The hal.dll file is a hidden file that is used by Windows XP to communicate with your computer’s hardware. Hal.dll can become damaged, corrupted or deleted for a number of reasons and is usually brought to your attention by the “missing or corrupt hal.dll” error message.
Follow these easy steps to restore the damaged/corrupted or missing hal.dll file from the Windows XP CD using the Recovery Console.
Follow these easy steps to restore the damaged/corrupted or missing hal.dll file from the Windows XP CD using the Recovery Console.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: Restoring hal.dll from the Windows XP CD usually takes less than 15 minutes
Here’s How:
- Enter Windows XP Recovery Console.
- When you reach the command line prompt (detailed in Step 6 in the link above), type the following and then press Enter:
expand d:i386hal.dl_ c:windowssystem32
Using the expand command as shown above, d represents the drive letter assigned to the optical drive that your Windows XP CD is currently in. While this is most often d, your system could assign a different letter. Also, c:windows represents the drive and folder that Windows XP is currently installed on. Again, this is most often the case but your system could be different.
- If you’re prompted to overwrite the file, press Y.
- Take out the Windows XP CD, type exit and then press Enter to restart your PC.
Assuming that a missing or corrupt hal.dll file was your only issue, Windows XP should now start normally.
