# copying files to external hard disk from recovery console



## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

Hi everybody,

I'm having some trouble with my computer: it won't boot. It keeps giving me an error: about windows root\win32\hall.dll being missing or corrupt. The recovery console doesn't give me any windows installation to choose from, but using the "dir" command I can see all my files. 

I was planing on copying all the necessary files to an external hard disk so I can completely reset the internal one. My question: How do you do that (the copying)?

Please explain in some detail, bcause I'm not into this kind of thing, I usually don't go further than chkdsk c: /r or fixboot or stuff.

thanks a lot,

Gibrril


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

hi,

you will firstly need to be in the directory in order to copy anything. I think at the moment you are in C: drive or your local disk as it is known it could be a nother drive. If you do dir *.* and you see program files, windows etc then you are in c drive.

Now, thid depends on what you are copying, if you are copying my documents then do this
cd\documents and settings
cd/udername
cd/my documents
copy *.* E:\

Ok the copy will copy everything in my documents folder, including sub folders etc, it will save to the drive E:. Now if you are putting external hard drive you need to know which drive it is , D: F: g you can guess if you don't know by trying them one by one


ps, if cd\ doesn't work try cd/

but this hal.dll can be fixed in another way, you don't have to format pc try the following procedure i have written

1) i assume you have already inserted the xp disk other wise you cannot access recovery console unless you are using a live cd
2) in the command type expand D:\i386\hal.ddl_ C:\windows\system32\hal.dll
The expand will open that particular directory, you can change the d letter to your cd drive, though it is generally d. don't forget the _ and the C:\ is you local disk. If it says press y to overwrite do so. 
unless it is different, or you have two partitions etc.

lastly don't forget you can try a repair install, if you have xp pro you can do this and this will rewrite the windows directory and you will not lose anything.


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

Ow, I forgot to mention: I don't have any special programs (that I know of) that would help me do this. I guess I'm going to have to do it all manually and slow... :s


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

by special program you mean recovery disk, windows disk or such memtest? etc


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

Thanks for the incredibly quick reply! I am indeed using the install cd.

Are you sure I can replace just that one file? Since my recovery consloe doesn't give me a windows installation to choose from, I figured something is awfully wrong. I also tried the "cfgboot /list" command because the error I get is sometimes caused by a missing boot.ini file. Upon giving that command, my machine tells me that currently there are no available boot sectors or something like that. Although I can see my windows folder manually, my computer does not seem to detect it itself. Is that a problem or can I go ahead and copy the one file over from my cd? 

thanks a lot,

gibrril


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

by special programs I mean things that allow you to copy everything at once like xcopy or something... I came across an article about it on the net, but a reply to that article told me it was useless anyway (that's why I didn't download it straight away  )


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

Don't worry go ahead with it, i don't think xcopy is supported by recovery console though i could be proven wrong.


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

Thanks for the advice! Will try it once the chkdsk c: /r command has finished. Gave it a go to see if any "unrecoverable problems" would come up.

thanks a lot, 

I'll post the result asap!

Gibrril


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

chkdsk C: /r is best i have fixed many problem with that, but in this occassion it has not worked.

also try chkdsk c: /p
for boot problems


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

I tried the expand d: ... command, but as it turned out my cd drive had the letter J: attached to it... funny... Anyway, I got an "acces is denied" out of the copying effort.
Is there any way around this? Or how does that repair install work that doesn't erase the entire c: disk?


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

hi, i have one idea i haven't tried it so i don't know if it will work

Try go to the C:\windows\system32\ directory

by trping cd\ first
type cd\windows\system32

once here trype 
attrib hal.dll -s -h -r -a
then type del hal.dll
then go type cd\ again
to go to main directory i.e. C:

and try the expand code again

by the way did you make sure you had the _ in the code


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

Also you can take the hard drive out and put it in another computer, if it is IDE the ribbon cable then it needs to be set as slave or secondary drive by using the jumper which is that little pin that is stuck in the middle.
Once connected to the other computer you can then copy the cd file to the windows directory.

