Question Windows XP won't start ?

[surreysteve]

My friend has an xp system on a old dell that doesn't get used for anything else except some bespoke software - No internet - So old it doesn't even support booting from usb.

But the boot.ini file has either been corrupted or damaged. This is the error message:

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt :
XWindows root>\system32\hal.dll
Please re-install a copy of the above file

I have tried all the methods i can find on google but still no luck and i can't even get to command prompt due to the corrupt or missing file.

Any ideas or someone who i can take it to for repair ?

Thank you

 

[thestryker]

If you can't get to a command prompt or safemode generally speaking you're stuck needing a windows cd as pretty much every tool for xp was on the disc.

 

[ImWolf]

Not much info in the OP. Has your friend tried the F8 start menu "Last Configuration That Worked"? Or Command Prompt from that menu?

If you can get to the command prompt, there are several options to try from there.

This error message looks vaguely familiar from years gone by. Even after the Hal.dll file issue is resolved, don't be surprised if another error message pops up then specifying a different file name is missing or corrupt.

 

[surreysteve]

The drive was dead ! i removed it and plugged it in via usb and ide reader and kept failing and wouldn't read

Thank you everyone