Shit... Looks like my HD crashed on my main PORN laptop...

3 Years Old - Toshiba 17" 60 gig hd.

Here's what happened today:

1) My virus software attempted to update - then got an invalid path error.
2) I loaded Explorer for another session - and same "path" error
3) Windows bubble pops up saying "run chkdisc" you have compromised data, or something.
4) I thought a re-start was a good idea.
5) 2 hrs of re-attempts to get it to re-start - fuck! Here's the consistant error " Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt" <windows> system32\hal.dll.
Please re-install a copy of the above file."

This happens at startup - I never get a Windows screen.

Should I say fuck it and load the Recovery Utility? I don't want to loose all my shit ---- important stuff is backed up --- but tons of Kewl Porn and MP3s will get lost!

Any hints or tricks? Should I burn this hal.dll file and slap it on a cdrom and give that a try?

Or is the HD gone?

Everything was Fine- actually I was watching some porn at the time, hahah..... then I got all these errors right in a row.

Any comments or help is appreciated.

P.S. I had just only 2 months ago bought a 80 gig backup drive since they are so cheap now- and backed up important stuff- but still - I need my main 'Puter!

I can not take her into Best Buy's Geek Squad due to all the porn (legal, but still).

Situation over... re-formated disc- lost all data. but thank God for Gigabank Backup! \m/

Bummer....you should have just done a search for dll...there are sites out there to get them for free, with instructions. For example:

http://www.dll-files.com/

Or just reinstall Windows...

I had a similar problem with my desktop. It was my Norton anti virus. Pulled it off of the hard drive and the computer works like new.

Went with AVG for virus software. It's a free program.

RG.

The situation is not over by any means. However, this ought to teach you to start doing backups. All hard drives eventually die. It is unavoidable.

The question is to what degree your hard drive is out. You can boot to Windows from the CD and then try to recover the drive. If you do not have the technical expertise to do that, there are many services that specialize in hard drive recovery.

Yes - let me earn my Karma today by plugging' backups!

Shit - my Gigabank 80 Gig Portable HD cost $150 and had a $50 rebate from Office Depot. It came with Backup Software.

THIS SAVED MY SANITY! Although it took until 2AM last night to finally get everything back, including SP2 Security Updates, Office 2007 Beta, porn pics, porn pics, MP3's and Porn Pics, and some more porn pics - I would have been SOL without the backup.

So you guys are right - get one of the now adfordable backup portable HD's and back everything up. It was a life saver! Everything is back to more than better now... accept the wasted time.

\m/

Just download the file you need onto a disk from another pc put disk in and restart pc. It should automatically search for lost file & install it from floppy. It worked for me but happened to me on a desktop.

(Message edited by scooby_1781 on October 25, 2006)

You shouldn't have done that, the correct procedure would have been that of using the original system disk, starting from the CD, coming to the point where the system asks to repair the current installation and refuse to do so and proceed to a standard installation, accepting the EULA, at this point the installation would have found your old installation and would have asked you what you wanted to do, go on to a new installation or repair all system files,.... and you should have choosen that option, the system would have deleted all system files to reinstall all of them from the CD, wouldn't have touched your documents and installed applications, nor would have deleted the registry files so that every program would have continued working, and after half an hour, more or less, you would have been there with your PC back on ready for you with your user preferences, mail and everything there for you.....
You would have had only to do system and office updates from Microsoft.....

It's easy and quick... if anybody has doubts just send me a pvt msg.

In any case a full backup is the right choice for every situation...

Yeah, you're right Tiber222, I did not think it was going to take until 2AM to get everything back up to speed.

I was in a slight panic rush, and just wanted my stuff back - and knew that I had just made a backup just a few months prior. Going forward, I'll get the files as per Windows' request.