ComputerBB

i recently got a mobile hdd i am running win 98 se and when i tried to install the hdd it did not recognize it in the hard drive list so i tried to install win XP but halfway through the installation it said i did not have enough memory to complete the installation...well anyway i cancelled the install and when i went to my computer the hard drive was there. I moved alot of the files that were on my c drive to the mobile hdd removable disk but now my pc is no longer recognizing it ....so now when i start my pc i have an option to start with win XP or 98 when i select xp it tells me that the file system32\hal.dll must be reinstalled....i tried to cut and paste it in the system 32 folder but it did not help.......is there anyway for me to get this HDD working without installing win XP over again?......i had to format the hard drive during the first installation and i dont want to lose any of the files that are on the drive...please any help would be greatly appreciated!

You most likely don't have the required memory to install XP, you need 128 meg to install. You will need to compleat the XP install to get everything to work. You need to check out the mininum specs on the mobile hard drive too, it may not have drivers to run with 98. Re check all the specs if you have enough memory do a reinstall to you're original hard drive, don't worry about the removable one this will not affect it as you are installing on the "C" drive, the files you transferred are on "E"

One more question?.....when i reinstall XP will I lose everything on my C: Drive? or will it just be layed over the old version of windows?

If you just are upgrading, no the files will still be there. IF you want a new install and you follow that option XP will reformat the hard drive. If you do a format/install you will need a 98 CD, or a full install XP disk, not a upgrade disk.

i would happly send you 350mbs of memory if you gave me you home or work address but still you need 128mbs to run just about anything other than that, just grab some more RAM. 98 can't really run uch so just be careful about what your loading onto it. The problem with hal.dll is a bummer because hal.dll is the easiest to come to ruin. you can do a google search for it but other than that reinstall xp on ur second partition.