Software/Technology/IT/etc discussions

[Utsuho Lazy]

Well, i tried with the sequel...
I don't have that error message, but I can't install it either because it need 1Gb of C drive free space and still need another 1Gb for installation purpose which i didn't have.

Still, thank you for your time and effort. If only...

[Nash]

OK, guys. I need serious computer help here... hope it's OK to bump this up instead of creating a new topic.
(I almost went to Dive Therapy for this...)

Last night, for some reason services.msc refused to start and told me I was denied control over it, so I decided to restart. (I remember it mentioning that it was downloading the usual Windows updates, but I've turned the thing off in that mode, and it never had much of a problem)

Upon restarting, after skipping booting from CD, instead of loading up the usual Windows XP progress bar screen, it goes black with this ominous white screen message:

Code:  [ Select all ]

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.

I could press any button and it would repeat the whole sequence and give me the same message over and over.

I've been looking online for possible solutions:

1. Either Recovery Console or other methods that involve the original Windows XP CD. Unfortunately, this is not an option because AFAIK the machine came with the OS pre-installed. (I'm not even sure if there are shops selling Windows XP around here anymore, if I have to resort to purchasing a new one.)

2. Remove the hard disk and link it to some other machine as slave, and fix its problems using the working machine's master drive. Not possible, because this happens to be a notebook/laptop.

3. Create bootable recovery floppy disc. My machine is not young, but not that old. We don't use floppy disks anymore, period.

4. Install another OS in another partition, and work from there like #2 above. I don't have any other OS handy, and IIRC the other partition has barely a bit more than 1 GB of free space.

5. Replace hal.dll with another from a working machine. I'd try that... but none of my CDs is recognised as bootable by the startup screens WTF.

6. Wipe the whole main partition clean, get a new OS and reinstall... But this is my last resort... (Would this erase the secondary partition as well? Augh, and I was in the midst of transferring out all the precious files)

Help, please?

[calidynd]

Not sure if you'd be able to get this to work, but it's worth a try:

There are bootable Linux distros that will run entirely off the CD, no installation needed. The variant I've toyed with is Knoppix, and the specific version is DSL (Damn Small Linux). You burn the CD, boot from the CD, and run the OS entirely from the CD.

What I would suggest to see if it's possible is to boot Knoppix from a CD (bootable CDs are different from just burning a file to CD, so you might have luck with this), try and access your Windows XP partition (this takes quite a bit of effort, not exactly easy to do, but possible), download or transfer from a flash drive this file, replace it, try and boot into Windows.

It's not easy... and might not work either. But if you're desperate and have access to a computer that can download and burn a CD image for you, it's worth trying if you have a few hours (or quite a few hours) of time on your hands.

[Nash]

It's been so long since I last used Linux-based system... but the more I read about it, I know that's an option. OS that runs entirely from CD without needing to install them.

Even if replacing hal.dll doesn't work (since it's supposedly tailored to specific machines, etc), as long as I can retrieve the whole I386 folder (which is supposedly the Windows XP installation files), then I should be able to recreate a Windows Setup CD... and thus allow me to go for the most recommended option 1.

How is the interface for this Damn Small Linux? I've forgotten nearly all the command lines...

EDIT: Time to go out and purchase a few CD-RW...

[Miz Teiwaz Artonelico]

Lots of Linux live CDs have full graphical environments. The only one I've personally used recently was an Ubuntu install disc, but Mr. Google helped me find DSL's home page, and it says it has a full desktop environment. At that point it's pretty much the standard old "oh look, a folder full of files, a web browser, etc.", so it should work out fine in that respect.

[Nash]

Now that I think about it... I'd try Ubuntu, but it's way huge that my downloads keep getting kicked out.
Presently looking at Puppy, but I'll try DSL as well once I can find a connection that gets me onto their site.

Guess I'll try to copy-paste hal.dll file first...

[Faivon]

Yes, I recommend get a new hal.dll from the internet and paste it to your OS while booting from Ubuntu. I've tried several Ubuntu's services, I remember there is also Ubuntu portable, accessed from Flash Disk (or Thumb Drive). They all worked fine for me.

[Nash]

My machine cannot access the USB port during booting, so CD is my only option.

I would try Ubuntu, but 700 MB download in one go is just impossible with even the best of my connection options at the moment. It would simply disconnect halfway through, if it even gets there.

Puppy isn't getting me anywhere, so guess I'll give DSL a try next. 50 MB looks promising.


EDIT: Right.................

Looks like the entire Windows folder is corrupted...
(At least the rest of the folders seems to be working... save that I can't seem to access any external drives...)

I'm so pissed that I'm not even sure what can be done now....

[Faivon]

Ehm, how long since you last formatted? It's harder since it's notebook but... if it's beyond repair, I suggest formatting...of course after you backup your most important files.
I remember there is an option to just re-installing windows without touching any drives. Just the windows. Otherwise, you'd have to replace the corrupted folder one by one manually

[Nash]

I have never reformatted it since day one.

Still can't seem to get the USB ports to work so I could link up some external HDD...

chkdsk /f just wiped out the entire Windows folder...

[Mystic]

Okay, sorry if this has been asked before in this topic. Please direct me to the post if it has.

I'm not sure what setting I should change to get my computer to show Chinese/Japanese/Korean/etc. characters rather than just giving me these rectangular blocks. I think I may have found the setting while messing with my computer before, but I didn't try changing it out of fear of messing up something I didn't understand.

What I found was something that had to do with language setting and it had a loooong list of check boxes. Was that it?

I use Windows XP, btw.

[Utsuho Lazy]

I'm not sure what setting I should change to get my computer to show Chinese/Japanese/Korean/etc. characters rather than just giving me these rectangular blocks.

Control Panel, Regional and Language Options, "Languages" tab, check "Install files for East Asian languages" box, Apply, insert Windows XP CD. If you don't have the CD, download this, decompress it somewhere, then when you're asked to insert the CD, point to that somewhere instead.

That should be enough for you to view Japanese/Chinese/Korean in Unicode-supported programs (including all web browsers and text editors). However, if you want to run Japanese/Chinese/Korean programs (games, softwares etc.) then you need to do another step.

After installing the East Asian language pack, go to "Advanced" tab, select Japanese/Chinese/Korean from the dropdown box. Don't touch any checkbox in the "Code page conversation tables" at all. Then OK and restart your computer (necessary).

[Mystic]

Control Panel, Regional and Language Options, "Languages" tab, check "Install files for East Asian languages" box, Apply, insert Windows XP CD.

I was right, that was the window I found. Okay, thanks Lazy.