I have a question about "Making Sure the Correct HAL is Installed" Is there any way to check if the version of HAL installed is incorrect? The article implies that there might be a little finger crossing involved in this solution. (no details as to how to check the situation before and after)

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Hello, Actually, the article does explain how to find out which HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer) is installed. To quote, "To see which HAL is currently installed, open Device Manager, and expand the Computer branch. The entry that appears in this branch corresponds to the currently installed HAL." For more information, see:

http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article07-100

If the reported computer type doesn't match your computer type, you can change it according to the instructions. However, you shouldn't follow this procedure on a whim; only do it if you're trying to solve a problem or trying to add APM (Advanced Power Management) to Windows 2000 or Windows XP.

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On Monday, November 5, 2001 at 10:16 am, Annoyances.org Webmaster wrote:
>Hello,
>
>Actually, the article does explain how to find out which HAL (Hardware Abstraction
>Layer) is installed. To quote, "To see which HAL is currently installed, open Device
>Manager, and expand the Computer branch. The entry that appears in this branch corresponds
>to the currently installed HAL." For more information, see:
>
>

>http://www.annoyances.org/exec/show/article07-100
>
>

>If the reported computer type doesn't match your computer type, you can change it
>according to the instructions. However, you shouldn't follow this procedure on a
>whim; only do it if you're trying to solve a problem or trying to add APM (Advanced
>Power Management) to Windows 2000 or Windows XP. I'm aware of how to check it, but how do you know if it's the right one. It only says hal.dll with a version number.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

If you're seeing version numbers, you've gone too far. Remember to follow the instructions exactly as written in the article; don't open the Properties window. The entry listed under "Computer" is the only piece of information you need. It might be "Standard PC" or "ACPI Uniprocessor PC" or one of several other varieties. Only you and your computer/motherboard manufacturer can decide which HAL is appropriate for your system.

Remember, only use this procedure if you know you need to change your HAL.


On Monday, November 5, 2001 at 11:12 am, Bill wrote:
>I'm aware of how to check it, but how do you know if it's the right one. It only
>says hal.dll with a version number.

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I'm not clear how to select a different HAL when reinstalling Win XP Pro? Mr previous Win98 SE managed Auto Shutdown fine, so the BIOS supports it, but I don't even have the elusive APM Tab to click on in XP!


On Monday, November 5, 2001 at 11:31 am, Annoyances.org Webmaster wrote:
>If you're seeing version numbers, you've gone too far. Remember to follow the instructions
>exactly as written in the article; don't open the Properties window. The entry listed
>under "Computer" is the only piece of information you need. It might be "Standard
>PC" or "ACPI Uniprocessor PC" or one of several other varieties. Only you and your
>computer/motherboard manufacturer can decide which HAL is appropriate for your system.
>

>Remember, only use this procedure if you know you need to change your HAL.
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

So i'm upgrading a Compaq Proliant 1600 from 1 CPU to 2 of the same stepping rev etc. Under the device manager it is listed as a "Standard PC" looking at Q237556 this sheds no light on the subject of it currently being ACPI complient. I assume that it isnt becasue the BIOS is E34rev and they are now upto P08 ( which is ACPI comp) SO before i upgrade the BIOS if at all. Can a I just follow Q234558 and change the HAL to MPS Multiproc PC with out a reinstall. ? ? Please advise ... With thanks Paul. ( Sure NT4.0 was easyer :P cought)


On Thursday, September 5, 2002 at 4:24 pm, Andrew wrote:
>I'm not clear how to select a different HAL when reinstalling Win XP Pro? Mr previous
>Win98 SE managed Auto Shutdown fine, so the BIOS supports it, but I don't even have
>the elusive APM Tab to click on in XP!
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

how do you KNOW if you need to replace the HAL???


On Monday, November 5, 2001 at 11:31 am, Annoyances.org Webmaster wrote:
>If you're seeing version numbers, you've gone too far. Remember to follow the instructions
>exactly as written in the article; don't open the Properties window. The entry listed
>under "Computer" is the only piece of information you need. It might be "Standard
>PC" or "ACPI Uniprocessor PC" or one of several other varieties. Only you and your
>computer/motherboard manufacturer can decide which HAL is appropriate for your system.
>

>Remember, only use this procedure if you know you need to change your HAL.
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

What if.... Assume I have a number of identical PCs. And I need to replace the Motherboard (and the HDD is intact, and the PC starts up). Obviously its a matter of time until I bluescreen the PC (Either by a NIC driver fault or a Display fault or sonmthing). So, is it possible to make an initial backup of: hal.dll ntkrnlpa.exe ntoskrnl.exe Then reinstall them (After swapping the Motherboard)? Thus to save having to re-image the PC? I am essentially looking for alternatives to re-imaging!

