized"

 

I'm getting very confused now...it (the command prompt) starts-out now with "D:\" before the cursor.

 

Yes you are correct. The arrow is just part of the prompt. The prompt is just the folder you are in followed by the arrow. Make sure you are including the colon after the letter.

So C:\Windows\System32> D: <enter button>
It should change the prompt to D:>
then D:> dir <enter button>

 

D:\>dir comes back: "No floppy or CD is in the drive"

Should I be changing it to E and/or F until we get what we want?

 

Yes try with E: and with F:

When the prompt changes to E:> or F:> do the dir command. You are looking for i386 folder in the list of files. But we have to get a list of files from one of the letters.

 

I feel like such an idiot, but I will have to scroll back through this to figure-out how to change the folder from D to E (and then to F, is necessary)...

Is this where I do the "expand" command, only with E (with F if necessary) to change the folder?

 

Now, when I hit enter after this --> "D:\>expand e:\i386\hal.dl_ C:\windows\system32",

I get --> "D:\>expand e:\i386\hal.dl_ C:\windows\system32
hal.dll"

1 file(s) expanded.

 

Edit:

Good! Now just to make sure it is there type these commands at the D:> prompt following each by <enter>. (The prompt will change so don't worry about it. It will end up as C:\Windows\system32>)

C:
cd Windows
cd system32
dir hal.dll

 

Again, I'm either not too bright, or just tired (and CERTAIN that I am wrong this time)...

So, it will "look" like this each time (exactly, on the screen)?:

D:\>C:
D:\>cd Windows
D:\>cd system32
D:\>dir hal.dll

?

 

D:>C: <enter> will return C:>
C:>cd windows <enter> will return C:\Windows>
C:\Windows>cd system32 <enter> will return C:\Windows\sytem32>
C:\Windows\sytem32>dir hal.dll should return 1 file found.

 

Yes, it changed to C folder, but the next two came-back as "The system cannot find the file or directory specified", however, the final one (dir hal.dll) returned:

08/17/01 09:48a -a---c-- 102528 hal.dll

1 file(s) 102528 bytes

13637816320 bytes free

 

Was the prompt C:\Windows\sytem32>
When you did the dir hal.dll? (I just want to make sure hal.dll is in system32)

 

Yes - C:\Windows\system32>dir hal.dll

 

Good one last thing to check before getting out of Recovery Console (in case we have trouble getting back in re: password)

At the prompt (doesn't matter which one) put in the following including the word "type"
type C:\boot.ini and hit <enter>
It will print your boot.ini file on the screen.
Check that the partition number is 1 for both the default and the longer line below it as in the example above.

 

Yes, it came back (all instances) as "partition(1)".

At one point (in one place) it mentioned "WINDOWS="1".

The "Timeout" = "0" on my machine (as opposed to "30" in the sample), but I suppose that's no worry here, in my case?

 

The WINDOWS=1 is probably from something you did way back in post #2.

Do you have more than one line under [Operating Systems]?

*******

I'm not so worried about the WINDOWS=1 as long as it is the correct format with 1 being in quotation marks.

so an acceptable line would be:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="1" /fastdetect

 

Yes, unfortunately I created several during (I think) all my (earlier) attempts.

I will be typing them all up as I await your reply (to save us both time)...

 

I believe this is "all" (he says, as if it's not enough!!!)

"Windows XP Home Edition"

"Windows XP Home Edition /fastdetect"1"XP"

"Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition (Backup Line)"

"Windows XP Home Edition /fastdetect /NoExecute-OptIn"

And yes, the "1" is in quotation marks.

 

I'm sorry - I did not type those all fully as they are displayed on the screen, however, there are five (5) instances total under Operating Systems.

 

They all seem to point to the same partition. I think we can fix that later. I don't want to mess with that tonight, I have to get some sleep.

As long as the default line looks like: default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
you should be good to try to restart without the CD.

 

Great - thank you very much for all your time, effort, etc. Talk later - g'night......

PS - I am not comfortable doing ANYTHING ("you should be good to try to restart without the CD.") until you are able to return...I can (and will) wait for you.

 

Let me know if you get a different error than hal.dll missing. Sometimes if things have gone very wrong once hal is restored it just pops up a new error.

****We will have to test it at some point. If you care to wait we can fix the boot.ini tomorrow but if the computer starts XP then fixing the boot.ini from XP will be simple.

 

Very good - thanks again, and I will wait...FAR too easy to get FAR off-track.

I'm afraid to even shut the machine down for fear of losing my place...I think I'll simply turn off the monitor...

 

Hi,

As long as you are still in recovery console we might as well clean up the boot.ini file.
See if these two commands will execute from any prompt.

Attrib -H -R -S C:\Boot.ini

rename C:\Boot.ini C:\bootold.ini

 

I'm here...thanks - give me about five minutes please and I'll be back with answers...

 

As per usual, I'm having trouble understanding exactly where the spaces are.

My first attempt (with the first command you've given) returned: "The parameter is not valid. Try/? for Help".

Again, with only the first command, my second attempt (with fewer spaces) seemed to do nothing (?).

I suppose I should try the second command, which only seems to have two (2) spaces in it?

 

The first command if executed will give no reply. So it may have worked the second time. I'm not sure it is even necessary in recovery console. It just changes attributes on boot.ini making it unprotected so the rename will go through. I think you can do the rename without the first command.

The rename has just the two spaces. between rename (space) C:\Boot.ini (space) C:\bootold.ini

 

Got it - thanks - I will do the rename and report back momentarily....

 

I tried rename twice - double checked spelling, CAPS, spaces - got the same message both times: "The parameter is not valid".

 

Hi,

I was just playing with cleaning up a boot.ini in recovery console and I think there is some type of safeguard going on there because it keeps recreating it with all the unnecessary extra lines. So I'm not sure it is worth pursuing.

I think you were probably using the wrong /. You want to use the one underneath the backspace key. Give it a quick try and if it doesn't work using that slash I'm not that concerned about it.

 

I had that same thought - stand-by one minute please......

 

Same message with using the slash under the "?"

EDIT* Wait - I misunderstood...I did use the slash under the backspace key the first time...this time (2nd time) I used the one that shares the "?" key. - - same result both times.

 

I'm not worried about it. I tried several different ways of rebuilding the boot.ini and for some reason it kept adding the trash lines I had put there while testing even though I had deleted the original. I think it is some sort of safeguard.

Your default line looks like this default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS so you should be fine.

*****
One thing I wanted to check out of an abundance of caution is whether there was a backup copy of hal.dll in C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386.

So try this command at the prompt: dir C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386\hal.dll and see if it returns 0 files or 1 files. If it returns 1 file note the size.

 

Got it - and I'm all-for the "abundance of caution" too, thanks! Be back in a few......

 

1 file = 105344 bytes