In 10 years this has been my worst problem

[Terrier]

I am totally flummoxed by this one. I don't understand what's happening
and I don't know quite where to go or what to do.

I have tried carefully to document what I did as I went along.

Advice on where to go/what to do now would be most welcome.

Bob

**********
I have a MacBook running the latest version of OSX; it also has the most
recent update of Boot Camp installed and is running Windows XP, Home
Edition, SP2.

I booted up in Windows and tried to download and install the latest
Service Pack 3.

With the download in progress, it suddenly shifted to white text on a
blue background with the message:

The following file is corrupted, <Windows Root>\system32\hal.dll>
Please reinstall a copy of this file.

I had to get this file from somewhere, so I tried to restart in Windows
and I got the same message as noted above.

I tried to reboot from the install CD of Windows XP, Home Edition, SP2
CD in the drive and again got the above warning.

I shut down by holding down the start button then hit the start button
again. I got to the Apple logo and the churning gearwheel, but after five
minutes, it got no further and I could not hear any disk activity.

I then tried starting up in Safe Mode: again much spinning of the the
gearwheel, but no startup.

I then ejected the Windows CD by holding down the touch-pad clicker and
restarted the MacBook using Disk Warrior 4.1

I got to the DW logo and the usual DW items in the desktop menu bar and
<Scanning for Disks>; it scanned for a long time, then the DW logo
disappeared and it went to a blue screen and the spinning gearwheel
appeared. It disappeared and the MacBook restarted to a gray screen and
went no further.

Ejected the DW disk by holding down the touch-pad clicker.

Booted up with Install CD

Under <Utilities> in the menubar, choose <Startup Disk> and it only
showed the Mac OS X 10.5 on the volume “Mac OS S install DVD.

Under <Utilities> in the menubar, choose Disk Utility. Gathered info
and it showed the Mac OS X Install DVD and something called <74.5 GB
ST98018A5 Media.> Highlighting the latter, all the usual DU buttons were
grayed out and there was nothing I could do with DU.

Started up again in Target Disk Mode and, FINALLY, after about 10 minutes,
the normal FireWire icons labeled Macintosh HD and a second FireWire icon
labeled Windows appeared.

Double clicked on the Macintosh HD icon and got the SPWOD again for about
two minutes and the, the window that finally appeared, looked normal. I
went to each folder at the root level and compared it with the folders on my
iMac at that level and all appeared in order.

I launched Disk Utility in the iMac, selected the Macintosh HD of the
MacBook and chose <Verify Disk>. got an estimated time of 24 minutes to
check the drive but it took shorter. Ended with <Error: Filesystem verify
or repair failed.>.

Then launched DiskWarrior, which was installed on my iMac. I graphed the
files on the MacBook HD. Result: only 2% if the files were out of order.

Tried to rebuild the MacBook HD with DW. I got this window; The directory
of the disk Macintosh HD cannot be rebuilt. The disk is still in use. Quit
all other applications or restart from Disk Warrior disk and they try
rebuilding again. If you report this error, please mention the error code
(2153, 4903).

Then tried, using DW, under Files, to <Check all files and folders>. It
took about an hour to accomplish this and found nothing out of line.

That's where I stand now. Any ideas on where to go from here???

[MisterMe]

Make sure that you have taken care of all of the issues mentioned here.

[Satcomer]

Boot Camp Update 2.1 for Windows XP.

[Terrier]

To end this thread: took the MacBook to the Apple Store today and they agreed that it was a hard drive problem and will replace it and call me back today when it's done.

You just gotta love Apple!

Bob