Panic! "missing windows file?"

[Midnight12]

UPDATE: please read at the bottom of this post and my latest post:

did not get a chance to write it down and have to wait to load it again but went to turn on laptop did the loading screen, black screen with backlight
then windows cannot load missing this file windows32\hal\dll.
please reload file
or something like that thats the best i can recall but not exactly sure

does that mean its actually "missing" or corrupted. the last thing i did with the laptop was upload sims 3 connect to the net and goof around on it.

when we got the laptop it was windows vista and it kept having to be reformatted. hubby got tired of it and wiped it and installed windows xp and we've had no troubles with it until now....

its now saying this <Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe and hubby is now doing all he knows to fix it. if i lose stuff fine, but this is like the last decent computer in the house as the one in the den is basic capabilities but sloooow

[Eric the Grey]

Hal.dll is the hardware abstraction layer, an interface between the Windows OS and your computers Hardware. It is either missing, or corrupted. (Link)

Anyway, here are instructions to restore the file from your windows installation disk, assuming you have one. If you don't, I'm not certain how else you can get one, unless someone can get you a copy from theirs.



Eric the Grey

[Midnight12]

found the boot disk cd and it worked. now i am defragging the comp as part of the issue was too much crap on the laptop, bother

thank you!

[Midnight12]

ok what do I do if it happens again? it wouldn't be because I forgot to take the sims 3 cd out before shutting down and starting it up with the cd in there....as its loaded before with the cd in there

[technical.angel]

No, Having the Sims disk in the computer would not cause this issue.

It's not likely to happen again, but if it does, just pull out the boot CD again.

[Midnight12]

happened twice so far

[lordlundar]

hmm, gotta ask this, but what is the last thing you do before you have the issue? It will help narrow the field down in isolating the source.

[Midnight12]

i play sims 3, save the game. exit out of it, let the laptop sit and click turn off comp, shut down and all is well. The last person to use the laptop was to burn a cd and he shut it off normally as well.

[Midnight12]

its now saying this <Windows root>\system32\ntoskrnl.exe and hubby is now doing all he knows to fix it. if i lose stuff fine, but this is like the last decent computer in the house as the one in the den is basic capabilities but sloooow

and i'm freaking out because this is like the last straw on top of a lot of other issues

[technical.angel]

I say if you get it back up, save your info off of it, and reformat the sucker. If you have the money, this would be a great time to upgrade to Win 7, if you haven't already. Just don't get an upgrade version of Win 7.

[Midnight12]

going to save to get a new computer....*cries* this is the last straw on top of everything else...not a good day

[technical.angel]

It's a software issue, not a hardware issue, so there's no reason to go get a new computer unless you really want to.

You can get Win 7 home for $180 from NewEgg. Or, if you have the restore disc for you computer, you can use that without upgrading. The only reason I mentioned it was that if you're going to reformat, you might as well upgrade to the best.

DON'T PANIC!

You said it was fine to lose everything, so if your hubby can't recover it, just reformat the sucker. It'll be just fine.

UNLESS, of course, you really do want a bright shiney new PC.

[Midnight12]

have the disc for windows xp....its just we've had issue upon issue with this laptop. and its easier to get a new comp. but we is broke cause of dr for Lisa, vet monthly bug spray and all that....so right now cannot get windows 7

the only important thing on the laptop is the sims3 and i barely started on it. so meh. all the pictures and important files are on the external hard drive so its ok.

and yeah i want a bright shiney new pc as the one i am using is slow sometimes and has been dumped on so much i'm surprised it likes anyone

sorry just not having a good day
thankies HUGS

[technical.angel]

Then my suggestion is start saving for a new one. Forget about purchasing Win 7 right now. You'll get it on the new baby.

A reformat should help the missing/corrupt file issue.

What other issues are you having?

[Midnight12]

flaky arse people.
but thats another section here

after going through the laptops history (was put out with windows vista on a system meant for xp. vista gave us all kinds of problems so hubby did a clean swipe or whatever the term is, and brought it down to windows xp. and until now its been fine. I believe its just a bad version of windows xp and will reformat and get another copy or just leave it as is. but this means said friend soon to be ex friend ain't getting their dvd as i was going to burn one this morning while i had the chance.

will be on and off all day as i have a teething baby