# Please help me??? - Mac w/XP issues



## Kittikatt60 (Feb 6, 2008)

New Mac User, well I would be if Id not spent the last two months just trying to get it to operate correctly. Unbelievable! I've re-installed XP SP2 too many times to count, finally had it up and thought it was running fine for the last week, then I went over to the Mac OS tried accessing windows through boot camp, it shut down the Mac OS, then when I tried to go back to boot windows directly, I received the damning <windows root> \system32\hal.dll file is missing or corrupt - again.
I've gone through a bunch of posts, tried a number of the instructions, and now have a worse issue; my computer is now stuck in safe mode in Windows, from using instructions of Apple's Discussion page. I'd disabled everything on the Start Up Tab in Configuration Utility and checked start up in safe mode there too, so now I can't get out of it, and since my mouse and keyboard won't operate in safe mode, I get to the log in page to select user but the mouse just won't move and pressing "CTRL +ALT+DLT" no response.

In the Recovery Console when I ran CHKDSK /r this is what it came back with...
"The volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems."
97638572 kilobytes total disk space.
90877508 kilobytes are available.

406 bytes in each allocation unit.
24409643 total allocation units on disk.
22719377 allocation units available on disk.

So what does that mean? Not sure what the " volume appears to contain one or more unrecoverable problems" means when it's not telling me what they could possibly be. Thoughts anyone?

If anyone knows or has some good advice on how to get windows back up and running correctly, and without wiping out my data - as I can't get it backed up, I don't have access to it, I would be tremendously grateful...
2 months of this is really enough, dying to use my new system, let alone access my data and get it backed up, and just praying that I can...

Thanks so much,
Kitti


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## Yankee Rose (Jul 14, 1999)

Hi Kitti:

When you got this system, it was new, correct? Were you the one who installed Boot Camp and Windows? What version of OS X?

I assume you have seen this.

Wondering if this is a hardware/hdd issue - as I've seen mention of it with that error message.

If your system is new, I would contact Apple Support (1-800-275-2273). They likely won't be able to help you with the Microsoft OS issues, but can help you determine if it is a hardware issue. You have 90 days free phone support (and one full year warranty). BTW ... their phone support is phenomenal.

Hope that helps ...


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## Kittikatt60 (Feb 6, 2008)

Hi Yankee Rose,

You're the first one to respond to me on all the forums I've requested help with this on. Thank you.:up:

I just checked out the link you forwarded and I haven't tried that one yet, so I certainly will.
And I'll call into Apple Support, I have the extended warranty as well, so I'm praying they might be able to assist me, but I've tried contacting them a few weeks ago and ran into the same challenge that I've seen posted on the apple discussions, which is, as soon as you mention XP, they say it's a Microsoft problem, can't support or help you with that, have to contact Microsoft. So it's why I haven't tried them with this issue, though I am finding that this seems to have been started with a problem running Parallel Desktop using Boot Camp Asst to set up and I am using a brand new Mac Book Pro laptop, with Leopard 10.5.1, Parallels Desktop 3.0 Build 5160.0 and Boot Camp Asst 2.O already pre-installed. I only tried to install XP a zillion times to get it to work, using Boot Camp Asst to handle the partitions.

I went back into the Mac OS and thought I would try to open Parallels Desktop, when I had opened Parallels Desktop, and clicked on the green arrow button, this is what it said to me...

"Windows couldn't start because of a computer disk hardware problem. Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path & disk Hardware. Please check the Windows documentation about Hardware disk configuration and your hardware reference manuals for additional information."

Then, there was an update for Parallels Desktop, which I've just downloaded and it's the build 5584 version 3.0.5584, and it's now asking me if I want to run the installation, haven't done so just yet. Now I'm nervous...

Any other additional suggestions? I truly need the data on my Outlook 2003 (emails and contacts are what are important) and some My Docs files that are now on there from the last week. Real Estate Transaction communications and documents. Absolutely can't loose them. I do have two USB external HDs but no idea how to back up with only being able to access the Recovery Console and no mouse or keyboard response if I try logging into Safe Mode and being stuck in the "select User" screen. Though I haven't selected trying to go in through Parallels, when booting direct as I was afraid I might screw something up further.

Desparate for help....


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## Yankee Rose (Jul 14, 1999)

Hi again - I feel for you.  Hopefully we'll get it figured out.

Check out this link. Looks like one common cause of this error is an incorrect BOOT.INI file.

Do you have access to a USB mouse & keyboard? I wonder if they would work in Safe Mode.

If so - and they work - could you post your BOOT.INI configuration here?

Start/Run - type in: *msconfig*. Then go to the Boot.ini Tab. Copy/paste contents back.


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## Kittikatt60 (Feb 6, 2008)

Here's what worked: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/330184
I followed the instructions above and once I finished, After re-booting, I selected Microsoft Windows XP Professional and the System Configuration Utility came up.
On the General tab, it shows that the Start Up Selection is on Selective Startup with everything checked, but whats marked Using Modified BOOT.INI
Tried to change it to Normal Startup  load all device drivers and services then re-start.

Windows came back up, but so did the System Configuration Utility and still showing that it was starting up with Selective Startup
Now just need to figure out how to start it up in Normal, if in fact thats possible. Will keep you posted and if anyone has any further suggestions, that would be much appreciated.

I do hope this will help all the others that have run into the main issue, which I have found is caused by the Parallels Desktop by they way, not Microsoft, and that start having issues by getting the dreaded " hal.dll " file is missing or corrupt on a direct Boot to Windows.

Very long and sleepless night.

Kitti


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## Yankee Rose (Jul 14, 1999)

Hi Kitti:

I'm glad that link worked for you!  

For what it is worth, I have my hubby's XP system set on Selective Startup. It's been so long now that I don't recall why, but his system works fine that way. Still ... I'm sure you feel like you've won the battle but not the war.

If you like, you could mark this thread solved. Up above your first post you will see a link for "Thread Tools" - click it and mark it "Solved". It would help any future folks looking for a solution.

Hope you are able to sleep now - and backup your data. Take care.


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## Kittikatt60 (Feb 6, 2008)

Thanks Yankee Rose,

It makes me feel better that you've got your husband's XP on a selective start up, so maybe I shouldn't worry about it. I guess the test now is, try Parallels Desk top to see if it will boot correctly before I mark this resolved, just in case there is more info that needs to be added.

Thanks again,

Kitti


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