Archived from groups: alt.sys.pc-clone.dell (More info?)
Hi,
I'll try and keep this brief. I have a Dell 8250.(3.06/1.5gig memory) I
recently installed XP SP2 on Hard Drive 1 (main hard drive). I have a 2nd
bootable hard drive I use as a data drive. It is still at XP SP1+.
After installing SP2 I did notice it takes longer to boot up. Also the lower
BLUE tool bar comes in fragmented (picture wise) at the first of the boot
process.
Anyway... SP2 worked okay for 3-4 days. Then one day I booted up and I got
the error. "Windows could not start because the following file is missing.
This was the HAL.DLL. It pointed to Windows/System32. SO I opened up Hard
Drive 2 and brought that file over. I rebooted and then got the error
message that it was missing the ntoskrnl.exe. SO...I brought THAT file over.
Rebooted and this time I was missing the pci.sys in the
Windows/Sytem32/Drivers. I brought that file over from HD2 and then
rebooted. NOW the LAST time on boot it says I'm missing the ntfs.sys file. I
brought that over from the Drivers folder and IT'S THERE but it keeps giving
me the same error...either corrupt or missing. After searching the web I
found out that the SP2 ntoskrnl.exe is NOT the same as the SP1 file. SO I
grabbed all these files I just mentioned above from my mom's Dell. She was
up to SP2. I reinstalled all the files from SP2 and STILL get the SAME error
message.
I can boot up just fine on my 2nd hard drive with SP1 so I know the system
still works with that hard drive.
Here's my question. I noticed on many pages I found on this topic that the
BOOT.INI file comes up in conversation. I think 98% of the time the author
is telling the viewer that the boot.ini should read
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
BOTH hard drives show the number 2 after partition. HD2 boots up okay with
that boot.ini file with the 2.
I just decided to change the 2s to 1s and boot up on the bad hard drive. I
took the OTHER HD2 out of the computer and in the bios turned it off. NOW
when I boot up using the modified boot.ini I"m BACK to my 1st original ERROR
of MISSING HAL.DLL file. Could someone please explain what changing the 2s
to 1s is doing? ALso would like any feedback on what anyone thinks may be
the problem. I wanted to get the boot.ini question resolved before I try and
do a repair with my CD. I WAS able to go to f12 and started loading files
for the repair and was able to get into the admin area. So I guess now I'm
at the C:\Windows and I guess I need to enter a repair command? I'm a little
lost at this point. Should I CHANGE the boot.ini file back to 2s?
COULD this be a latent problem with SP2? OH..also I did try to boot to the
safe mode and it just came back with the same errors above.
Thanks in advance,
Dean
Hi,
I'll try and keep this brief. I have a Dell 8250.(3.06/1.5gig memory) I
recently installed XP SP2 on Hard Drive 1 (main hard drive). I have a 2nd
bootable hard drive I use as a data drive. It is still at XP SP1+.
After installing SP2 I did notice it takes longer to boot up. Also the lower
BLUE tool bar comes in fragmented (picture wise) at the first of the boot
process.
Anyway... SP2 worked okay for 3-4 days. Then one day I booted up and I got
the error. "Windows could not start because the following file is missing.
This was the HAL.DLL. It pointed to Windows/System32. SO I opened up Hard
Drive 2 and brought that file over. I rebooted and then got the error
message that it was missing the ntoskrnl.exe. SO...I brought THAT file over.
Rebooted and this time I was missing the pci.sys in the
Windows/Sytem32/Drivers. I brought that file over from HD2 and then
rebooted. NOW the LAST time on boot it says I'm missing the ntfs.sys file. I
brought that over from the Drivers folder and IT'S THERE but it keeps giving
me the same error...either corrupt or missing. After searching the web I
found out that the SP2 ntoskrnl.exe is NOT the same as the SP1 file. SO I
grabbed all these files I just mentioned above from my mom's Dell. She was
up to SP2. I reinstalled all the files from SP2 and STILL get the SAME error
message.
I can boot up just fine on my 2nd hard drive with SP1 so I know the system
still works with that hard drive.
Here's my question. I noticed on many pages I found on this topic that the
BOOT.INI file comes up in conversation. I think 98% of the time the author
is telling the viewer that the boot.ini should read
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP
Professional" /fastdetect
BOTH hard drives show the number 2 after partition. HD2 boots up okay with
that boot.ini file with the 2.
I just decided to change the 2s to 1s and boot up on the bad hard drive. I
took the OTHER HD2 out of the computer and in the bios turned it off. NOW
when I boot up using the modified boot.ini I"m BACK to my 1st original ERROR
of MISSING HAL.DLL file. Could someone please explain what changing the 2s
to 1s is doing? ALso would like any feedback on what anyone thinks may be
the problem. I wanted to get the boot.ini question resolved before I try and
do a repair with my CD. I WAS able to go to f12 and started loading files
for the repair and was able to get into the admin area. So I guess now I'm
at the C:\Windows and I guess I need to enter a repair command? I'm a little
lost at this point. Should I CHANGE the boot.ini file back to 2s?
COULD this be a latent problem with SP2? OH..also I did try to boot to the
safe mode and it just came back with the same errors above.
Thanks in advance,
Dean
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