My computer had been randomly restarting, usually at night, and today when I tried to start it it said that <windows root>\system32\hal.dll was missing or corrupt. I want to replace the file by using my hard drive as a slave in my gf's computer. Her computer recognizes the drive as a slave, and I can access all the other info on there, it's just that the Windows folder can't be opened or explored. When you click on it it just gives the "open this file with" box, and it says the file is only 24kb. Is there a way I can actually get into the windows folder, to get to the system 32 and copy the hal.dll file in there? Thanks!

Because you are getting that weird problem when tying to get into the windows folder, I would suggest a different approach. Since you have a "custom" system, I assume that you have a M$ XP install CD. Using it to do a 'Repair Install' should restore your system without any loss of your data. You will however lose all the M$ updates. How to do a 'Repair' install Because of the loss of the Hall.dll file, you might also have to 'reactivate' the system.

Hmmm, I tried to respond but I guess it didn't go through... Thanks for the reply. I do NOT have an install CD. By "custom" I mean that the only thing original left from my store-bought system is the hard disk with the OS on it, otherwise everything else has been upgraded. I have to think that there is some freeware out there that would allow me to access these files, yet after much googling, I have yet to find anything of the sort. I have been considereing purchasing a copy of XP just to have on hand, but can't afford that right now for other reasons. But to understand correctly, if I do purchase a copy, I can just do a "repair" install which will leave everything else on the disk, without me having to reformat and the whole bunch? The last time I had to do something like this it required a wipe-clean and re-install procedure. thanks in advance!

Who is the manufacturer of your system? There's a possibility that it might help. I'm not sure if a purchased CD of XP will do a repair Install on an OEM machine. Maybe someone else knows. You could try downloading a linux live cd to see if you can access the drive. Knoppix is one of several versions that is recommended.

Well, the system was originally a systemax comp bought from either Office Max, or Office Depot ( I know they're junk but at the time I knew I was buying a system I was going to upgrade on piece at a time. Like I said the only original part is the hard disc). It didn't come with any disk to re-install or anything like that, so I'm thinking i'm up **** creek without a paddle. I have run across Knoppix in many forums trying to do my research on this, and have one main question. If I do DL it and burn to disc, do I run that in the original PC i am having trouble with, or in my gf's system that currently has my (problematic) HD as a slave drive? thanks again!

I have never tried Knoppix, but I 'think' you should be able to boot the CD on either system. Maybe someone who knows for sure will jump in.

The missing files are specific to each computer. You can't restore that file by using your girlfriend's computer. HAL stands for Hardware Abstraction Layer. This is the file that tracks what hardware is inside your computer. You may need to perform a system restore to factory state. Did this error appear immediately AFTER you rebuilt the computer? If so, that may be due to the fact that the OEM version of Windows that came on that computer is only designed to run on the original hardware. Changing the motherboard usually results in Windows refusing to work anymore. This is by Microsoft licensing Agreements with the OEM vendors that built the computer. This is one of the reasons why Dell, eMachines, Gateway, HP, etc. are cheap.