Can't start up Windows - hal.dll missing

[Hugbees]

I don't know what caused this, but it won't let me boot into windows. I get the error "hal.dll is either missing or corrupt." I may have done this with a game I installed, since this happened the day after I installed. I believe it may have replaced one of my .dll files with an older version which is why it won't work now.

It tells me to replace the file, but I have no way of using Windows. I can't run safe mode because when I get to the menu, nothing I hit works. It says to use the arrow keys to scroll but when I do nothing happens, it's like it locks up and won't do anything.

Is there any way to replace the missing file without reinstalling Windows? I'd hate to lose everything I have on there if I can help it. I tried seeing if there was a way to do it from OS:X but I can't find anything

 

[GimmeSlack12]

Just reinstall Windows. This is the sort of crap that makes people love OS X.

 

[Hugbees]

Just reinstall Windows. This is the sort of crap that makes people love OS X.

You got that right. Well I'm a complete noob when it comes to this and it's the first time ever having to uninstall windows so... How do I uninstall it? ><

 

[arkitect]

You got that right. Well I'm a complete noob when it comes to this and it's the first time ever having to uninstall windows so... How do I uninstall it? ><

No need to uninstall Windows first.
Just run Install from the CD/DVD.

 

[Hugbees]

No need to uninstall Windows first.
Just run Install from the CD/DVD.

I do that in OS:X with bootcamp right? Just like I'm installing it in the first place?

 

[XianPalin]

You can just reinstall overtop of it.

Seems like there are already a few threads on the subject, I thought I'd seen it before. Are you using parallels or vmware or just boot camp?

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/317524/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/416791/

One of those links to this if you are using parallels:
http://kb.parallels.com/entry/63/526/0/

 

[arkitect]

I do that in OS:X with bootcamp right? Just like I'm installing it in the first place?

Correct.

 

[Hugbees]

You can just reinstall overtop of it.

Seems like there are already a few threads on the subject, I thought I'd seen it before. Are you using parallels or vmware or just boot camp?

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/317524/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/416791/

One of those links to this if you are using parallels:
http://kb.parallels.com/entry/63/526/0/

I use both, the problem started when parallels wouldn't boot up windows and caused my computer to crash.

 

[Hugbees]

Alright reinstalled windows and now it won't start up.

It says:

Disk error
press any key to restart

in which, it doesn't do a single thing

Is there something I forgot to do? When I installed I installed it to the bootcamp partition which had 51,000mb which is what I partitioned to it.

I can run it in parallels which gives me the same error, and hitting any key just brings up the message again. Please tell me I can fix this ><

 

[GimmeSlack12]

Alright reinstalled windows and now it won't start up.

It says:

Disk error
press any key to restart

in which, it doesn't do a single thing

Is there something I forgot to do? When I installed I installed it to the bootcamp partition which had 51,000mb which is what I partitioned to it.

I had that problem too when installing BootCamp-Windows XP Pro. I said screw it and just went with Parallels. Sorry man.

 

[Raid]

<snip>
It says:

Disk error
press any key to restart

in which, it doesn't do a single thing </snip>

That's because Mac keyboards don't have an 'any' key!

Ok seriously, on your bootcamp reinstall did you use the bootcamp assistant? You might have to go back to the beginning to get everything back to normal.

 

[Hugbees]

That's because Mac keyboards don't have an 'any' key!

Ok seriously, on your bootcamp reinstall did you use the bootcamp assistant? You might have to go back to the beginning to get everything back to normal.

I went into bootcamp assistant, chose to install windows and let it do its thing. I got rid of windows first then put it back on because I wanted more space, even though I lost everything (which wasn't much)

Are there certain steps I need to use to ensure this works?

 

[Hugbees]

Alright I'm going to remove my windows partition again and retry it.

I apparently have no idea what to do and I'll need a step by step instruction of how to properly install windows with bootcamp ><

 

[cohibadad]

I had that hal.dll thing soon after Leopard came out. I think I resolved it by formatting in FAT32. It might have started after I installed parallels and used the boot camp partition. I searched the parallels forums and googled and it was a common problem without any clear solutions at that time.

 

[Hugbees]

I think I resolved it by formatting in FAT32.

How do I go about that?

I don't get why Windows won't install anymore. It worked the first time I ever tried to install Windows it worked no problem. Now it won't boot into it or something.

 

[Hugbees]

Don't mean to keep double posting but:

When I went to install Windows through boot camp assistant it would act like it was rebooting my computer, stay at the white screen for a while then eject the disc. After that it would say there is no disk to boot from and I'd have to put the disc back in, restart the computer and hold alt and run off of the Windows CD to install.

