hal.dll missing dual boot XP/Vista

[Sweetloaf]

Ok I decided to give Vista a go and stuck it on a partition on my main drive.

I now have an odd problem in that if I select the main drive for the 1st boot drive I get the option to select operating systems, Vista starts up fine when selected but I get the "missing Hal.dll" error if I try to boot into XP this way

If I swap the boot order around however XP starts up as normal without the option to start Vista.

This is not a major headache, just one of those niggles that I'd like to sort out.

To be honest I'm not entirely sure which drive does which in the BIOS because they are all similarly named. Fortunately I can boot into both OS's so can configure anything required.

...any ideas?

 

[Sweetloaf]

I guess that's a no then?

 

[swinnie]

Tried this - http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/ht/restorehaldll.htm ?

 

[Sweetloaf]

Tried this - http://pcsupport.about.com/od/fixtheproblem/ht/restorehaldll.htm ?

I figured it wasn't necessary because the file can't actually be missing otherwise I wouldn't be able to get into XP by changing the boot order.

 

[BloomerzUK]

I had this problem when I had both OS's installed. I think you need to make your Vista Partion Active (I think it's called that, or the boot flag).

You could have a play with EasyBCD in Vista to check the boot orders etc.

 

[Sweetloaf]

I had this problem when I had both OS's installed. I think you need to make your Vista Partion Active (I think it's called that, or the boot flag).

You could have a play with EasyBCD in Vista to check the boot orders etc.

At the point where I'm offered a choice as to which OS I want to load, is that the Vista Boot Loader? I've never dual booted before so please pardon my ignorance

I just find it odd that changing the boot order in the BIOS means a different screen on boot because there are only 3 drives to choose from, one of which contains both OS's on different partitions.

 

[Sweetloaf]

Hmm, assuming that my XP partition is named C: and my Vista named D: on the same drive, also assuming that I downloaded EasyBCD and had a play, then further assuming the following

a) I didn't really know what I was doing
b) I was drunk.

Would there be any way to repair the boot loader if Vista would no longer load?

- I can still get into XP fine and run EBCD from there.

 

[Sweetloaf]

good news..I'm in Vista.

Bad news, XP now won't start