HD crashed

[earl_1]

I started my desktop and it froze up displaying the following message.

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

<Windows root>\system32\hal.dll.

Please re-install a copyof the above file


Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Sylvander]

See...
Winnt_root\System32\Hal.dll missing or corrupt: Please re-install a copy of the above file. (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477)

Do you have a FDD?
One easy possible fix to try is...
Boot your PC using a universal...
Windows NT 4.0, 2000, XP or Server 2003 boot floppy disk (http://www.nu2.nu/bootdisk/ntboot/).
You should always have one of these handy.
Note the boot.ini file settings.
These boot options are displayed during startup.
You choose to attempt to load the copy of Windows on the appropriate physical HDD and partition [first drive, first partition?]
If that doesn't work, then you have a more fundamental problem than faulty boot files on the HDD and must go further.

Which Windows version is installed?
Into a "Windows" or "WINNT" folder?
The above boot.ini settings must match the folder name.