Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: <windows root>\system32/hel.dll

Question

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \system32/hel.dll
Please reinstall a copy of the above file.

Ok, what happened was my computer froze (i'm using a different cpu now), after I could not get it to respond I shut it down by holding down the power button, when i powered it up again i got that message. I booted with the windows xp cd, i had three options, enter, r, or exit. I'm at the point now where i've tried to 'repair' with the boot cd but all that does is give me access to a command prompt. I'm trying to get the required file off the cd and onto my computer so I can use it again!

My computer will not boot normally! All I have access too is a command prompt. I do not know where the file is stored on the cd, that is part of the problem or i believe i could copy it to my computer with a 'expand' command...

I'm looking for any kind of information, links, expert advice,general help...

Answer 1

You have three options

Option 1:

Boot from your CD and follow the directions to start Recovery Console. Then:

Attrib -H -R -S C:\Boot.ini
DEL C:\Boot.ini
BootCfg /Rebuild
Fixboot

Option 2:

Boot from your CD and follow the directions below to start Recovery Console.

Insert the Setup compact disc (CD) and restart the computer. If prompted, select any options required to boot from the CD.
When the text-based part of Setup begins, follow the prompts; choose the repair or recover option by pressing R.

If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot system, choose the installation that you need to access from the Recovery Console.
When prompted, type the Administrator password. (if you didn't create one try pressing enter).

At the system prompt, type Recovery Console commands; type help for a list of commands, or help commandname for help on a specific command.

Most likely you will need to expand the file from the CD. The command would be expand d:\i386\hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32\hal.dll. Substitute d: for the drive letter of your CD. Once you have expanded the file type "exit" to exit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.

Option 3:

Reinstall Windows

Answer 2

if all these answers don't work, go to the command prompt type sfc /repair (notice the space between the c and the /. this is System File Checker. It will use your Win CD to extract the files needed to replace corrupt ones or missing ones.

Answer 3

When you get to that command prompt type in mbrfix and your set.Don't listen to that crap,you can't even boot.Type in help and you will see the list of commands.The only other one you could use is fixboot.I've fixed too many computers.This also works with the blue screen of death(BSOD).It will work.You deleted that file by improper shutdown.You can't get in to safe mode with a missing boot file!

Answer 4

i believe that the program that your windows xp system is looking for so it can put u online is already installed on your system. it is just disabled. alot of people seem to get all bent out of shape when things like that happens, and they get impatient. now, i can only take you so far, and it is a lesson that all needs to know, but only a few can conquere the comprehensive systems. where i am fixing to take you to is the "start" then click "run" type in the prompt box "srvices.msc. his isevery operation that runs the compuer really. if you know the program that windows is looking from so it will allow you, or the computer, to get open access to the internet. it should say Sercices Local. look at 'startup typ.' now, under this colume it will show you everythng that is on your computer that is "enabled" or is "disabled." you have to use caution in everthing that you do on this page, because it can cause mucho more problems than you can ever imagine. so i am told. you will just have to inspect everything on the page and become acquianted with it. look for something that is suspicious. something (a program ) that you think may be needed for windows to kick in and put you online. i let a girl play around on my computer one day and after she left i tried to go online and found out that i could not make a connection at all. that is where dell tech support came into play and i learned this from tech support personall. anyway. lets do an example here where you wont get lost if something is disabled and it is your wish to enable the program. go down to "event log." double click on t and it will bring up a lasge box. we are going to say that this shows that the event log is disabled. so you first look to the "startup type" of which is a drop down box listed within the larger box (event log box)- you will have three options in the drop down box, "automatic, manual, and disable." now, this is just an example, take note. and we have said that it was disabled and you are wanting to enable it. so, you will now click on "AUTOMATIC"- next, after you have clicked on the automatic and it is now listed in the dropdown box, you will then look in the very bottom right hand cornor of the big box and click on "apply." right after you click on "apply" you go to where it says "startup status" ("startup status" is listed just below where it says "startup type"); and you will see where it says (in small boxes) "start", "stop.) "resume." and "resume." click on the "start" icon here. after that go down to the bottom of the page and click "ok." this is something that you need to become very familiar with because it can always be a very helpfull tool to you for any and al purposes when you are trying to trouble shoot a problem. i hope that this is very helpful to you and if you should ever need help then feel free to email me.l [e-mail]. Anytime, travis.

