Disk Error, Hal.dll Error, No bootable device error - Every other error.

Hi,
I've been trying for ages to install xp using bootcamp. I have windows xp sp1, which i've slipstreamed to create an SP2 version. I also have access to the family backups of every OS we've ever bought, including a mix cd of windows xp MCE, XP home, XP professional - all SP2.
I moved to the mac a year or so ago - I've installed windows more times than I've rolled out of bed in the morning.
I had it working back when I was running Tiger - I upgraded to leopard - decided I wanted to try a reinstall of windows, formatted the drive and followed all the steps to install.
The main issue is that when I insert the windows install CD - it never gives me a chance to format the disk. I tried installing parallels and using that to boot up XP, and it does give me an chance - but after that install is finished I get the Hal.dll error.
I removed the bootcamp drive but after installing refit - it still shows up on the boot menu. Somehow, my HDD's GUID partition table & MBR for the windows partition is messed up.
At the end of the day - I've tried everything I can think of to install windows. And it just won't go. It used to work - what's changed? Any suggestions?
Cheers in advance.

I too had problems with Hal.dll and "Disk Error".
Installing XP on my Mac Mini with 10.5.1 Leopard (fresh install on a new HDD), I got the Hal.dll error (my 2nd time with this lovely error, the first being on a iMac with Leopard). According to Billbear from this thread:
http://forum.onmac.net/showthread.php?t=2793&page=5
You will get Hal.dll when you try to install XP on a partition that isn't the last partition on the disk. I tried this solution, and it worked for me. I previously had:
1) Leopard
2) XP
3) User partition
And changed it to:
1) User partition
2) Leopard
3) XP
Next, however, I got a different error -- the dreaded "Disk Error". I tried the Apple support solution (formatting as NTFS instead of converting from FAT to NTFS), but I got the same error. I read somewhere (can't remember which thread, since I looked at so many) that you might get the problem if XP wasn't installing on C: drive. So I changed my partitioning from
1) User partition (FAT)
2) Leopard (HFS+)
3) XP (FAT)
To:
1) User partition (HFS+)
2) Leopard (HFS+)
3) XP (FAT)
The installer saw the XP partition as C: and was able to install smoothly (Quick reformatting to NTFS). I then used Disk Utility to change the User partition from HFS+ to FAT, and everything works fine!

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Guide to overcome hal.dll error - disk error & other errors.

