HELP!!!! Windows trouble!

[KilGil27]

So Windows started acting up and told me some files were missing, so I clicked ignore for a while. Then, after I restarted, it tells me:

Windows could not restart because the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windowsroot\system32\hal.dll> Please reinstall this file to resume Windows

BUT I can't install windows because it won't let me do anything. Do I need to get into the registry, and if so, how? and what do I do when I get there? HELP

 

[mgob]

have you tried booting off of a windows cd into rescue mode to put the file back?

 

[Zugzwang152]

Originally posted by: KilGil27
So Windows started acting up and told me some files were missing, so I clicked ignore for a while. Then, after I restarted, it tells me:

Windows could not restart because the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windowsroot\system32\hal.dll> Please reinstall this file to resume Windows

BUT I can't install windows because it won't let me do anything. Do I need to get into the registry, and if so, how? and what do I do when I get there? HELP

Microsoft's support website is your friend.

 

[KilGil27]

Originally posted by: mgob
have you tried booting off of a windows cd into rescue mode to put the file back?

it won't book from the CD

 

[kidcool321]

what is your main boot harddrive or cdrom?

 

[Fallengod]

Ive had all of a sudden, missing boot files from windows 2000 as well. You know what it was? My old antec 430 PSU that had bad capacitors and was going bad and having power surges. I just recently RMA'd for a new one. It wasnt obvious at all either. I thought it was my hard drives or bad ide cable.

Im not saying this is your problem, but its something to consider. Because my psu made 4 hard drives with windows xp and windows 2000, get corrupted and loss boot files.... Good luck.

 

[firewall]

Originally posted by: KilGil27

Originally posted by: mgob
have you tried booting off of a windows cd into rescue mode to put the file back?

it won't book from the CD

Check your bios settings and set the cd/dvd-rom as first boot device.

 

[earthman]

That is a generic error that usually means it can't find the right partition. Either you have changed/added drives, or your boot.ini file is bad or missing, or you have some other error relating to your hard drive. Failing hard drives often produce misleading errors.

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: earthman
That is a generic error that usually means it can't find the right partition. Either you have changed/added drives, or your boot.ini file is bad or missing, or you have some other error relating to your hard drive. Failing hard drives often produce misleading errors.

Adding... the linked KB is a good start, and from there you can also use the MS KB to search on your keywords. That might help you quickly find a solution without a lot of back and forth here.