Is that supposed to happen or is there something wrong with my computer?

 

[cohibadad]

when you install windows with boot camp you set the partition size and it reboots into the windows install. You must reformat that partition before you install windows. During the windows install it gives you a choice of which partition to use. If you just choose that partition without formatting it first Windows will not work. Boot Camp instruction manual says the same.

 

[Hugbees]

when you install windows with boot camp you set the partition size and it reboots into the windows install. You must reformat that partition before you install windows. During the windows install it gives you a choice of which partition to use. If you just choose that partition without formatting it first Windows will not work. Boot Camp instruction manual says the same.

Hmm, when you say reformat do you mean deleting the partition, because thats what I did.

Now when I choose the partition to install to it says BOOTCAMP (FAT32) and it gives me options to reboot into NTSC. Do I want that?

 

[mshin.mac.pro]

Hmm, when you say reformat do you mean deleting the partition, because thats what I did.

Now when I choose the partition to install to it says BOOTCAMP (FAT32) and it gives me options to reboot into NTSC. Do I want that?

When you say "deleting the partition", do you mean under the Windows Installer?

If so, you must then re-allocate space on the correct partition again under the Windows Installer. This operation (using key commands under Windows Installer) allocates space on the physical partition to install Windows. Then, once you have allocated the space on the partition, you continue with installing Windows.

Select the Quick Format (NTFS) option... Why anyone would want to install Windows XP under FAT32 is beyond my comprehension.

 

[Hugbees]

When you say "deleting the partition", do you mean under the Windows Installer?

If so, you must then re-allocate space on the correct partition again under the Windows Installer. This operation (using key commands under Windows Installer) allocates space on the physical partition to install Windows. Then, once you have allocated the space on the partition, you continue with installing Windows.

Select the Quick Format (NTFS) option... Why anyone would want to install Windows XP under FAT32 is beyond my comprehension.

I'm not too sure how to do that in the installer, I know that when I choose to load windows on the boot camp partition it defaults to FAT32. I'll try it again with NTFS

I have no knowledge of doing this so I'm having a bit of trouble understanding. I hope it works this time.

 

[Hugbees]

Well I fixed it finally, thanks for all your help!

 

[Stridder44]

When you say "deleting the partition", do you mean under the Windows Installer?

If so, you must then re-allocate space on the correct partition again under the Windows Installer. This operation (using key commands under Windows Installer) allocates space on the physical partition to install Windows. Then, once you have allocated the space on the partition, you continue with installing Windows.

Select the Quick Format (NTFS) option... Why anyone would want to install Windows XP under FAT32 is beyond my comprehension.

See, I selected the Quick Format option too and now I have this error as well. Funny thing is I've ran/installed Windows on my MBP many times and has always ran fine. Im gonna try it again but this time a full reformat, none of that "quick" crap.

 

[Diabeetus]

i'm having this same problem, with hal.dll missing

i did notice that for a split second upon windows startup, you can choose the parallels configuration or the standard windows xp config

so my theory, when you start it up, you may be able to get into windows by mashing the down key to select the standard boot camp installed way

and if i reinstall windows, will i lose all my stuff previously on there, or will the system be on there twice but my items still be intact? i'm never using parallels again.

 

[AuroraProject]

That's most commonly a boot.ini problem. Not sure how it works in Bootcamp or Parallels, but on Windows boxes you would boot to the Windows disk and start the recovery console, then type:
Attrib -H -R -S C:\Boot.ini
DEL C:\Boot.ini
BootCfg /Rebuild
Fixboot

or you may have to copy the hal.dll file from the install disk, like this:

Enter the recovery console and type:
expand d:\i386\hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32\hal.dll. Substitute d: for the drive letter of your CD. Once you have expanded the file type "exit" to exit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.

 

[The Flashing Fi]

That's most commonly a boot.ini problem. Not sure how it works in Bootcamp or Parallels, but on Windows boxes you would boot to the Windows disk and start the recovery console, then type:
Attrib -H -R -S C:\Boot.ini
DEL C:\Boot.ini
BootCfg /Rebuild
Fixboot

or you may have to copy the hal.dll file from the install disk, like this:

Enter the recovery console and type:
expand d:\i386\hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32\hal.dll. Substitute d: for the drive letter of your CD. Once you have expanded the file type "exit" to exit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.

Repairing the boot.ini is what fixed it for me. Oddly enough, I've only had it happen under XP, and only when I've had a different boot loader (for Mac OS X, it's Apple's own boot loader and when I triple booted between XP, Vista, Ubuntu). It seems that the boot.ini for XP is easily corrupted when using 3rd party boot loaders.