Okay to start off with - guide for installing bootcamp.
DISCLAIMER:
I take no responsibility at all - whatsoever for any damage the following steps cause to anything. If you follow this guide and then are annoyed at me in any way - don't be - you followed these steps knowing they could be dangerous to your hard drive / computer / sanity / etc. That said - good luck & these steps should work for everyone.
requirements: XP SP2 CD & a copy of parallels would be useful. Also a non-apple usb keyboard for step 1 if the apple one doesn't work during xp bootup.
1. First try the usual bootcamp assistant method. Insert the xp disk, in the setup make sure you format the drive to NTFS (not quick). If you don't get this option - skip to step 3.
2. Reboot and hopefully everything will go without a hitch. If it doesn't and you get a hal.dll error or any other kind of error go on to the next step.
3. Boot up mac os x. Install parallels desktop.
4. Insert your windows xp sp2 cd.
5. Create a new virtual machine using a virtual hard drive saved in your documents folder somewhere.
6. Configure it so that the bootcamp drive is added as an extra secondary drive in the virtual machine. (Little plus button down at the bottom).
7. Install XP onto the virtual machine - don't activate or anything, just get to the desktop stage as fast as possible.
8. Parallels will have already asked for your password to dismount the boot camp drive.
9. Double click my computer in the virtual machine, then hold down ctrl+shift and click on the BOOTCAMP partition in the my computer window.
10. Click format.
11. Select NTFS as file format, check enable compression - do not check quick format.
12. Wait till its finished and then power down the virtual machine.
------- The following steps are taken from http://communities.vmware.com/thread/114529 and were written by MandarMS from the vmware forums. I have edited the guide a little - (you'll see where). Thanks and all credit to MandarMS.----
13. (James: Close parallels)
14. Quit all applications in Host Mac OS X
15. Open Terminal utility from Macintosh HD : Applications : Utilities folder.
16. Key-in the following command
$ sudo fdisk /dev/rdisk0
17. Preferably take the screenshot of the output or Note down the output (for restoring MBR).
18. Key-in the following command
$ sudo fdisk -e /dev/rdisk0
setpid 3
Choose 07 (as the partition type)
write
Y
Restart your Mac System
(James: EDIT - BELOW IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE OUTPUT OF THE PROGRAM IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF WHAT TO TYPE IN WHERE - This confused me at first but really helped in the end - James)
For more details please check the example shown below:
$ sudo fdisk -e /dev/rdisk0 (this will help to change the MBR)
$ fdisk: could not open MBR file /usr/standalone/i386/boot0: No such file or directory
Enter 'help' for information
fdisk: 1> setpid 3 (Enter “setpid 3” press enter key)
Starting Ending
#: id cyl hd sec - cyl hd sec start - size
*3: 0B 1023 254 63 - 1023 254 63 1127792680 - 337356448 Win95 FAT32L
Partition id ('0' to disable) 0 - FF: [C] (? for help) 07 (Enter 07 Partition table)
fdisk:*1> write (enter “write” press enter key, This will change the MBR)
Device could not be accessed exclusively.
A reboot will be needed for changes to take effect. OK? [n] Y (Press Y to modify changes)
Writing MBR at offset 0.
$ fdisk: 1> exit (enter “exit”, press enter key)
19. Restart your Mac System
------ Back to me again.
20. Welcome back - your drives have just been fixed. Reboot again and insert the windows xp sp2 cd. Hold down option at startup and boot from the cd.
21. Go through the setup again - this time don't do anything to the drives when it asks you to format.
22. wait...
23. It'll reboot......
24. It'll install..... if it doesn't - skip to step 26
25. Welcome to windows, install your drivers and reboot a couple more times. You're good.
26. (it didn't work... you got the hal.dll error or something similar) Boot up mac os x again and launch parallels.
27. Start up the virtual machine - open up BOOTCAMP in my computer.
28. Click view - folder options
29. View types > make sure you can see hidden files and folders, view system files and etc.
30. Right click boot.ini and click properties
31. Uncheck read-only.
32. Click okay - open boot.ini in notepad.
33. If you're on a mac with 2 partitions: 1 mac hd, 1 bootcamp, delete everything in the boot.ini file and copy and paste the following into it:
\[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS
\[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
Obviously change the name to suit. Save it and reboot - you should be good to go now.

Hi. Your bootcamp drive should be drive C. It shouldn't matter what drive letter it is really, you make the virtual machine disk as a virtual disk saved in your documents folder and hook it in to use your physical bootcamp drive.
Ensure you've typed in the correct command and correct password. Press enter after you type in the password. You won't see it as you type it in, and you may need to wait some time afterwards before you'll see the next prompt. Leave it 2 minutes.
Sorry I've been abroad.. hope you have it worked out by now anyway mate.

Error message on screen: No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key comes on

Error message comes on screen: No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key. What do I do?

Install or Reinstall Mavericks or Mountain Lion from Scratch
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
OS X Mavericks- Erase and reinstall OS X
OS X Mountain Lion- Erase and reinstall OS X
OS X Lion- Erase and reinstall Mac OS X
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
because it is three times faster than wireless.
If the above is not possible or failes, then replace your hard drive.

"No Bootable Device -- insert a boot disk and press any key" Error Message.

Last month I just got a HP netbook (HP Mini 110-3100) and when I got it from the box, the error message; "No bootable device -- insert a boot disk and press any key" appeared. But then I managed to boot up the netbook normally. After that, I can use the netbook normally but the error message keeps appeared and becomes more frequent and now I even cannot turn on the netbook.
Is it a hard disk failure?
p/s: yesterday accidentally I can turn on the netbook without any problems. Did a lot of Hard Disk Maintenance by some softwares downloaded from the internet. But now already cannot turn on.
p/s/s: i have no cd/dvd drive, and also no 8GB usb drive.
p/s/s/s: what should i bring if i want to send the netbook to the HP centre? just bring the netbook?

I would suggest try and reseat the hard drive and check...If you still have the issue, than take it to the service center...And you will need to take only netbook to Service center...
Although I am an HP employee, I am speaking for myself and not for HP.
Make it easier for other people to find solutions, by marking my answer with 'Accept as Solution', if it solves your problem.
Click on the BLUE KUDOS button on the left to say "Thanks"

Error message "No bootable device--insert boot disk"

Greetings. My HP Pavilion DV5-1213em is displaying the following error message on a black screen " No bootable device--insert boot disk and press any key" . I would be grateful for advice as to what has gone wrong and what I now need to do. I am unable t locate the software recovery disk that came with the laptop when I purchased it. If I need this, can I download it on to a USB stick?