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Starting to dig through all this because, since the last reinstall, my system no 
longer shuts itself off automatically. 

It doesn't show "Standard PC," fortunately, but also doesn't show "APCI Compliant" 
(which I believe it did on the prior installs.) Instead, it's showing MPS Unitprocessor 
PC... which I'm not sure where it fits in (is an MPS system APCI compliant?)

IIRC, that's referring to a "multi-processor" spec - but I have a mainboard designed 
only for a single processor. (And XP Home, anyway.)

SHOULD I be shutting down, or reinstalling for the proper HAL?

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Hi, I recently built a computer and installed XP Home on it, but as it is not for me, I can't check the HAL at the moment, but I believe it is what is wrong with it - it doesn't appear to shutdown properly - and once or twice even turned itself on - although it is not set to. I know how to check the HAL, but is there any way to change it without reinstalling XP? I believe it is probably not set to the ACPI Compliant HAL, but as I said, I'm not currently sure which one is running. Please help, Paul Nicholls

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Here's my experience, maybe this can help you to solve your problem. I had Windows XP Home edition installed on Computer A. Computer A's board blew up. Rather than build a new Computer B completely from scratch, I instead bought a new case and board and stuck most of the existing parts from Computer A into Computer B. How clever I am, I thought. I booted Computer B and everything seemed fine, except for a few hiccups while XP sorted out which devices were new, still this was expected and after that everything seemed jake, except for when I powered down...instead of the computer powering down completely after choosing shutdown, it displayed the "It is now safe to shut down your computer" message. What's going on here? I fiddled with settings in the ACP tab of the Power control panel. All that checking the 'enable ACPI' setting accomplished was to shut down the compter, only to have it restart immediately. So I switched that setting back and lived with the annoyance for the longest time. But this thread gave me the clues I needed. I fixed the problem by rerunning the Windows XP Home edition installation CD and choosing the Repair option. Go through the 45 minute process of reinstalling core OS files. If you choose Repair then none of your data, hardware profiles, applications or other personal settings, except for display resolution, will be changed. Resolution reverts to 800x600. Interestingly the ACP tab no longer appears in the Power control panel. Also the computer device as listed in the Device Manager is now different. Before the repair it listed as Generic PC. Now it says "Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC" Start -- control panel -- System. Hardware tab -- Device Manager. Expand computer. In the course of troubleshooting I did tour through the BIOS configuration utility. There I enabled ACPI support. I don't know if that option was strictly necessary but it made sense. Now things work fine and I don't have to wait till that message displays before powering down. It does it by itself, as it should. Thank you to all those on this thread! CB


On Thursday, October 30, 2003 at 1:14 pm, Paul Nicholls wrote:
>Hi,
>I recently built a computer and installed XP Home on it, but as it is not for me,
>I can't check the HAL at the moment, but I believe it is what is wrong with it -
>it doesn't appear to shutdown properly - and once or twice even turned itself on
>- although it is not set to. I know how to check the HAL, but is there any way to
>change it without reinstalling XP? I believe it is probably not set to the ACPI
>Compliant HAL, but as I said, I'm not currently sure which one is running.
>
>Please help,
>Paul Nicholls

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

As a note to all you can also boot up your system with a boot floppy and change your HAL's to the correct types and then boot normally from the Hard Disk. To do this choose the proper HAL's and rename them hal.dll and NTOSKRNL.dll and you also can boot successfully if an emergency arises. Use this as a last resort as the upgrade option is a better solution if I could compare. The best way to move and installation to different hardware is by using SYSPREP. Check out the info on your Windows 2000 and XP CD's in the deploy folder. It's not as bad as they make it seem and you can add these hardware types and HAL's into your sysprep setup.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

where can you find the proper hals, and how do you know which one is right for your mobo?


On Sunday, November 28, 2004 at 5:51 pm, Chris T. wrote:
>As a note to all you can also boot up your system with a boot floppy and change your
>HAL's to the correct types and then boot normally from the Hard Disk. To do this
>choose the proper HAL's and rename them hal.dll and NTOSKRNL.dll and you also can
>boot successfully if an emergency arises. Use this as a last resort as the upgrade
>option is a better solution if I could compare. The best way to move and installation
>to different hardware is by using SYSPREP. Check out the info on your Windows 2000
>and XP CD's in the deploy folder. It's not as bad as they make it seem and you can
>add these hardware types and HAL's into your sysprep setup.

