Mini Dell inspirion laptop-no cd/dvd to install missing file-SOS

[monnie46]

Came from the states to the UK, plugged my mini in and it worked fine, went into the start menu to uncheck some of the programs so it would start up quicker, also removed battery as it was annoying with the blinking light. Went to restart my mini and the dreaded:<windows root>\system32\hal.dll. is missing or corrupt, reinstall a copy of the file. Right! so after I freaked I took a removeable memory stick copy and pasted the file from my fiances computer, nothing, it is still showing the same thing. I was told I could not do this as the hal. file is unique to each computer, so? how does one reinstall without a cd/dvd player and where would one get the right file to do this? Please, I really don't want to toss it out the window. Thank you for your time.

M

[monnie46]

Have I just not asked the right way or is this post invisible?

Yeah I do, I admit it, thank you for the advice and may I return the favor?
Here is a pointer:Nice=Be humble. The key to being nice is remembering that you are not "better" than someone else. You're an individual, but everybody has their struggles, and being nice to one another makes life better for everyone.
Nice=Offer to help. If you see someone struggling or doing anything, offer to help, even doing something as simple as carrying a bag of groceries, or hold the door for someone. You can also be nice to the community and the world by volunteering.
Nice=Offer to help. If you see someone struggling or doing anything, offer to help, even doing something as simple as carrying a bag of groceries, or hold the door for someone. You can also be nice to the community and the world by volunteering.
Nice=Be courteous. Always say "please," "thank you" and "you're welcome." You can also address people by sir or ma'am, depending on the occasion. Be patient, observant, and considerate. Treat people with respect. Even if you don't particularly like someone at first, they could end up being a really interesting and kind person. Don't forget "Excuse me" instead of "MOVE!". Remember: People aren't dogs or the ground you spit on.
Most importantly:•Always remember the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated. Even though some people may not be nice to you at first, they will the more they get to know you.
•Assume the best about people. Most people don't mean to insult or offend others most of the time. Unless it's overt, assume the slight was accidental.

Now, if there is anything else I can help you with you just feel free to ask and I will do my best, why? because I am just nice that way.
Oh, and thank you for your input, I know I have learned from it. Have a good day.

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477
Error message: "Windows could not start because of a computer disk hardware
configuration problem"

Since you don't have a internal drive, see if you can borrow an external USB
drive and use it to boot the system with the XP CD.

Could you not plug in an external CD/DVD drive?

Copying a reported missing of a hal.dll from another computer is not
the way to fix this problem (as you know).

Minis with optional (no is usually the option) external CD drives can
still be booted using a bootable USB device configured by you from a
working system using readily available free software tools.

You have Ubuntu available from the factory, yes? I don't know if that
will help anyway.

To properly fix your problem, you need to boot something XPish from an
external CD, a USB device, a memory card - something you will have to
prepare if you don't happen have one for some reason.

I have seen some ASUS eee machines that come with bootable SD type
cards. Is that the same for yours?

You can get an external CD ROM drive and boot from it if you have a
bootable XP installation CD.

You could make a bootable USB device that just has Recovery Console on
it without having a bootable XD installation CD.

The bootable USB device with RC may have enough to get you going,
probably using stuff you already have, may cost nothing in terms of
currency, but you will have to learn how to make a bootable USB
device, get RC installed on it and the configure your mini to read
it.

This is all doable, but takes some time, planning and practice (trial
and error perhaps), but possible.

The important thing is to fix it properly - not with some
workaround.

Now that you have experienced this problem, you will also be better
prepared for future malfunctions with other bootable things - just in
case!

Neither. You seem to think that every post will get jumped on
immediately by hordes of experts.

This ain't your favorite fast food drive-thru window.

You posted this in the forum , it`s also being seen on the web , which
can take time .

Before you get toooo excited, you should do some research - I would
start with the user forums for your machine. SOMEBODY has had to do
this before. I have made bootable CDs and memory cards for helpless
little ones, but confess never a USB, but I have read about it.

It can be challenging to create the bootable USB properly and then you
will have to change your BIOS to look at the USB port as a first boot
option instead of the HDD. It may be that way already.

I reckon an external CD drive would also come in handy for other
things, so maybe that is your best long term option - you will
probably need it again someday...

[monnie46]

I agree, but I did get excited over the usb solution, now you have me wondering if it actually can be done, will look into it more in depth as this is bound to happen again.

You are correct, I will need an external eventually so no need in putting it off. Still the challenge of the usb idea is there in my head not to be forgotten any time soon.

I have built my own computers and friends and family computers before years ago, they were with cd/dvd players though, I didn't realize how important it is to have an external, going to be building another one soon so may need more advice, only I will have patience.

Well I don't want that! thank you very much for explaining, I will just duck incomming spats, have a good day Jim.

I have "disk-wiped" this notebook computer and tried to load Windows XP professional. It comes to a point when you get a message - that its encountered a problem, needs to shut down to avoid damage, and quotes: - Tech Information stop: ox0000007B (0xF7A5E63c, 0xc0000034, 0x00000000, 0x00000000.

It mentions going to CHKDISK/ F but that doesnt work on this notebook.

Any suggestions, how we may get around this? - or is it just a built in glitch by Dell?

Had to partition and now have drive c formatted but when I go to put winxp on it it says I need an installer that I am missing it? any help is appreciated. Thank you.

Your later message indicated you formatted the C drive and now have a
different problem, but for future reference...

First, you said that you unchecked some of the programs so it would start up
quicker. What exactly did you mean by that? It sounds like you used MSCONFIG
to modify things. If so, it is most likely that something in the BOOT.INI
file was changed or corrupted. Problems with boot.ini can sometimes falsely
report a HAL.DLL error. Of course, as you found out, there are several
versions of HAL.DLL, depending on your computer's configuration. You
probably still had the compressed HAL.DL_ file in your i386 folder. (Mine is
located at C:\Windows\i386\hal.dl_, and the working one at
C:\Windows\System32\hal.dll) If the HAL was actually the problem, you might
have been able to access the back up from a Command Prompt or Recovery
Console, and use the EXPAND command, to uncompress the HAL.DL_ to HAL.DLL
and into your system32 folder. Your problem however, most likely was a
faulty boot.ini file, which could have been repaired without resorting to
the format and reinstall.

Missing HAL.DLL

HAL = Hardware Abstraction Layer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardware_abstraction_layer

[monnie46]

Hello Richard and thank you for your time. You are correct I did use MSCONFIG and stopped some of the prgrams like msn messenger, a google toolbar that was popping up etc. Then when I restarted it that was when I got the hal.dll file was missing that I needed to reinstall the file, little did I know that you cannot just replace it as Jose pointed out as well as another member, thank you for the link by the way:).
It showed very quickly on there as it was trying to boot that it was a problem with the boot.ini file, something to remember later, I didn't know that it would show something as fatal as the missing hal.dll. file if it were only a boot.ini file problem, why can't things be easy! I was at a loss, have built many computers before this but never have had experience with a laptop, much less a mini laptop. After I disk wiped and partitioned which it called for according to what I had found on the net, I then formatted the c drive but it would not take, said that I was missing the installer. Egaaads, after all of this I find that I had brought the wrong xp cd with me and not the one especially for mini dell, which is required. Yes I feel like a lughead, but at least I know when my cd arrives it will work once again.
Thank you very much for your time and input, it has been appreciated and will come in handy as I build my next computer.