2 reasons you are seeing this message.
1. It is trying to boot from a non bootable device that is connected to the notebook,
2, The hard drive has failed.
Solution:
Unplug any extra devices from the notebook and try booting, if it does not boot run the harware diagnostics on the hard drive, if it fails to find the hard drive or you get error codes you need to replace the hard drive, the data on the drive will have to be reocvered by a professional recovery company.
Test the hard drive
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Lockups-Freezes-Hangs/How-to-test-RAM-and-HDD-Hard-Drive/td-p/...
You can order recovery media here, you will need it if you replace the hard drive.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00810334&cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en
If HP no longer has Recovery Media for your model, order them here
http://www.computersurgeons.com/Default.aspx

"No Bootable Device -- Insert Boot Disk and Press Any Key" ~ Bootcamp Error

We have a Mac Mini with both Mac OSX and Windows 7 installed on the Bootcamp partition. It's all been working fine since we installed them a few weeks ago, and we've been able to use both areas without any problems.
However, we just tried to load the Windows partition and it came up with the error message: "No Bootable Device -- Insert Boot Disk and Press Any Key". Does anybody know why this is happening as it is the first time this message has come up in a few months, and my dad is seriously ****** off right now because he has work to do on the Windows area. :/
Also, someone told me that I had to install Windows again. If this is the case, will all of the files on it be safe? If not, that's not an option.
Thanks for your time,
Tom.

We have a Mac Mini with both Mac OSX and Windows 7 installed on the Bootcamp partition. It's all been working fine since we installed them a few weeks ago, and we've been able to use both areas without any problems.
However, we just tried to load the Windows partition and it came up with the error message: "No Bootable Device -- Insert Boot Disk and Press Any Key". Does anybody know why this is happening as it is the first time this message has come up in a few months, and my dad is seriously ****** off right now because he has work to do on the Windows area. :/
Also, someone told me that I had to install Windows again. If this is the case, will all of the files on it be safe? If not, that's not an option.
Thanks for your time,
Tom.

"disk error" or "hal.dll' missing

I kept getting "hal.dll" missing after the initial dos-style XP install, and googling about led me to believe it was because I was deleting the boot camp partition during xp setup and re-formatting as NTFS.
So I tried just selecting the BOOTCAMP partition as is, and now the error is different - it simply says "disk error" at XP boot up.
Note this is BEFORE the actual XP install, this is the restart after the initial XP copying files setup bit.

I also got "disk error" message when I first installed XP WITHOUT formatting the Windows partition. After I formatted it everything works fine.
I also got "hal.dll" error when I created 2 partitions on Windows BUT formatted only the partition that I installed the XP on. I believe the error was because that unformatted partition. I haven't tried formatting both partition yet, though.
Have any of you tried nerowolfe's advice? Did it work?

How to fix bootcamp error: No bootable device --- insert boot disk and press any key

Hi everybody,
It seems that I triggered a bootcamp "bug" that involve the malfunction of the partition hierarchy after the creation of a new partition.
After some work I managed to get back again bootcamp in bootable partitions choice window, but if i select it and reboot the system
i get this error:
No bootable device --- insert boot disk and press any key
I think something is wrong with the assignment of the bootable partition, maybe is looking for windows in the wrong partition.
Any idea?
OSX 10.10.1
Bootcamp with Win 7

I have an ISO image and I burned it to a dvd. I know how to boot back into my Macintosh HD. I just need help on finishing the Windows install. On my iMac it says I have a partition named BOOTCAMP.

No Bootable Device - Insert Boot Disk Error...

Ok so today I installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit on my 750GB Toshiba HDD in my Optibay and was installed successfully, installed all the Drivers from Windows Support flash drive and when I try to reboot into Windows 7 I get the "No Bootable Device - Insert Boot Disk Error" everytime!! lol What the heck is going on here??
Specs:

lennarts wrote:
So, I encountered the same problem...
When I click the icon in bootcamp to install windows, after a bit of activity the Windows installation disc was spit put, the screen goes black and the error "No Bootable Device Insert Book Disk Press Any Key to Continue" appears on the screen. And nothing else but using the OSX installation disc helps.
I realised that the windows installation disc did not even spin up.
So what I did... I went back to OSX, reinserted windows installation disc, went to system preferences, selected the windows cd as a start up disc and locked it against the changes.
After that I went back to bootcamp and clicked gain to install windows. Everything worked fine now.
I just tried this and it didn't work for me. I keep getting a black screen with a cursor flashing in the upper left hand corner.

