I need help with Windows please.

[Vurnakes]

Hello. I recently bought a Dell Inspiron E1705 a couple months ago. I used my laptop today and everything worked fine. I updated microsoft at it's website. Then I shut it down and left for a few hours. Now, I can't start windows. I turn the laptop on and it reads: 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 have tried to put in my Microsoft cd but it will not read anything. I figured I would ask here before I called some guy in India with dell. Please someone help me.
David

 

[RL3AO]

I figured I would ask here before I called some guy in India with dell.

Lol...true.

 

[Bob94571]

http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?hal

put that file on a cd or something and when it asks for it put the directory of the CD (or whatever you use)

Edit... just realized how small it is... use a floppy... dont waste a cd for that unless you totally have to

 

[Vurnakes]

Thanks for the help so far Bob. However I could not get that to work. I put that file on a CD and put it in. Waited a little while... restarted it... pushed F12 but still no luck. Am I doing something wrong? Windows will not even start. I automatically get a black screen with the message. Thanks for the help so far.
David

 

[Bob94571]

Have you tried a repair install then?... So when you used the file did it change what it was doing before or does it still do the same thing as before

 

[kyleman999]

you could be lazy and go back to the store and say it was like that when you first started it up and let them fix it for you

 

[Atomic Rooster]

Ok try this. Run System File Checker (sfc.exe). This command will immediately initiate the Windows File Protection service to scan all protected files and verify their integrity, replacing any files with which it finds a problem.

1. Set your BIOS to boot to CDROM.

2. Insert your Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.
Push any button to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.

3. When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.

4. At the Recovery Console command prompt, type the following line then press ENTER: sfc /scannow

5. When it's finished, type exit to quit Recovery Console. Your computer will restart.

 

[Vurnakes]

So when you used the file did it change what it was doing before or does it still do the same thing as before
Basically when I start my computer it goes directly to this black screen with the message. I am not able go anywhere. I push a button and it restarts only to come up to this exact page again.

Also, this is a really dumb question but:

your Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer. I have a Microsoft Office CD that came with the computer but no XP cd...? Will that work?

 

[Vurnakes]

Nevermind about the last post... I found my dads xp pro reinstallation disk so I am workin with that now... not the office cd.

 

[Vurnakes]

Ok so far I have gotten to step 4 with Rooster's plan. It worked untill I got to step 4. When the command promt came up I typed sfc /scannow it says that the command is not recognized.