Missing or Corrupt hal.dll After Chipset and BIOS Update
Here's what I did today that caused this error message to show up. I have an ASUS P5Q-E motherboard running Windows XP Home.
1. Downloaded and installed the most recent Intel Chipset Driver Utility 9.0.0.1007 from the ASUS website. Started to run the ASUSUpdate.exe install utility program that was also included in the .zip file. There were several smaller .exe programs in this utility program. Each time one of the smaller .exe programs started I got a message that the told me these programs (can't remeber all the names but one was called updateusb.exe) weren't signed by Microsoft and so I canceled the installation by pressing the cancel button for each one.
2. I restarted my computer and after starting Windows the updateusb.exe program kept trying to install itself. I also kept getting the same message that this program wasn't signed my Microsoft (or something to that effect) and again I cancelled the installation by pressing the Cancel button.
3. Next, I updated my BIOS (v1203) to the latest version for my motherboard as downloaded from the ASUS website. The BIOS update went fine and booted back into Windows. When booting back into Windows I was given the option to load the default BIOS settings and so I did that. No problems so far.
4. I re-started Windows a second time after the BIOS update so I could get back into the BIOS utility to restore my previous BIOS settings. I manually restored all my BIOS settings and then I F10'ed (Save and Exit). At this point the computer abruptly turned off for a few seconds and then turned itself back on.
5. After the usual POST, when trying to start Windows, I get this message that //<windows default="" folder="">/System 32/hal.dll (or something similar) Windows could not load because of a missing or corrupt hal.dll file.
I had my hard drives set up as a RAID 1 (mirroring) and this RAID is still recognized but Windows won't start because of the missing hal.dll.
How do I get Windows to open from here?
Thanks for you help.
UPDATE: If I go back into my BIOS and change the hard drive configuration from RAID back to IDE then I can successfully boot into Windows like I normally do without getting this error message. My RAID configuration is still there but my BIOS now thinks that these hard drives are just 2 separate IDE drives. I want things back the way they were with my RAID 1 configuration.
</windows>
1. Downloaded and installed the most recent Intel Chipset Driver Utility 9.0.0.1007 from the ASUS website. Started to run the ASUSUpdate.exe install utility program that was also included in the .zip file. There were several smaller .exe programs in this utility program. Each time one of the smaller .exe programs started I got a message that the told me these programs (can't remeber all the names but one was called updateusb.exe) weren't signed by Microsoft and so I canceled the installation by pressing the cancel button for each one.
2. I restarted my computer and after starting Windows the updateusb.exe program kept trying to install itself. I also kept getting the same message that this program wasn't signed my Microsoft (or something to that effect) and again I cancelled the installation by pressing the Cancel button.
3. Next, I updated my BIOS (v1203) to the latest version for my motherboard as downloaded from the ASUS website. The BIOS update went fine and booted back into Windows. When booting back into Windows I was given the option to load the default BIOS settings and so I did that. No problems so far.
4. I re-started Windows a second time after the BIOS update so I could get back into the BIOS utility to restore my previous BIOS settings. I manually restored all my BIOS settings and then I F10'ed (Save and Exit). At this point the computer abruptly turned off for a few seconds and then turned itself back on.
5. After the usual POST, when trying to start Windows, I get this message that //<windows default="" folder="">/System 32/hal.dll (or something similar) Windows could not load because of a missing or corrupt hal.dll file.
I had my hard drives set up as a RAID 1 (mirroring) and this RAID is still recognized but Windows won't start because of the missing hal.dll.
How do I get Windows to open from here?
Thanks for you help.
UPDATE: If I go back into my BIOS and change the hard drive configuration from RAID back to IDE then I can successfully boot into Windows like I normally do without getting this error message. My RAID configuration is still there but my BIOS now thinks that these hard drives are just 2 separate IDE drives. I want things back the way they were with my RAID 1 configuration.
</windows>
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Comments
While in Windows.. get the Intel storage manager software and install it. Then you can see the drives in Windows and actually re-create the array, tell it to rebuild (using the current C drive as the master) and it will add the "second" drive as the "slave" and essentially recreate your Raid1 array.
Thanks for taking the time to read my lengthy problem.
Are you talking about the Intel Matrix Storage Manager? I installed a version of this utility previously but when I try to open it now, after these BIOS and chipset updates, it says it can't open because of some "plug-in" that couldn't be found. Anyway, I will try to download and install another copy of this utility.
By the way, although I can run Windows from either of my 2 hard drives I noticed that one of the hard drives has a lot of software crashes. I can't even open "System Restore" or reply to my Outlook email messages without an error message that tells me about some non-specific "encoutered and error and needs to shut down". The other hard drive is fine (except for that Intel Matrix Plug-In issue above).
When I re-create the RAID 1 set-up I want the "good" hard drive to be mirrored - not the other way around. How do I ensure that the "good" hard drive will be mirrored? Do I need to erase or format the "bad" hard drive first? Also, in my BIOS I need totell it that I want it to treat my hard drives as part of a RAID as opposed to separate IDE drives. At what point can I or do I need to change my BIOS to reflect my RAID configuration that I tell the Intel Matrix Storage Utility to create?
Thanks again,
Dummie
"While in Windows.. get the Intel storage manager software and install it. Then you can see the drives in Windows and actually re-create the array, tell it to rebuild (using the current C drive as the master) and it will add the "second" drive as the "slave" and essentially recreate your Raid1 array."
but I get an error message "This computer does not meet the minimum requirements for installing the software. Setup will now exit."
You enable Raid in the bios, but you need to make sure the Raid is still active on the drives.
Does the Raid still show up at boot? After the text screen during post, you should see a screen that shows you the intel raid and how it is configured, do you get that?
On another board I got the following suggestion;
"As the drives were mirrored I would try disconnecting one of the drives, changing to sata mode, boot windows, uninstall the previous copy of the Intel storage manager. Reboot and reinstall the Intel storage manager.
Assuming that installs correctly, reconnect the mirrored drive and rebuild the array"
I am already in sata mode, though. So I am not sure if this would be really helpful.