Windows cant start - corrupt file

I am running XP on a 2004 Dell Machine. Last night I turned on the computer
and it went to a black DOS type screen and gave this message:

Windows could not start because the following file is messing or corrupt:

<windows root>\system32\hal.dll.

Please re-install a copy of the above file



So.....what can I do? it just goes back to a black screen. How can I
fix the problem and If I cant fix it, I just want to get my files off the
hard drive (docs, pictures, mp3, etc) then get a new computor. Can I
retrieve files off the hard drive somehow?

bronzeback wrote:
> I am running XP on a 2004 Dell Machine. Last night I turned on the computer
> and it went to a black DOS type screen and gave this message:
>
> Windows could not start because the following file is messing or corrupt:
>
> <windows root>\system32\hal.dll.
>
> Please re-install a copy of the above file
>
>
>
> So.....what can I do? it just goes back to a black screen. How can I
> fix the problem and If I cant fix it, I just want to get my files off the
> hard drive (docs, pictures, mp3, etc) then get a new computor. Can I
> retrieve files off the hard drive somehow?

Can you get into Safe Mode? You need to press F8 right after the beep.
If not, call Dell and ask them how you can do a repair install.

Alias

bronzeback <bronzeback@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote on Fri, 6 Jun
2008:

>I am running XP on a 2004 Dell Machine. Last night I turned on the computer
>and it went to a black DOS type screen and gave this message:
>
>Windows could not start because the following file is messing or corrupt:
>
><windows root>\system32\hal.dll.
>
>Please re-install a copy of the above file
>
>So.....what can I do? it just goes back to a black screen. How can I
>fix the problem and If I cant fix it, I just want to get my files off the
>hard drive (docs, pictures, mp3, etc) then get a new computor. Can I
>retrieve files off the hard drive somehow?


Hi bronzeback

The hal.dll message can be a bit misleading -- it quite often means
there's a problem with your boot.ini or even possibly your hard disk
itself. The worst case scenario might be you having to buy another hard
disk and re-install but you certainly don't need to buy a new computer!

Have a look at this page; it goes through possible causes and explains
how to fix them:
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/findby...singhaldll.htm

Hope this helps. Let us know how you get on:-)
--
Nightowl

Read this:
Error message in Windows XP SP2: “Windows could not start because the
following file is missing or corrupt. Windows\System32\Hal.dll�
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/945380/en-us

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"bronzeback" <bronzeback@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BD4497F6-C7BC-4FD3-AB7A-324E36BE5214@microsoft.com...
> I am running XP on a 2004 Dell Machine. Last night I turned on the
> computer
> and it went to a black DOS type screen and gave this message:
>
> Windows could not start because the following file is messing or corrupt:
>
> <windows root>\system32\hal.dll.
>
> Please re-install a copy of the above file
>
>
>
> So.....what can I do? it just goes back to a black screen. How can I
> fix the problem and If I cant fix it, I just want to get my files off the
> hard drive (docs, pictures, mp3, etc) then get a new computor. Can I
> retrieve files off the hard drive somehow?