Ok i get this error when hooking my dvd drive up and tring to use my windows 7 cdNo Bootable device. Insert boot disk and press any key. i have tried to use command key i see the cd icon and hit that and i get the error

ok i get this error when hooking my dvd drive up and tring to use my windows 7 cdNo Bootable device. Insert boot disk and press any key. i have tried to use command key i see the cd icon and hit that and i get the error

Wiley207 wrote:
Believe it or not, it was the FireWire drive that was the problem! I managed to successfully install Windows 7 using an external USB DVD drive!
Well I am truly staggered, I have tried this on two different MacBook Pros, with three different external USB optical drives. Don't know if you googled as I suggested but you would find hundreds of others who have found same thing. The exception is MacBook Air which works with the Apple writer, but I don't know much about this.
Were you doing any of the special workarounds with refedit etc?
What model USB DVD drive?

DISK ERROR and also HAL.DLL error - I can't install XP SP2

Hi guys,
I'm at my wits end and am fed up by errors I've been getting trying to install XP SP2. I bought my Mac because of bootcamp interoperability as I need to use Windows applications for my work, so I get the best of both worlds. Parallels is out of the question as I don't get the speed I need.
I have a late-2007 revision 24" iMac (3gb/24"/2.4 C2D) and had Bootcamp running perfectly before upgrading to Leopard (with 10.4.9/10) - almost too perfect: it just worked! I have since upgraded to Leopard and today went to reinstall Windows as I did a clean install and wiped everything to start from scratch.
I have spent 4 hours reading forum after forum trying permutation after permutation of options and can't get it to work. I get
DISK ERROR
PRESS ANY KEY TO RESTART
When installing on any volume size using Fat32, and if I format NTFS, I get an error about a missing HAL.DLL.
I have verified that under both Fat32 files are copied as expected. Confirmed drive format as Fat32.
I also have the latest firmware update that was delivered a week or so ago via software update. I don't know if this could be the cause?
This is frustrating me beyond belief. If anyone can help, it'd be very very much appreciated.

I have also been having serious issues, and this worked for me also. Before (In Leopard with BootCamp 2.0) I could partition ok, and everything else, but the Windows installer just wouldn't give me the option of reformatting the drive (formatted to FAT32 by BootCamp v. 2) to NTFS. To re-iterate, if you're having these DISK ERROR problems, do the following:
Backup all files
Use Leopard/Tiger install disk to wipe the entire hard drive (all volumes mac and pc) with Disk Utility (this may not be necessary, but it could clear up the problem)
Install Tiger (10.4)
Run Bootcamp (in Tiger), partition, install Windows, and install drivers
Install Leopard (you may choose "erase" within the Installer since this will just wipe the Mac partition)
Now you're good to go. For running Bootcamp on Tiger, you will need to download BootCamp beta 1.4, there is at least one mirror (and a 1.3 one too) that you can easily find with google. Also, if you're having trouble installing with the beta after December 2007, try setting back the clock and disconnecting from the Internet.
Although it is very strange that Bootcamp 2.0 (or Leopard) have broken the ability to install.

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

Perhaps you need to use an XP cd with sp2 slipstreamed, install boot camp update 2.1, then SP3.
The following URL has a note: --> http://support.apple.com/downloads/BootCamp_Update_2_1_for_WindowsXP
Important: Installation of Boot Camp 2.1 is required before installing Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3)

Need help with error: No bootable device -- insert boot disk and press any key

Hello, I need help will my laptop and the error, the message says "no bootable device ", I have tried taking out the hard drive but it still doesn't work. My laptop is a Satillite C55D-A5372. I need help with this; if you know about this ans know how to fix it please reply or email me @ [email protected]
If needed more clarifications ask me.
Thank you,
Jkmano

if you got into the bios/uefi and have determined that the hdd is being detected then that is good. At least the hdd is operating to some extent, although still may be corrupt OS or the like.
Eagle asked you what OS your using (i.e., Windows 8.1 64-bit, Windows 7 32-bit, etc.). I see that English is not your native language so we'll just have to work with that as best we can.
Did you make any changes to the operating system (OS) as a result of the link you posted, and what were they?
L305-S5955, T9300 Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 60GB SSD, Win 7 Ultimate 64-bit

