Start-up floppy

Question

This is a copy of a prior post. Need help in resolving. Thanks

Re: Start-up floppy Options Options

DANZIE
Forum Member
Posts: 7
Registered: 04-12-2005

Viewed 46 times

hi Ken,

you can resovle a corrupt hal.dll file by performing the steps.

Insert and boot from your Windows XP CD.
At the first R=Repair option, press the R key
Press the number that corresponds to the correct location for the installation of Windows you want to repair.
Typically this will be #1
Type bootcfg /list to show the current entries in the BOOT.INI file
Type bootcfg /rebuild to repair it
Take out the CD ROM and type exit

usually this will repair what has gone corrupt.

04-16-2005 10:47 AM

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Re: Start-up floppy Options Options

JRosenfeld
Forum Regular
Posts: 3223
Registered: 07-06-2003

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If you installed SP2 as an update then your pre SP2 CD may not work. You could make a new CD with SP2 slipstreamed. For example use autostreamer:

http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?s=96391a295d5b33e4fc4c4df792cc00d4&showtopic=223562

Also, the SP2 version of hal.dll is in C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386 so you should copy it from there rather than from any pre SP2 source.

04-16-2005 12:33 PM

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Re: Start-up floppy Options Options

Ken Butler
Forum Member
Posts: 149
Registered: 12-08-1999

Viewed 27 times

JR: Thanks for the link. I successfully slipstreamed my Original XP and SP2. I had tried for several hours to do it manually, following Langa Newsletter of some months ago without success. I could not find out what I was doing wrong. I did copy the hal.dll ffile from the source that you gave and got the same result - missing or corrupt, and the computer wouldn't boot normally. Thank God for Go-back. And the results of trying the repair from the new slipstreamed XPSP2, I couldn't get past type in your Administrator password. I even set one up for this purpose, and it still didn't recognize it. So I could not pursue that avenue. I read on another board that that is a bug in XP. The workaround is to install the repair thing - can't remember the name of it. I also followed some instructions from World of Windows Message board under XP on how to get into the repair. I followed the instructions to skip the first R (Repair) and continue as if you were going for a full install. He indicated that there would be an option to R (repair) at the botton. I did not have that option. I don't know if this has been elininated by XPSP2 as opposed to the original XP. I am at a loss at this point as to how to correct this.

Ken Butler · Answer

My last post to the above:

The answer to bootcfg /list: There are currently no boot entries to display.

Results of bootcfg /rebuild: Total identified Windows installs: 1

[1] G:\WINDOWS

Add installation to boot list: typed Y

Enter Load Identifier: typed help (no response)

Enter OS Load options: typed help (no response)

Error: Failed to add the selected boot entry to the boot list.

G: WINDOWS>

Can anyone explain what I need to type in for the two items above in order to complete this Repair? I have searched everything I can think of without any hint.

dunedin · Answer

Hi,

This is for XP Pro with SP2.
If you have XP Home substitute in the first option

load identifier.
Type in "Microsoft Windows XP Professional", without the quotes

OS load options.
Type in "fastdetect /NoExecute=Optin" without the quotes

EXIT

Ken Butler · Answer

DANZIE; I got your reply after my post to Dunedin.  I used what you suggested and is covered in my post just made.  Thanks, anyway.  Problem not solved.

Ken Butler · Answer

dunedin:

Thanks for your input. I tried your suggestions and still got the error: not added to list. However, I disabled GoBack and retried. Thie time I got a different answer to bootcfg /list: It listed the information that I typed in for Load Identifier and OS Load Options. But, on second thought, this time I noticed that what they had listed was =Optln. I had been inputing this as Optin. That may very well be the mistake I was making. However, that didn't enable the boot floppy to boot the computer. I got the same messages: Invalid boot.ini and then hal.dll file missing or corrupted. And, on the regular bootup, I now get a screen showing two Microsoft Windowns XP to choose to boot to. I guess, since they listed the Bootcfg, I shouldn't have added the repair to the list? If so, how do I undo this? And any suggestions how I replace the hal.dll file. I tried the one from my 1386 folder in the XP SP2 CD, which would not boot regular. Thanks.

dunedin · Answer

Sorry, but I don`t really understand this post as I have not read the initial postings.
Can you outline the original problem with a quick few lines about what you have done to try to fix it.

You have XP Pro/Home?
SP2
Did you make any changes immediately prior to the error appearing?
Where do you get the screen with the choice of 2 Windows XP to boot up?
What do you mean by "Regular Bootup"? Can you boot into XP?

