Need to reinstall a windows file through linux....

**rrfish72** · 12-17-2004, 06:01 AM

After partitioning and installing linux I tried to boot into XP and was given the following message:

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

<Windows root>\SYSTEM32/hal.dll

Please reinstall a copy of the above file.

When I mount the drive and look in system32 I can see that it is there, so that must mean it is corrupt. How can I go about this in linux to fix this without reinstalling. I already tried recovery and that did not work. Is there another way? I can boot into Kanotix successfully and can still boot into live cds.

**dobell** · 12-17-2004, 09:31 AM

Hi:

I think the problem is related to some changes you have done in your hard disk. If the file is where it may be, I think the only way to restore your windows is doing it from your Win XP Cd. Put it into your cd-rom and reboot. Then choose install. You will recieve a message telling you that windows is installed in your system. So you have to restore it, reinstalling, not a clean copy. There is no problem in reinstalling, it just copies all the files from CD to Hd but your programs, configuration... will be there, you don't lose anything.

**baldyeti** · 12-17-2004, 10:21 AM

How did you repartition? Most probably, your windows partition has changed number, eg hda1 became hda2 or somesuch, which would invalidate the boot.ini file. I believe the easiest fix would be to use the windows recovery console (google for it and the fixmbr/fixboot commands).

Beware, though, that fixmbr overwrites lilo in the MBR - which you might have to re-install in order to dual-boot, or edit boot.ini to add a linux entry from the windows boot loader. If you created another primary partition for linux, another option would be to install lilo there, make that partition active/bootable and leave the windows boot loader alone in its partition...

**Markus** · 12-17-2004, 01:34 PM

Correcting errors manually in boot.ini should be enough.

**baldyeti** · 12-17-2004, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by Markus

Correcting errors manually in boot.ini should be enough.

yes, perhaps native can help if the unit is formatted as NTFS - that's why I suggested the recovery console as the easiest fix.

**Markus** · 12-17-2004, 02:52 PM

I didn't mean he shouldn't use the recovely console. Just that an editor on boot.ini would be enough, although I suppose fixboot wouldn't hurt either.

**rrfish72** · 12-17-2004, 05:50 PM

After much messing around and trying to get the file back to the system, it worked. I downloaded from another win machine and copied to a floppy, then got to the A: prompt on my hal.dll machine and copied to to windows\system32. First I had to remove the old hal.dll then replace it with the new one. I also reinstalled a copy of my boot.ini which I already had backed up on floppy, through the same method. Thanks for the help. I back to dual booting.

What I did was check some force button during a mandrake install then that is when it happened.