[truebe13]

Whenever I try to start my netbook I get the same error,

"Windows could not start the following file is missing or corrupt: <Windows root>\system32\hal.dll. Please reinstall a copy of the above file.

I wasn't that worried about it, so I restarted my computer, nope. Checked my boot order, nope. So I went on my computer and fashioned a xp boot disk from a usb thumb drive, didn't work. Windows XP starts to load and it comes up with this blue screen:

A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

If this is the first time you've seen....

Check for viruses. Remove newly installed HDs. Run CHKDSK/F

Technical Information:
Stop: 0x0000007b (0xf7a88524, 0xc0000034, 0x00000000)


So I go out, but a usb cd-rom drive, thinking maybe and hopefully it will fix the problem, so I l plop in my CD, same error.

So is my hard drive messed up? Is there anything else I could try, or, I just thought about this while typing, is my Windows Recovery disk screwed up? Please if there is any other solution that would be great. I can't stand it sitting on a shelf 3 months after I bought it.

Thank you.

truebe13

[Tabvla]

The support article from Microsoft should provide you with all the information that you need.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314477

[TheOutcaste]

Welcome to TSG!

Your XP CD will need to include the SATA drivers for the Aspire ONE. You'll need to find them on the Acer website, download, find the files needed for an XP Install (may be called Floppy F6 install), then slipstream them into a new CD using nLite or Autostreamer.
It will also have to have SP2 or latter.
Another option would be a Live CD of some type:
Live CDs
Ultimate Boot CD for Windows
BartPE CD/DVD
Ultimate Boot CD
Knoppix
Ubuntu
Puppy Linux
The first two require access to a Windows XP Disk
The Ultimate Boot CD does not include SATA drivers, so you'll need to be able to change the BIOS setting for the SATA controller to ATA instead of AHCI, or Compatibility mode instead of Enhanced (wording will vary)
Note: A Vista/Win7 DVD can also be used to recover files and make some repairs. A Vista RE disk can be downloaded from here:
Vista Recovery Environment CD

• Boot with the DVD
• Select your language and click Next
• Click Repair your Computer
• After it scans for Windows installations click Next (Win7: Select Top option first)
• Click Command Prompt.

You can use Copy, Xcopy, or Robocopy to copy files to an external drive, a different partition, or a different internal hard drive to back them up, or to restore missing or corrupted OS files from the appropriate CD or DLLCache folder.
You can access Notepad to edit the boot.ini file if needed, but you have to enter the full path to Notepad, usually C:\Windows\Notepad, and first use attrib -H -S -R C:\boot.ini so the boot.ini file can be edited. It's the most likely cause of the missing hal.dll error.

Originally Posted by truebe13

I just thought about this while typing, is my Windows Recovery disk screwed up?

Did the Recovery CD come with the Aspire One? I'd expect the Recovery CD to include any needed drivers.

[truebe13]

I'm using a different windows xp boot cd, but it's never failed on any other computer. I don't know if I wasn't clear before but it does not boot at all.

The Windows Recovery CD DOES NOT BOOT. It simply is loading the setup files on the disk and gets to "Windows is starting up" and blue screens. So to my knowledge there is no way I can get to any recovery console.

This is why I asked if it was a CD problem or Hard Drive problem. I can't use a Vista DVD to boot because it is only a USB CD-R player, not DVD.

Right now I'm going to try and burn another Windows XP .iso to disk, after that I'm not sure. Is there some way to complete wipe the hard drive?

Thanks

[TheOutcaste]

The STop 0x7B message means INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE, often seen when trying to boot a system with a SATA hard drive using an XP CD that hasn't had the SATA drivers slipstreamed. Setting the BIOS so the SATA controller is running in ATA or Compatibility mode instead of AHCI is an alternative to slipstreaming the drivers.
The second parameter being 0xC0000034 almost always points to a hard drive controller driver problem.

The Vista Recovery Environment ISO linked above is CD size, 120 MiB. I've downloaded and used this one.
Can also be downloaded from these mediafire links if you don't have or want a bittorrent client installed. I haven't downloaded these my self, nor do I know who uploaded them, but these links have been mentioned on the forum before.
64 bit Vista
32 bit Vista

[truebe13]

OKAY.

I burned an .iso of Windows Service Pack 3 to CD. And it worked, the setup files loaded. Naturally I was very excited because I was right, it was just the CD had been scratched.

Wrong. Apparently I had two problems, my old windows CD was faulty and my Hard drive is not recognizable. I push "r" to get into the recovery console and I receive:

Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed on your computer. Which is confusing because my computer is not booting for the first place because it's missing one file, now it doesn't even exist.

Help!

[truebe13]

Sorry I started my reply before yours was posted, I'm starting to understand more from your post and I'm happy to hear it's only 120mb. I will do that now and will post back soon, thank you so much.

-truebe13

[TheOutcaste]

Originally Posted by truebe13

Setup did not find any hard disk drives installed on your computer.

This is what it says when it needs the SATA driver. Hopefully the Vista RE disk will have the correct driver. If not, at least it can load one from a flash drive. XP will only load from a floppy disk.

I'm just signing off, good luck with it. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Jerry

[truebe13]

Got it working. I slipstreamed a xp disk and set my Boot Drive to IDE instead of ACHI which I believe was the main problem. It worked, and thanks for all the help.

[TheOutcaste]

Good Job!
And you're welcome!

If your issue has been resolved you (and ONLY you) can mark this thread Solved by using the Mark Solved button at the Top Left of this thread (above the first post)



Jerry