Please help me fix this crappy Windows machine

[Schlep]

So I was in the middle of playing a game of Subspace, and all of the sudden... *poof* blue screen about some fatal error. I reboot the computer and hit R like it says to do, but it says it can't fix it, and Bill Gates added, "Fuck you!" So I put in my system recovery CD (no Windows XP CD was included with the machine, only this junk) and it completes. The computer loads up and says:

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

So I'm sure with these extremely well thought out instructions on Microsoft's behalf, that it should be an easy matter of locating my hal.dll CD and...oh wait. I checked Microsoft's site and found this but I don't have a Windows XP CD and I have no idea how to get into this console it keeps talking about. It's not in F8 when I press that on bootup, and I don't have any system disk floppies or anything like that...

This all reminds me of why I switched to Mac for my main computing platform in the first place.

Someone please help...

[Josh]

Kill yourself and the computer in a coked up, sex fueled, murder suicide.

[Lhadatt]

Find someone with the version of Windows XP that you have and re-run Windows Setup. This can most likely be done by booting from the CD (place the CD in the drive at boot).

[sphere79]

So I put in my system recovery CD (no Windows XP CD was included with the machine, only this junk) and it completes.

And this is Microsoft's fault that your PC manufacturer included this crappy disc? I'm sure Bill himself was at the plant when it went out laughing both evily and maniacly, "Ha HA HAAA! This one's for you Schlep! I hope your system crashes and NEVER RUNS AGAIN!! HA HA HA!"

This all reminds me of why I switched to Mac for my main computing platform in the first place.

What, the Mac isn't good enough for gaming?

I'm not saying that Windows through the years has been the best OS, it's just annoying that every harddrive failure, every driver issue, every poorly written 3rd party piece of crap app gets blamed on the OS - and Bill Gates personally. Do you personally blame Steve Jobs when you go to the store and there's dick for software in the Mac section?

[Calliander]

So I was in the middle of playing a game of Subspace, and all of the sudden... *poof* blue screen about some fatal error. I reboot the computer and hit R like it says to do, but it says it can't fix it, and Bill Gates added, "Fuck you!" So I put in my system recovery CD (no Windows XP CD was included with the machine, only this junk) and it completes. The computer loads up and says:



So I'm sure with these extremely well thought out instructions on Microsoft's behalf, that it should be an easy matter of locating my hal.dll CD and...oh wait. I checked Microsoft's site and found this but I don't have a Windows XP CD and I have no idea how to get into this console it keeps talking about. It's not in F8 when I press that on bootup, and I don't have any system disk floppies or anything like that...

This all reminds me of why I switched to Mac for my main computing platform in the first place.

Someone please help...

Is your PC made by Dell or Compaq or some other big company? If so, it should have come with a base OS disc as well as a recovery CD. If not, that's not Microsoft's fault - they call that "user error" in most instances, since you're the one who bought the computer. I love my Mac, too, but you have to place the blame where it belongs and in this case it isn't Microsoft.

You'll have to get ahold of a Windows XP cd and boot from that, then repair your installation. Any background images you have stay, but if you had any other folders that weren't created by the OS in your Windows folder, they're gonna get hosed by the repair.

THAT part is Microsoft's fault.

[JMET]

I love my Mac, too, but you have to place the blame where it belongs and in this case it isn't Microsoft.

Cha Ching!!!

[haohmaru]

Do you personally blame Steve Jobs when you go to the store and there's dick for software in the Mac section?

No, I blame dolts like you who went out and bought a PC instead of a Mac.

[Schlep]

Somewhere along the line people read into the thread that I cared what anyone thought about my hatred of working with PC's...dunno where they got that idea.

I appreciate the help lhadatt.

[Wildkat]

No, I blame dolts like you who went out and bought a PC instead of a Mac.

yep, then I keep my windows XP CD protected by about $700 in CASH

[JMET]

Somewhere along the line people read into the thread that I cared what anyone thought about my hatred of working with PC's...dunno where they got that idea.

I appreciate the help lhadatt.

Its not a matter of if we thought you cared, its a matter of you being wrong and being corrected.