File is missing or corrupt: windows root\system32\hal.dll

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• Deployment Solution

Issue/Introduction

I deployed the image to the same model client of clients. Upon the last reboot I received the error, "Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: windows root\system32\hal.dll please reinstall a copy of the above file."

Resolution

With Windows XP*, Microsoft changed the way they register the Windows operating system. During the installation of Windows XP, one of the Hardware Abstraction Layer files is copied and renamed Hal.dll. When an image is made of a Windows XP computer, the Hal.dll file is copied with the image.

When the image is pushed to another computer, Windows XP boots up, compares the Hal.dll to the current Hardware Abstraction Layer and gives the above error. The best work around for this is to get a Windows XP site wide license. With a site wide license Windows XP does not check the Hardware Abstraction Layer.

For more information on this subject check out the following Microsoft Technet article:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/evaluate/xpactiv.asp

Dell Latitude D520 notebooks. Customer found out that the problem was this:

* The first time when you turn on a Dell Latitude D520, you get the Dell EULA. If you do not accept this, and you restore a image on the notebook, and the notebook reboots after the image restore, you get the File is missing or corrupt: windows root\system32\hal.dll.

* What happens is that the Latitude contains a Utility partition, which resides on the disk. More info:http://www.goodells.net/dellutility/index.htm.

* So you got a extra partition, and Winxp got the wrong partition to boot from, see this in the Boot.ini.

Always accept the Dell EULA!

Applies To
Deployment Solution 6.x