Problems With Hal.dll

Primary Causes
Problems in the HAL library often occur because some virus or operating system error either corrupted it, deleted the file, or moved it from its proper location. If such a thing happens, you might get an error saying something like 'hal.dll missing or corrupt.' Oftentimes, if the hardware abstraction layer is corrupt, Windows will not start up correctly, if it starts up at all. Windows also needs its hardware abstraction layer to allow its internal high-level software to communicate with the hardware in your computer.
High-Level and Low-Level
'High-level' and 'low-level' are terms often used by developers. To clarify the difference between the two, high-level code uses third-party components to communicate with the computer. Low-level represents all code that is unwrapped, meaning that it does not use any third-party interfaces to communicate with the computer. The reason why hal.dll errors can be very fatal to your computer's functionality is because the library basically commands a large number of the low-level components in your system. If hal.dll has been moved or written to inadvertently, many of your programs, and your operating system as well, will not be able to communicate with the hardware in your computer. High-level component errors such as program errors are not as devastating.
Other Possible Causes
There are a number of reasons why hal.dll becomes corrupted or moved. In some cases, it might not be missing at all. The operating system might have encountered an error in reading it, and assumed there was an error. In this case, you can resolve this by restarting your computer, which is always the first thing you should try when such errors happen. In other cases, a program installation might have written to hal.dll, causing a chaotic dilemma after the computer is restarted, or during the time it is running. An overwritten hal.dll file is a severe problem, but not impossible to fix.
Solutions
The first thing you should do is reboot. The error may be an isolated incident that resolves with a reboot. If that doesn't work, fix the boot.ini file in Windows by replacing it, which is done by writing 'bootcfg /rebuild' in the Windows Recovery Console (you will need to boot from a system disk to do this process). The largest number of hal.dll errors occur because of a badly configured boot sequence. Your other best bet in this trial and error session is to reconfigure your BIOS to boot in the proper order. If you do not know how to do this, do not try and do it yourself. You should have someone service your computer for you in these cases.
What if the Solutions Don't Work?
You may have to undo some settings you might have changed over time, using the System Restore utility found under Accessories/System Tools in the Start Menu under Programs. You can use the System Restore utility to restore your system to the way it was on a particular date, and you should only use it if you are willing to lose some data and settings to have your computer functioning normally again. However, if this does not work, you might have to re-install your entire operating system. Do not reinstall Windows unless you are very sure you are ready to erase all of your data.