febex

Q: Bootcamp: hal.dll and disk error SOLVED. Simple workaround

Many people had the "hal.dll missing" and "No disk" error while trying to install Windows with bootcamp on OSX leopard. I read a lot of workarounds and solutions, which some are complicated and some just don't work.

 

Here is my simple workaround to get rid of errors:

(Principle: force the shell of windows to appear before installation, so that we can quick format the bootcamp partition with" format" command)

 

1. Create a windows partition with bootcamp as usual (if you have already one then restore the OSX partition)

2. Restart and boot on windows cd. (press the option key ("alt") during restart)

3. When bluescreen appears and drivers are loading, press repeatedly F6 and F10. You should get a message that no SCSI disk was found and that you should press "S" or "enter" to continue. Press "enter". Now you should get a black screen in console mode.

4. Now we format the bootcamp partition. Type this: "FORMAT C: /Q /FS:NTFS". Put FAT32 instead of NTFS if you want the file system to be FAT32.

5. Press 'Y' to confirm.

6. Restart the computer, boot on cd, and install windows as usual. When arrived on partitionning during install, DO NOT REFORMAT!!!! Install on the partition    that we just created before!

 

 

PS: I think that bootcamp just messes up the windows partition. That's why you get "disk error". When formatting during the windows installation, the partition is correct for windows but it overwrites entirely the bootcamp partition instead of just formatting it. I think that the quick format from the shell does just change the file system without modifying the partition itself. However, it works, so why bother why it does?....

 

 

Let me know if you have difficulties.

 

Message was edited by: febex

Posted on May 16, 2011 8:20 AM

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Q: Bootcamp: hal.dll and disk error SOLVED. Simple workaround

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  • by Gdunge,

    Gdunge Gdunge Aug 15, 2016 5:01 PM in response to febex
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Aug 15, 2016 5:01 PM in response to febex

    Thanks, this worked for me!

     

    I was trying to install Windows XP (a custom installer with SP3) on a Mac mini (Mid 2007) and having terrible problems. The XP installer's disk partition screen didn't have an option for formatting the partition, so if I let it install I kept getting the No Disk message. If I used the partition screen options to delete and recreate the partition, I ended up with the Missing HAL.DLL message.

     

    One note: after you press Enter at step 3, it takes a LONG TIME for the command prompt to come up. Be patient. The installer has to finish going through all of its files on the CD as if it was about to install Windows, but instead it goes into the Recovery Console. Also, you only have to press F6 up to the point when it asks the question. After you hit Enter you can stop pressing F6.

     

    Thanks again!

  • by Gdunge,

    Gdunge Gdunge Aug 17, 2016 8:49 PM in response to Gdunge
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Aug 17, 2016 8:49 PM in response to Gdunge

    It turns out that you don't need to press F6, only F10. And you only have to hit it once, but you probably ought to hit it more than that just in case (it won't hurt anything).

     

    For more info about the keys you can press during an install, check out the link below.

     

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/295116 .