Steve wrote:

> I set the BIOS to boot from the CDROM, but I still get the message and the
> CDROM won't boot. I really don't want to reformat the hard drive.
>
> Rock, you're right that it's a corrupt Boot.ini, since the last thing I did
> was to modify the Boot.ini to remove the 2nd version of Windows.
>
> Can anyone tell me why the boot diskette I created on my main system won't
> let me see my C Drive on the bad machine? I can boot from the boot diskette,
> but not change to the C:. Suggestions?
>
> Thanks, Steve
>
> "Rock" wrote:
>
>
>>Steve wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I had a backup machine that I inadvently installed 2 copies of Win Home XP
>>>on. I decided to clean things up, and now have a problem. I installed SP2,
>>>and removed the 2nd version based on an article I found in the Knowledge
>>>Base. Lastly, I edited the Boot.ini according to the instructions. When I
>>>reboot my machine I get the following error at the DOS prompt:
>>><Windows Root>\system32\hal.dll is missing or corrupt.
>>>
>>>I made a boot diskette on my main machine and copied hal.dll onto it. I can
>>>boot from the diskette, but the C Drive isn't there (DOS won't let me change
>>>to it, nor can I copy the missing DLL).
>>>
>>>Unfortunately, I don't remember enough about DOS to go beyond this step. Can
>>>anybody help me. Thanks, Steve
>>
>>[Courtesy the late MVP Alex Nichol]
>>
>>That message is rather misleading. It happens because the boot.ini file
>>that tells the boot where to look for 'Windows' is damaged, so it is
>>looking for files in the wrong place - hal.dll just happens to be the
>>first one it looks for. Set the BIOS to boot CD before Hard Disk. Boot
>>the XP CD and, instead of Setup, take the immediate R for Repair.
>>Assume any password requested is blank, and TAB over.
>>
>>Use
>>Attrib -H -R -S C:\boot,ini
>>DEL C:\boot.ini
>> to delete the bad one
>>BootCfg /Rebuild
>>
>>to search for Windows installations and make a new one.
>>
>>--
>>Rock
>>MS MVP Windows - Shell/User
>>
>>

Is the C: drive formatted in NTFS? If so Dos won't see it. Download
the six diskette set from MS. That should allow you to enter the
recovery console.

How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310994/en-us

How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654/en-us

--
Rock
MS MVP Windows - Shell/User