If you have floppy drive you can try this, put xp cd in aother computer, expand the file and but in floppy then you can copy from floppy to the bad machine.

to perform repair install you need xp pro
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

have you tried repairing the boot.ini file
by using bootcfg /rebuild and following the steps


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

I did try the bootcfg /list command, but it said that I didn't have any available bootsectors, which seemed kind of odd. But even if that happens, I could go on with the rebuild, you say?

thanks again, 

Gibrril


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

hi, i take it you have also tried fixboot

ok, we can try this, in recovert console type
cd\ this will get us to C:\ or your local disk

now type attrib -h -r -s boot.ini
so the attrib will clean the file from being hidden, it will remove system status from it so it can be removed and it will remove read only feature.
Now type del boot.ini

then again type fixboot

then bootcfg /rebuild
press y to confirm because it will ask you to add installation to boot list.
then it asks for boot identifier
type Windows XP Home Edition 
or Windows XP Professionla (don't forget the capital w, x,h e they need to be capital).
press enter
now it will ask os load option i go for /fastdetect cause it is 30 sec default
type exit


also did you try that link i gave you for repair install, you might be able to do it. i have OEM so i can't maybe you can.

To perform repair installl i think this is how it is done

1) Boot from cd
2) When you are displayed press r for recovery console, press f3 for exit and enter to isntall windows setup, press enter
3) i think you have to press f8 for agreement, choose the installation file, ie C:\windows you will see there something saying press r to perform a repair install. If you look carefully you might find it.


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

Thanks for the reply. If I try the repair install, will the windows updates still be there or do I have to start from scratch? (my cd features service pack 1 and currently I have service pack 3 installed...) I'll read that repair install article now... Thanks so much for the help in any case!

A couple of questions about the other solution you gave:

Try go to the C:\windows\system32\ directory (do I type "dir" and then navigate to it?)

by trping cd\ first (or does this command enable me to get to that directory?)
type cd\windows\system32

once here trype
attrib hal.dll -s -h -r -a
then type del hal.dll (this is the hal.dll from my harddisk right, not the one from the cd?)
then go type cd\ again
to go to main directory i.e. C:

and try the expand code again

The _ was in the command when I git the acces denied thing.

TY,

Gibrril


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

Ok, so the repair install doesn't leave the windows updates, just finished the article. Kind of dumb question: cd\ in your previous post stands for my cd drive right, so in my case I should type "J:\" right?

Gibrril


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

hi, no question is dumb if you learn something from it.
CD\ means you change the directory. When command prompt runs it might run from a different location such C:\windows
or C:\documents and settings

say you are already C:\ directory because it will show in recovery console and you want to go to windows because windows is in C:\

you type in there cd\windows

without this if you just type windows it thinks it is a switch or code so it doesn't understand it, but when you include cd\ it says ohh you want me to go to another folder or also known as directory.

I think the repair install will remove service pack 3 but i am guessing here i have never actually check this.


and you can type dir to see where you are are what files are listed.


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

Thanks for the reply. I'm writing everything down, so I can try it later, since I only get to be at home during weekends. 

I did try the cd/ and cd\ command before I left, but it said the command was unknown. Now I'm guessing that's beacause I just told it to change directory without telling it which new directory to open...

Gibrril


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

hi, i have something else i wanted to add. If your data is really precious and you need to recover it. Make a live cd, or a bootable cd.

You will need another working computer you install a program called bartpe or Ultimate boot cd, then you insert the xp installation disk on the drive and it will use all the files from xp disk to make it bootable.
The live cd will look exactly like how windows is but it actually runs from cd so it is slightly slower. It will even allow you to go the internet and insert usb pen drives.

http://nu2.nu/pebuilder/

download the 3.5mb saying if you are unsure download this.try it a couple of times you will be successful. If you get error some you can ignore other you can't.


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

Wow, thanks!

