Corrupt system32 directory

After installing SP3 on an XP Home Edition SP2 Dell Laptop, windows booted ok
once then failed to boot reporting a msg "missing <WINOWS>\system32\hal.dll
file".

I ran recovery console which couldn't see any XP installation. I typed "R"
then searched around the directories. Most of the directories seemed intact.
But I couldn't see system32 - hence the "missing <WINOWS>\system32\hal.dll"
error.

I've taken the HD out of the laptop and slaved it to another XP machine to
try to recover the Data Files (which of course I don't have a backup of...).
I can see the HD Data directories are intact but cannot read the files coz I
can't login as the User, coz I don't know how to Logon from the Recovery
Console.

1. is there any way I can recover the Data Files - I have the User and pswd
info?
2. if not, is there anyway to reinstall Windows XP Home Ed preserving the
user data
3. Failing all else. Are there any recovery tools that will enable me to
recover the user data?

This is the first time using user groups, so I'd appreciate any suggestions
for posting this on other user groups?

[another interesting aside is that I couldn't view the PID, coz I can't
start Wondows. Is there a command line prompt so I can read this from
recovery console - then I can post this with the Microsoft team]

Cheers
Doug

Doug wrote:
> After installing SP3 on an XP Home Edition SP2 Dell Laptop, windows
> booted ok once then failed to boot reporting a msg "missing
> <WINOWS>\system32\hal.dll file".
>
> I ran recovery console which couldn't see any XP installation. I
> typed "R" then searched around the directories. Most of the
> directories seemed intact. But I couldn't see system32 - hence the
> "missing <WINOWS>\system32\hal.dll" error.
>
> I've taken the HD out of the laptop and slaved it to another XP
> machine to try to recover the Data Files (which of course I don't
> have a backup of...). I can see the HD Data directories are intact
> but cannot read the files coz I can't login as the User, coz I
> don't know how to Logon from the Recovery Console.
>
> 1. is there any way I can recover the Data Files - I have the User
> and pswd info?
> 2. if not, is there anyway to reinstall Windows XP Home Ed
> preserving the user data
> 3. Failing all else. Are there any recovery tools that will enable
> me to recover the user data?
>
> This is the first time using user groups, so I'd appreciate any
> suggestions for posting this on other user groups?
>
> [another interesting aside is that I couldn't view the PID, coz I
> can't start Wondows. Is there a command line prompt so I can read
> this from recovery console - then I can post this with the
> Microsoft team]

If you installed the drive as a slave to another Windows XP installation -
all you need to do is "Take Ownership" of the files you need to get off it
and copy them off...

Sounds like you have seen this:

How to Take Ownership of a File or Folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

Read *carefully* - do not just skim the page and start following steps.
There is important information there dependent on the version of Windows XP.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html