I installed a new video card which somehow corrupted a hal.dll file making it
impossible to boot (even with System Restore). I re-installed Windows and
have two questions:

1.Is it possible to force Windows to recognize the 100+ programs already
installed or must I re-install and re-update every one of them?

Is the original Windows a lost cause, or can I update the new one with SP2
(to match the old one) and replace the corrupted hal.dll with the new one? It
would be nice to be able to save all my settings.

"ghlbtsk" wrote

>I installed a new video card which somehow corrupted a hal.dll file making
>it
> impossible to boot (even with System Restore). I re-installed Windows and
> have two questions:
>
> 1.Is it possible to force Windows to recognize the 100+ programs already
> installed or must I re-install and re-update every one of them?
>
> Is the original Windows a lost cause, or can I update the new one with
> SP2
> (to match the old one) and replace the corrupted hal.dll with the new one?
> It
> would be nice to be able to save all my settings.

When you state you "re-installed Windows" did you do a clean install or a
repair install? Normally a repair install will maintain installed programs
and data. A clean install will not, so if you did the former then the
programs should run, if the latter they will not and you can't migrate most
of them to the new installation.

You second paragraph is unclear. There's information you're not providing.
Where is the original install of XP? Where did your reinstall XP, and how
did you do it?

--
Rock [MVP - User/Shell]