I have a Dell Inspiron E1505. For some reason or another, when I tried to login a few hours ago I get the following message: Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows root>\system32\hal.dll. Please re-install a copy of the above file. When you try to advance the computer just restarts and I get the same message each time. I am now posting from my desktop. I googled the problem and tried basically every fix I came across with no results, of course when I came across those fixes others stated they didn't work for them either. Since my system is under warranty for another 2 years, I contacted Dell. They referred me to this Microsoft webpage: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx I follow all the steps but when I get to #5 the R or 'Repair' option is not even available. After telling the Dell representative this they inform me that there are no other options but to format my drive and lose everything. The problem is, my girlfriend just got new progress notes at work and where do you think she had her old ones and what needs to be transferred from those old ones. Besides, I'm not sure if there is anything on there I want to keep myself. So my BBS brethren I am turning to you guys for assistance. I figure there must be a way to make this repair. If there is not, is there any way to access the data stored on the laptop and save it? How? Any help is greatly, greatly appreciated. TIA!
take out the drive and put it back in making sure it is connected and not loose. If that fails get or borrow a 2.5" enclosure for the drive and check it out on the laptop with chkdsk and see if it has physical errors, if not then it is software and try to fix it, if it does then just save what you can off of it and reformat it.
I just want to add that it seems like the computer is not talking to the drive at all. This to me could easily be a loose drive so make sure to not skip that crucial step. The easiest most simple solution is the correct one far more times than it is not.
If the steps in that link aren't allowing you to run the repair, then the setup disk isn't seeing a Windows installation, which means Windows is hosed. It doesn't mean that you can't get the data off. Go to Frys and pick up a SATA/Laptop ATA to USB adapter for around $15, pull your drive out, and plug it into your girlfriend's laptop and pull the old data off. After that's done you can proceed with a clean install. Here's what you're going to look for at Frys:
Dell is r****ded. I assume this is Windows XP? If so I've seen this many, many times. There are several options, none of which involve losing your data. Option #1: Back up your files to a FAT32 file system using Knoppix & then reinstall. Flash drives are pretty much always FAT32, and you can format an external HD in FAT32 if you want... usually they come as NTFS though. I see this has already been suggested. It's quick and easy. However, if you've had the computer for a little while and like the way it's configured, I understand you may not want to lose all that. I personally find a freshly formatted hard drive quite refreshing, but to each their own... Option #2: Install a 2nd copy of Windows (to, say, a folder called WINDOWS2), boot up the 2nd copy, and copy the missing file from WINDOWS2 into WINDOWS. Then switch back to your original installation by modifying your boot.ini file. This, like option #1, is pretty simple. The only real "drawback" is you have a 2nd copy of Windows sitting on your hard drive taking up space. But really, who cares? I did this all the time when I was in support because... well... it requires no effort at all, and it works 90% of the time. And when it doesn't work that other 10% of the time, it doesn't hurt anything or take away your other options at all... you just wasted 45 minutes of your time. Meh. Option #3: Follow the directions on this page to the letter. This is the most involved, technical solution, and you may not be comfortable doing it. But the directions on that page are laid out very well, and it's worked for me before. Do whatever you want, any one of those should work unless your hard drive is F'd up, which it might be. Regardless, I very much doubt your data is irrecoverable.
seriously guys all of these options are much more complicated than buying a simple exterior enclosure: after making sure the HDD is actually not just loose. The 2.5" HDD do not need a power brick to work, they work fine off of a USB power.
Did you do a checkdsk with another computer or with the current computer? If another computer save what you can that you really need then try it again. You can also try to boot the other computer from that disk and see if the other computer can see the windows files.
Tried option 3. Whenever I get to the point where you need to enter the following: C:ATTRIB -H C:\\BOOT.INI C:ATTRIB -R C:\\BOOT.INI C:ATTRIB -S C:\\BOOT.INI I get the following message: The system cannot find the file or directory specified. I'm guessing this means I am pretty much screwed and there is no fix. Am I correct in assuming this? I live in Jonesboro, Arkansas not Texas so I do not have a Fry's anywhere near me. Where else can I get the tools necessary to get the data off of the laptop? Walmart? K-Mart? Circuit City? Radio Shack?
anyplace that has a 2.5" external enclosure. I doubt walmart does but they might. Just look for something like my pic. Circut city will and definetly any computer store. The reason it cannot find the file is because it does not see the drive. Just copy everything on it to they other computer then reformat and see what kinda shape the disk is in.
So I just need a 2.5" enclosure and I should be able to pull all of the needed data off of the laptop hard drive and put it on my desktop? Do these come in kits because I have plenty of USB cables and sets of precision screwdrivers.
you won;t have this type of cable it will be like two "A" ends and one of them will be split into two to have enough power to run the drive. Look at the picture and you will see what I am saying. The normally cost like 10 bucks but even if you get screwed it won;t be more than 20. Then once you do this you can see every single file on the disk and copy it to your desktop.
Well, all those commands do is prep the file to be deleted anyway. Since it's already gone, have you tried going to the next step (BOOTCFG /REBUILD)? That really is the key step. Everything else is just prep work. And have you tried option #2?
Based on your original post, I assume you have a Windows XP CD. You should be able to reinstall windows without wiping anything from the hard drive. You will lose some windows settings and may have to reload some programs, but the data should stay intact. Otherwise Jeremiah's suggestion is reasonable. Best Buy has the kits he speaks of and the one I bought contained the "two-headed" USB cable.
Yes, I have the original XP CD that came with the laptop but how do I reinstall without losing the data? I've sent my lady out to look for a kit at Circuit City and Radio Shack at the local mall. EDIT: Every place we keep checking does not have that kit for SATA drives but they do have IDE ones in stock. Can anybody recommend a place online I can purchase one for the low? If you can point to a specific one online that is a good price or is on sale, that would be great. TIA
You're gonna have issues if you're using a restore disk like an OS disk, they aren't the same. You can go online and download (from less reputable sources) an OS disk. Don't worry, as long as your key legal it isn't illegal to download an OS iso. Then you're gonna have to use the OS disk by the instructions given online.
I have the original XP CD that came with the laptop and I also have an original XP Professional CD as well. I believe the CD that I am using, the one that came with the laptop, is an actual OS disk and not a recovery disk, in fact I'm pretty much sure of it. You're saying I shouldn't be using the one that came with the laptop?