Answer 5

Yes, if your lucky, you might be able to fix and put that file back on your hard drive. I had this happen to me before and even after I put the file back on the hard drive, it still didn't work. I'd recommend nuking the HDD and reinstall Windows. My hard drive had a scratch on it. If you want to do this, you can back up the data off of your HDD if you want, just go to http://www.ontrack.com/software/. You can also hook up your HDD to another computer, make boot the other computer up, and backup the files that way, if your HDD isn't damaged.

Answer 6

One possible fix. So far, this has been traced to an incorrect BOOT.INI file. To gain access to the Boot.ini:

Go to Start/Run and type in: msconfig. Then go to the Boot.ini Tab. Or...Right click the My Computer icon/Properties/
Advanced/Startup and Recovery/Settings/System Startup/Edit.

How to Edit the BOOT.INI File in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q289/0/22.asp

This user had 1 hard drive, partitioned into C and D drives. His BOOT.INI file looked like this: (the erroneous lines are in "blue")

[boot loader]
timeout=1
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

The 3 in the erroneous lines, above, points to the 3rd partition on the first physical hard disk. Since this user only had 2 partitions, this value was incorrect. Changing the value to 2, in both lines, allowed the user to complete Windows XP's setup.

The corrected BOOT.INI looked like this:

[boot loader]
timeout=1
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect

Answer 7

Can you start in safe mode? you need too because you have a virus in your pc. If you can start in safe mode run your anti-virus program to quarintine the virus. Then you should be able to reboot your system in normal. You also need to clean up the cookies and history files in the internet options under tools. I would also recommend that you make sure your anit-virus / spyware / adaware / malware applications are up to date.
Good Luck.

Answer 8

You may receive the following error message:
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.
You may receive this error message in either of the following scenarios:• Your computer restarts after you upgrade to Microsoft Windows XP from Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition.
• You install Windows XP on a hard disk that does not have an operating system installed on it.

Back to the top

RESOLUTION
Upgrading on a Windows 98-based or Windows Millennium Edition-based computer
To resolve this problem if you are upgrading Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition, follow these steps: 1. Run Windows XP Setup again. To do this: a. Restart your computer.
b. Press and hold the F8 key on your keyboard.

On a computer that is configured to use multiple operating systems, press and hold the F8 key when you see the Operating System Choices menu.
c. When the Windows Advanced Options menu appears, select the Return to OS Choices Menu option, and then press ENTER.
d. Select the Cancel Windows XP Setup option.
e. Use the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel to remove Windows XP from your computer.
f. When Windows XP has been removed from your computer, start Windows XP Setup again.
If the problem is resolved, skip the remaining steps. If the problem still occurs the second time that you try to upgrade to Windows XP, continue to the next step.
2. Cancel Windows XP Setup. To do so:a. Restart your computer.
b. Press and hold the F8 key on your keyboard.

On a computer that is configured to use multiple operating systems, press and hold the F8 key when you see the Operating System Choices menu.
c. When the Windows Advanced Options menu appears, select the Return to OS Choices Menu option, and then press ENTER.
d. Select the Cancel Windows XP Setup option.
e. Use the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel to remove Windows XP from your computer.

3. Start your computer with a Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition Startup disk, type sys c: at the command prompt, and then press ENTER. For additional information about how to make a Windows 98 Startup disk, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
296532 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296532/)... How to create a Windows 98 startup disk
For additional information about how to make a Windows Me Startup disk, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
267287 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/267287/)... How to create a startup disk in Windows Me
4. Start Windows XP Setup again

Back to the top

Installing on a clean hard disk
To resolve this problem if you are installing Windows XP on a hard disk that does not have an operating system installed, follow these steps: 1. Cancel Windows XP Setup. To do this:a. Restart your computer.
b. Press and hold the F8 key on your keyboard.

On a computer that is configured to use multiple operating systems, press and hold the F8 key when you see the Operating System Choices menu.
c. When the Windows Advanced Options menu appears, select the Return to OS Choices Menu option, and then press ENTER.
d. Select the Cancel Windows XP Setup option.
e. Use the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel to remove Windows XP from your computer.

2. Start your computer with a Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition Startup disk, type sys c: at the command prompt, and then press ENTER. For additional information about how to make a Windows 98 Startup disk, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
296532 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/296532/)... How to create a Windows 98 startup disk
For additional information about how to make a Windows Me Startup disk, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
267287 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/267287/)... How to create a startup disk in Windows Me
3. Start Windows XP Setup again

Answer 9

Format and do clean installation.

Answer 10

read up on the problem here
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477