Missing hal.dll problem - lock-up, DOS type screen

[Guest Tomcat71]

hello - ran across some commentary about hal.dll

driver problem, OS requesting replacement in

system32 file, etc, just as I had same problem,

trying to find solution.

 

this is what happened to me. I too was cleaning

old files, programs, many deletions, and ran right

in to this lock-up/problem on re-boot.

 

I think what happened to me is this - I deleted

one file I thought was old, not used, and seemed

to be empty. (I am on Win XP) NEVER delete it.

or try to, as it will not delete by normal process. it

is “xerox”, on C drive, Windows. as

I learned later, it came with original windows

OS setup and apparently is tied to this hal driver.

 

I have a utility “killbox” to get rid of files that will

not delete. the xerox file would not

delete, with message saying it was being used.

upon inspection, the file appeared empty, one

sub-folder, but nothing in it, blank.

I deleted anyway, by killbox, and it worked,

but the hal.dll driver problem popped up, and I

went in to a panic.

 

I got on my wife’s lap-top to scan the web for

details on this problem and how to try to fix it,

and alot of solutions were pretty complicated.

after a hour or two, something

started to happen on my locked up computer.

 

in short, thank goodness, XP, after a good while

on the DOS type screen, automatically started

correcting itself and re-installing the whole XP

Compaq pre-loaded program I had years ago, and

saving all my data, files, documents and pics,

just over-laying it. It worked. good news is - I

did not lose a thing, am back on Windows XP.

 

the bad news, all programs added by me in years

since I started with this OS/computer have to be

re-installed, all updates in same period have to

be redone, for all programs, etc. a major pain,

but OK if I lost nothing.

 

bottom line, for me,….NEVER, NEVER delete that

xerox file…yeah, small caps…xerox…

there seems to be a pattern with some folks online

having this missing hal.dll problem after

clean-up, getting rid of “old” or “un-used” files, and

this is what happened to me.

 

bill texas/usa