Hal.dll corrupted error on startup

Hi there.
I recently had rather a nasty bout of spywere problems. after tryign Norton anti-spywere, i have the following problem;
On startup, i get the toshibas splash screen, and then the error message :
Windows cannot find the file: hal.dll
it may be corrupted. please re-install the file
i have the solution to this (from the microsoft tech-support site) but the laptop (an R 10-101) has no floppy drive, and i have no setup disk, so i cannot get a recovery console to fix things.
Is it possible to get a setup disk without buying another copy of windows, or is it possible to get a boot CDrom as oppose to a Floppy Disk?
Thanks,
Matt

Hi
HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer) is an operating system programming layer that enables the operating system to operate with a hardware device.
The missing or cannot find hal.dll, \windows\system32\hal.dll, or \winnt\system32\hal.dll error message may be experienced on a Microsoft Windows 2000 or Microsoft Windows XP system when the boot.ini becomes corrupted or when a user is attempting to dual boot a computer.
The easiest way to solve the issue is to recover the OS because the boot.ini will be new created.
But you can also check this sites how to solve the problem.
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_h.htm
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000490.htm
Furthermore on this site you can find a description how to built a own bootable Windows CD-Rom.
http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/
Good luck

Kernal Data Inpage Error, No Bootable Device, Critical Process Died AGAIN! Please help!

I bought this S55-A5295 in July 2013. It started to have problems in April 2014. After 3 months of Critical Process Died, No Bootable Device, and having it shut down multiple times a day, I eventually convince service to take accept it because when I tried to do the recovery, the hard drive was missing partitions needed. (My $30 to ship, despite under warranty)
I received it back late June. The factory replaced the faulty screen (a different problem), but did not replace the hard drive. They supposedly "fixed" it, and added the needed partitions, should I need to do recovery again. I know that the partition was added because when I got it back, instead of being like new out of the box and ready to use, I was locked out because it was set to administrator and there was no option to access it, so I had to use the partitioned info. and do ANOTHER reset after getting it back from them. Not great service all around.
Now the laptop is out of warranty and I've started having problems again.
Sept. 16 -- I had a Kernal Data Inpage Error. The laptop made a horrible sound and shut down. At the time there was a Toshiba Canvio Slim II external drive attached.
Sept. 18 -- EFI\Microsoft\Boot\BCD 0xc00000bb the boot configuration data for your PC is missing or containing errors.
Sept. 19 -- Kernal Data Inpage Error. At this point I had removed the external drive, in case that was the problem. It wasn't letting me remove it earlier in the week. I didn't use it much over the next week.
Sept. 27 -- No Bootable Device.
Sept. 30 -- Kernal Data Inpage Error (volmgrx.sys)
Then Critical Process Died -- 3 different times
Then it restarted itself once without an error code.
Today, Oct. 1, I installed updates from Toshiba, including one fpr HDD and I performed maintenance. I tried to do the hard drive check, but the tabs in the instructions on the computer don't actually exist.
The directions: go to Computer, Properties, Tools tab (can't find it) , so no Error Checking and Check.
However, I did find, under Performance information and Tools my computer's performance rating. The Primary Hard Disk data transfer rate is 5.9.
So far it hasn't shut down today and hopefully the updates have fixed any issues, but I want to be prepared if they don't.
Are these errors coming from my laptop's hard drive? Is there a way for me to actually check that? Are the errors somehow connected to my TOSHIBA external drive? I haven't connected the external drive since the errors started happening, but i will need to use it again at some point, I just wanted to make sure the laptop was okay first.
Also, I am still running Windows 8. That's what they reset it to at the factory, and last time the issues seemed to correspond to me upgrading to 8.1, so I am wary to end up with a $600 paper weight again.
Please advise. Thanks!!

..went through the whole reset. ... ..do ANOTHER reset after getting it back from them
What can I say? The gold-standard test for a software problem is to restore the hard disk to its original out-of-the-box contents.
I'm a Windows specialist. Can't troubleshoot hardware.
-Jerry

Disk Error, Hal.dll Error, No bootable device error - Every other error.

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