Yesterday I restarted my computer and got the error "A disk read error has occured". I tried fiddling with some cables and running chkdsk /r in the recovery console but none of that helped. After resetting some BIOS stuff today, I restarted again and this time got this message instead: "Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows root>\system32\hal.dll. Please re-install a copy of the above file." The Microsoft website states I should load windows recovery console from the windows CD and run fixboot, so I inserted my CD, set the primary boot device to the CD drive. However, I get the same error anyway. What could be wrong?

Update: After a few more restarts this happens instead: it says: Boot from CD : Press any key to boot from CD.... and then immediately afterwards: A disk read error occurred It doesn't boot from the CD at all nor does pressing a key help.

Update: I got into the recovery console and ran bootcfg to rebuild the bootlist. This did not help the problem. I don't receive the message about hal.dll anymore, only the basic "A disk read error occurred".

This is the Windows "Hardware Abstraction Layer" file and is specific to the individual computer and its hardware. 1. Access the recovery console 2. Try running bootcfg/ rebuild from the console 3. Try Start>Run>CMD. sfc/sfc.exe with the original Win XP disk in place The system file checker (sfc) tool scans all protected files to verify their versions and repopulates the %Systemroot%\System32\Dllcache folder with correct versions, as described above. If that dont work go here.... http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;320252. Best of luck Eddie

Hi Eddie, I tried the first thing through the Windows recover console but that didn't help. I can't do the second thing because I can't actually get into windows. Can I run it from the windows recovery console as well? The microsoft link you sent doesn't seem to apply to my situation, at least not the causes they list. Thanks for your help!