Let me see if I got this correct. I make that cd on a different computer, insert it into the broken one, and then the broken one will boot up into windows as if nothing happened and I can copy my files? Is that right?


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

One more question, in order to get the xp pro installation files, I must insert the proper win xp boot cd. The computer that I ca still use at this time only has one cd drive. Is it possible to copy the content of the windows disk to my harddisk and let pebuilder work them from there? Otherwise I don't see how I can write the live cd...

Thanks,

Gibrril


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

hi, do you have access to another machine? is it required in order to make this iso. What you do is you insert the original xp disk when required by the wizard and then you can burn straight to disk. I hope that answer you question.


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

I have acces to another machine. It runs windows vista. Is that a problem? So I make the iso file, take out the windows disk and burn the iso to a disk right?

ty,
Gibrril


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

that is it. The program should allow you to burn ISO during the set up, towards the end.
If it doesn't locate the iso file by default it saved to C:\
and bur it.
You can use Poweriso if you can't burn and just chose continue unregsitered for this time.


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

I tried the live disk, but it couldn't find the c: drive. Now if I start the repair console with the real windows disk, it can't find my c: drive either. The path or file specified is not valid. Now what? I can't do any anything. None of the commands work because the c: drive can't be found. Please help...

Gibrril


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

hi, sorry to hear that. :upset:
Is your hard drive detected when you access recovery console? the r button you press when you first put xp cd in.
Two things you can do

1) take this hard drive out of machine, and find another computer maybe a frieds etc and put it in there, backup data.

2) perform a full install of xp, if hard drive is not detected here. use recovery console to type 
format c: /q

I know you don't want to lose data, but there is a chance you can recover it, most of it, using recovery software.

Also open pc and make sure cables are properly tightened. Did you do anything else, it is odd that the hd is not detected any more.

Also when pc is booting, press del, f1 or 10 one will work, to access the bios, and make sure that the hard drive is detected.


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

Ok, for some reason, after rebooting a couple of times, I can acces the C drive again. I've hooked up an external harddisk (D, I've read and tried your steps to manually copy everything, but it doesn't work. Here's what I've done so far:

I start in C:\ by default.

I type "dir"

Now I can see my C: disk content (yipieieieieie!)

I type "D:" and then I type "dir" again to find my external harddisk. If it isn't D:, I'll continue down the alphabet, untill I find it. 

It turns out D: is my external harddisk.

I type "C:" again.
I type "dir" again.
I type "cd/ Documents and Settings"

the command is invalid.

I type "cd\ Documents and Settings"

again the command is invalid.

Now I type "help cd"

I get a lot of info about CHDIR commands, but still I have no clue as how to copy my files. I try "help copy". Again a lot of info, but I still can't pull it of. It says here somewhere that the copying destination cannot be removable media. What does this mean?

Can you please explain to me (once more) in detail how to copy files? Try to think of me as a novice in this stuff, there is now way you could explain this to simply. 

Thanks very much,

Gibrril


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

hi, again, i know this can be very frustrating, it is for this reason i recommended that you make a live cd. The live cd is like windows exactly but it is booting from cd. With the live cd you can even go on to the internet, insert your usb drive and copy your work, I am talking about the Ultimate Boot CD, try again if you can make the cd, it shouldn't be too difficult, 

Try again, and also look at the tutorial there.

So until then try this

Ok to go to the other directory or another you need to type this

chdir /d D:
change the D: to the drive letter referring to the external hard drive.

also when you are in C: drive type this

attrib *.* -h -r -s click enter
the * is on top of letter 9
when you are in C: 
and you tube dir what do you see
cd\documents and settings
there is no space remember


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

Also this might work, lets hope ray:
When you are C:\ type
copy *.* E:\
*.* will copy everything
E:\ will be the drive of the hard disk
or any other letter

another simple example would be 

copy ntldr E:\
just copy one file see if it works, If were near me i could have given you some of my special live cds, that are perfect for this situation


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

I made the disk, but it isn't like windows at all. It gives me ver restricted acces to some features, but displays a totaly strange background in blue and an orange "go" button... The A43 file manager they talk about is not available to me... I couldn''t acces my c: drive if I inserted the live disk last time and it did cause some trouble... I'm not realy enthousiastic about trying that again, but ok... let's hope it works this time


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

I tried the copy command, but it said that the copy doesn't support wildcards or directory copies... What does that mean, and how do I solve that?