Ken Butler · Answer

I have Win XP Home SP2 installed on a Dim 8300.  I wanted to make a boot floppy, but on booting from it the first thing that appeared was 'invalid boot.ini'.  The next message was 'hal.dll file missing or corrupted' and stopped there.  In following DANZIE's post, I made several attempts to boot from my slipstreamed XPSP2 CD into R (repair).  Bootcfg /list always disclosed none.  The repair option never worked because I couldn't provide the proper input, which you supplied.  Made more attempts with same result.  I then disabled GoBack.  The response to bootcfg /list was then positive showing the same information you supplied for entering.  I then proceeded with rebuild from the suggestion this would repair the hal.dll file.  I said yes to add  it

Ken Butler · Answer

I have Win XP Home SP2 installed on a Dim 8300.  I wanted to make a boot floppy, but on booting from it the first thing that appeared was 'invalid boot.ini'.  The next message was 'hal.dll file missing or corrupted' and stopped there.  In following DANZIE's post, I made several attempts to boot from my slipstreamed XPSP2 CD into R (repair).  Bootcfg /list always disclosed none.  The repair option never worked because I couldn't provide the proper input, which you supplied.  Made more attempts with same result.  I then disabled GoBack.  The response to bootcfg /list was then positive showing the same information you supplied for entering.  I then proceeded with rebuild from the suggestion this would repair the hal.dll file.  I said yes to add  it to

Ken Butler · Answer

I have Win XP Home SP2 installed on a Dim 8300.  I wanted to make a boot floppy, but on booting from it the first thing that appeared was 'invalid boot.ini'.  The next message was 'hal.dll file missing or corrupted' and stopped there.  In following DANZIE's post, I made several attempts to boot from my slipstreamed XPSP2 CD into R (repair).  Bootcfg /list always disclosed none.  The repair option never worked because I couldn't provide the proper input, which you supplied.  Made more attempts with same result.  I then disabled GoBack.  The response to bootcfg /list was then positive showing the same information you supplied for entering.  I then proceeded with rebuild from the suggestion this would repair the hal.dll file.  I said yes to add  it to the list.  So now when I do a normal boot a screen comes up giving me a choice to boot to, both of which are the one Windows installed on my computer.  How do I undo having these two 'same' Windows boot options?  Also, how do I resolve the hal.dll file 'missing or corrupted'?  The normal boot from the HD into windows works OK.  I don't understand why I get this message when trying to boot from the boot floppy.  Thanks for your help.

dunedin · Answer

Go to Start>Run>msconfig, then in the Boot.ini tab, click "Check all boot paths".
That should solve your problem with the 2 OS at bootup

Not sure about the floppy problem. Will have a think about it
Can you access "Repair" now from your CD ?

dunedin · Answer

How about
Win98/ME floppy with CDROM support.
Navigate to the i386 folder on the CD, and type "winnt.exe" without the quotes at the command prompt. That'll start Setup running from the CD.

You can get a Win 98 bootdisk here:
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

Ken Butler · Answer

I went to msconfig, boot.ini and clicked check all boot paths. It said OK. But two OS are listed. I rebotted and the window came up with the choice of which system to boot to.

Yes, I can boot from the CD and access "repair". That's where I did the above damage that I'd like to UNDO. As an added info: I have NTFS file system. Thanks for your help.

Ken Butler · Answer

I have Win98 boot floppy.  I have a laptop with Win 98SE.  I didn't think that would work with NTFS.  I'll try that.  But first, what does 'setup will start running' do?  I don't want to reinstall, which is what I thought this would do when I looked at it as a option.  Thanks.

Ken Butler · Answer

I was able to undo the 2 OS config that I created by oening in Safe Mode, Control Panel, Systems, Advanced, default operating systems, manual edit.  In notepad, I edited out the double information.  It only shows one operating system now and the screen does not come up for selecting which OS to boot into.  My 98 boot floppy starts the puter, but cannot navigate to any drive from A:  Get 'Invalid drive'.

dunedin · Answer

Some progress then :smileyhappy:

Is this what you tried?
Start the computer with the boot disk.
Change to the cdrom drive.
Go into the \i386 directory on the cdrom.
Run WINNT.EXE to begin the install process

Here`s another suggestion to make the floppy
Format a floppy and copy onto it
boot.ini / ntldr / ntdetect.com

If that does not work either I can`t think what is wrong

Ken Butler · Answer

I started the computer with the boot disk (Win98)

Could not go to the CDROM Drive - Invalid drive message

That is the way I made the XP boot floppy. That's when I get the message "Invalid boot.ini". The next message is hal.dll file is missing or corrupted. Replace the hal.dll file. As I mentioned, I have replaced it with the one in i386 on the XPSP2 CD, but the computer will not boot in normal mode. I had to revert using GoBack. I slipstreamed the CD. The file on the CD is not the same size as on my HD in System32.

Windows General

Start-up floppy

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