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

Which HAL? Quick way to check: Update your BIOS to the latest version! (With a few exceptions, ie of AR440BX boards, where Intel LOCKED out P3 processor upgrades. But these are x440BX boards, circa 199x) - Enter Setup and turn on any new options for APIC and ACPI. Boot from the W2K or XP install CD, and press F5 when it says to press F6. Wait until prompted for HAL option. For a single processor PC: one KNOWs Standard PC will work. StndPC is the fallback if the following doesnt work: Choose ACPI PC/Advanced Configuration Power Interface PC, NOT ACPI Uniprocessor PC. See if setup continues past 'Starting Windows 2000' or 'XP'. If the computer does not freeze, exit setup. If it freezes, use Standard PC. ACPI PC works: When the computer restarts, go through the same step and choose ACPI Uniprocessor PC. If setup gets past 'Starting Windows 2000/XP', continue. If you are trying to switch HAL's, the only/best way I know is to do a repair of windows, using the method above. Oldest PC to Current models; Standard HAL - Standard PC Works well on all pre-ACPI PC's, and most early ACPI PC's. (BIOS prior to late 2000) For Laptops and those desktop PC's which have drivers written to permit IRQ sharing; Advanced Configuration and Power Interface PC or ACPI PC (varies on the language of windows). DO use this HAL if one has a PC where power management is a critical issue, such as a laptop, or a desktop. DO NOT use this Hal if the desktop sound seems to stutter, or network performance is noticibly slower, video frames per second/performance is noticibly slower. TRY to skip using this HAL as it does not support APIC, where the PCI and AGP IRQ's are individually set per item (network card, audio card, onboard PCI audio and network, USB) distributed from IRQ 16 through to ~27. This HAL has the advantage of giving better power management support (lower power consumption and more intelligent power management interface) on computers whose BIOS cannot be updated past Y2K compliance, about late 2000. APIC is the Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller. ALL APIC PC's (check in BIOS or specs) are ACPI-compliant.


On Tuesday, October 18, 2005 at 12:29 pm, Brandon wrote:
>where can you find the proper hals, and how do you know which one is right for your
>mobo?
>
>
>

[Reply or follow-up to this message]

I am trying to create a master image out of DELL models GX260-745. I keep getting a blue screen when either the harddrive sizes change, when they go from IDE to SATA, or when I go from a single core to dual core processors. What do I need to do and how to get this where i need them and to where I have 1 image for all. It seems to be working for models GX260-GX620, but now its getting really tricky with the newer models. HELP people, I have spent way too much time on this! Regards,


On Wednesday, March 8, 2006 at 10:49 am, yo wrote:
>
>Which HAL?
>Quick way to check: Update your BIOS to the latest version! (With a few exceptions,
>ie of AR440BX boards, where Intel LOCKED out P3 processor upgrades. But these are
>x440BX boards, circa 199x) - Enter Setup and turn on any new options for APIC and
>ACPI.
>
>Boot from the W2K or XP install CD, and press F5 when it says to press F6. Wait until
>prompted for HAL option. For a single processor PC: one KNOWs Standard PC will work.
>
>StndPC is the fallback if the following doesnt work: Choose ACPI PC/Advanced Configuration
>Power Interface PC, NOT ACPI Uniprocessor PC. See if setup continues past 'Starting
>Windows 2000' or 'XP'. If the computer does not freeze, exit setup. If it freezes,
>use Standard PC.
>
>ACPI PC works:
>When the computer restarts, go through the same step and choose ACPI Uniprocessor
>PC. If setup gets past 'Starting Windows 2000/XP', continue.
>If you are trying to switch HAL's, the only/best way I know is to do a repair of
>windows, using the method above.
>
>Oldest PC to Current models;
>Standard HAL - Standard PC
>Works well on all pre-ACPI PC's, and most early ACPI PC's. (BIOS prior to late 2000)
>
>For Laptops and those desktop PC's which have drivers written to permit IRQ sharing;
>Advanced Configuration and Power Interface PC or ACPI PC (varies on the language
>of windows). DO use this HAL if one has a PC where power management is a critical
>issue, such as a laptop, or a desktop. DO NOT use this Hal if the desktop sound seems
>to stutter, or network performance is noticibly slower, video frames per second/performance
>is noticibly slower. TRY to skip using this HAL as it does not support APIC, where
>the PCI and AGP IRQ's are individually set per item (network card, audio card, onboard
>PCI audio and network, USB) distributed from IRQ 16 through to ~27. This HAL has
>the advantage of giving better power management support (lower power consumption
>and more intelligent power management interface) on computers whose BIOS cannot be
>updated past Y2K compliance, about late 2000.
>
>
>APIC is the Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller. ALL APIC PC's (check in BIOS
>or specs) are ACPI-compliant.
>
>

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