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

I did a little research of my own, and it looks like there is limit to copying.

So if above doesn't work, make the live cd. Or take the hard drive out, by an Sata adapter and plug the adapter to laptop and harddrive to adapter.

Sorry if i can't be more of help, and that this has gone for sooo long.

Did you try copying one file at a time?


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

Abit advance
i am will also try this, seems interesting

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/wind...backup-files-from-your-dead-windows-computer/

http://www.ntfs.com/boot-disk.htm

Hi, you used bartpe before this time use ultimate boot cd, i use it trust me i wouln't recommend anything that would damage your pc, I try most of things i post. If you get access denied then try this

http://www.peeniewallie.com/2005/04/data_recovery_i.html

By the way in future use partition, to split hd.


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

Sorry for bad grammer etc, kind of in a rush, going out.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/810881

http://maketecheasier.com/rescue-your-pc-with-linux-live-cd/2007/12/22


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

I tried the bartpe cd again, and this time it worked!!! Only, the windows directory aswell as the program files directory were nowhere to be found on my c: drive... I copied all the important files. 

Thanks so much for the help so far. How do you think I should proceed? Try to fix the boot issue by cfgboot rebuild? 

thanks again,

Gibrril


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

hi, you are welcome. Yes bootcfg /rebuild. What you can do is when you use bartpe and it loads after a while, go back to c drive and see if you can locate the boot.ini, make sure hidden and system files are displayed and check if you can access it. The boot.ini in xp is a notepad file with bits of text saying how pc should boot and time it should take.

Make sure it is something like thi

[boot loader]
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)parition(1)\windows

[operating system]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)zwindows="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect
The other thing you can do if possible, try copying the hal.dll from the cd to a removal drive. Then insert the usb in bartpe, check if it detects it, then use the cmd and copy the hal.dll from usb to windows directory. Make sure usb is connected when bartpe is starting. Other than that i think you will need a full format.


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

Ok, I'll try that next weekend, given the fact that I'm allready back out of the house for the week... The problem with the Bartpe is that I can't see my windows directory or Program Files directory. I'm not sure if that's also the case if I use the repair console. If I use the bootcfg/rebuild command, does it erase my program files? Because I can think of a few files in there that I would like to safe aswell, even though the most important files are allready safe and sound on my external HD.


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

the bootcfg will not erase the program files, but if you are wary, make a live cd using the ultimate boot cd. You can also try recovery console to see if it can copy it. I think a repair install or full should be the next procedure. Any way good luck.


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

Hello again,

I tried the bootcfg /rebuild command, but I got an error saying the scanning could not be completed, advising me to run a chkdsk /r. This comes back without any problems, but the bootcfg /rebuild keeps giving me an error. What should I do now?

Thanks a lot,

Gibrril


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

if you have tried chkdsk C: /r 
you can try chkdsk C: /p
and also chkdsk C: /f


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## gibrril (Mar 21, 2009)

Hi again,

Thanks for all the help. I got my pc running again! Checked and double checked the data I rescued using the bartpe cd (great tip!) and decided to format the c: disk and clean install windows again. (I didn't really know if this was a virus or not, but the windows-directory aswell as the program files directory not being there did seem a little suspicious to me. As they're the two directories that are most important to the average pc. One you need to fix the boot-issue, the other one holds the most important files nine out of ten...) So I decided to take a more "radical" approach. 

Thanks a lot for the advice you continued to give me, it enabled me to reinstall without loss of work.

Kind regards,

Gibrril


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## jimmy (Mar 21, 2008)

hi, no problem, I am happy you got it fixed and we both have learned something new.

:4-thatsba


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