[e8baller]

Hello, I am installing xp home using a bootable USB flash drive using instructions from this tutorial: http://myeeeguides.wordpress.com/200...b-flash-drive/

I successfully installed xp this way in the past. I am now working with 2 separate internal ssd's and both are hitting the error: "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 found posts that this error can come up if the hard disk/partition information is input incorrectly on the usb's boot.ini. So I've made sure that this information is correct.

Does anyone know what other factors can cause the hal.dll error to show up?

Thanks for your help!

(the reason I am working on 2 ssd's is because my first one crashed and dell sent me a replacement ssd which they didn't wipe, so I am trying to get both my old ssd and the dell replacement to both work)

[anguish]

Make sure you are booting off the USB key until you have completely logged in and gotten your Windows desktop for the first time. I used the usb_prep8 tool, and had the same issues until I went through the GUI portion until logging in for the first time.

HTH.

[e8baller]

Thanks for the reply anguish. I can't even get that far, actually I don't even make it to text mode (I think that's what it's called...the section where I can format & create partitions).

[anguish]

It would look me then like it's not even trying to boot from the USB device then. I get that all the time when doing XP installs (well, re-installs), but that's simply because it wasn't booting from the USB key.

[e8baller]

hmmm... that seems right. I will try a fresh install of the boot program & xp onto the USB stick. I successfully used this stick a month ago, but maybe it got corrupt. Worth a shot.

If not, I ordered a $22 sata to usb adapter for one of my spare internal dvd drives, instead of buying a $60-100 external optical drive. Then I won't have to hassle with USB installs (fun to do, but I have no time these days).

Thanks again

[e8baller]

Well, creating a new USB boot fixed it!

With the old stick, I was able to boot from usb into the winsetupforUSB interface. After making the selections in winsetupforUSB I should have gone straight to winxp text mode, but instead would get the hal.dll error. Since the hard discs & partitions were set correctly in the boot.ini, something funny with the boot loader may have been the problem as anguish pointed out.

Anyhow, set up went smoothly and maybe I will continue messing with USBs even after I get my sata adapter.

[loastb0y]

Here was my solution to get past this:

My drive has 3 partitions: 200MB
OSX on 120GB
XP on 40Gb

I edit the Boot.ini file on the XP Install USB to read:

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=10
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(3)\WINDOWS="2. GUI Mode Setup Windows XP, Continue Setup + Start XP" /FASTDETECT

C:\SETUPLDR.bs="1. TXT Mode Setup Windows XP, Never unplug USB-Drive Until After Logon"

Originally both partition bits read partition(1)
Once I changed to the correct partition, setup continued as normal.

Hope this helps others as I was tearing my hair out.. well only figuratively

[transamman1999]

Originally Posted by loastb0y

Here was my solution to get past this:

My drive has 3 partitions: 200MB
OSX on 120GB
XP on 40Gb

I edit the Boot.ini file on the XP Install USB to read:

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=10
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[Operating Systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(3)\WINDOWS="2. GUI Mode Setup Windows XP, Continue Setup + Start XP" /FASTDETECT
 
C:\SETUPLDR.bs="1. TXT Mode Setup Windows XP, Never unplug USB-Drive Until After Logon"

Originally both partition bits read partition(1)
Once I changed to the correct partition, setup continued as normal.

Hope this helps others as I was tearing my hair out.. well only figuratively

THANK YOU!!!!! i was dumb and i edited my boot.ini and have scoured the internet looking for the right text to put back into it and you sir are my hero!!! lol.
im re-installing XP as we speak. thanks again!

[smra9]

I tryed to install windows xp on Dell latitude 2100 which has previously installed ubuntu. So I made bootable usb with windows but when I try to install windows i get hal.dll error. There is only one partition and has ubuntu installed. Could editing boot.ini solve my problem, and if it could what should i change?

now it looks like this:

[Boot Loader]
Timeout=10
Default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOW S
[Operating Systems]
C:\btsec\XPSTP.bs="1. Begin TXT Mode Setup Windows XP, Never unplug USB-Drive Until Logon"
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(1)\WINDOWS="2. and 3. Continue with GUI Mode Setup Windows XP + Start XP from HD 1" /FASTDETECT
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(2)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Conti nue GUI Setup + Start XP from HD 2, use if installing on HD2" /FASTDETECT
c:\grldr="4. Start GRUB4DOS Menu - DOS FPY IMAGES + Linux + XP Rec Cons + Vista"
C:\btsec\XATSP.bs="Attended Setup XP, Never unplug USB-Drive Until After Logon"

[smra9]

I solved it... I started installing in text mode and I didn't get hal.dll eror. Then I saw that i have 4 partitions, not one. After copying files on partition 2 computer restarted and but the same error showed and i was't able to continue intalling, (only to start text mode but it will start instalation over), so I edited my boot.ini such as loastb0y but intead of 3 i used 2 and it worked.. Thanks