Error Message:

Mismatched kernel and hal image.

Explanation:

This Stop message is displayed when the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) and the kernel or the computer type do not match. This error most often occurs when single-processor and multiprocessor configuration files are mixed on the same system. This Stop message can occur if either the Ntoskrnl.exe or Hal.dll files have been manually updated. The error can also indicate that one of those two files is out of date (that is, the HAL is designed for Windows NT 4.0 and the kernel is for Windows 2000). Additionally, the computer might erroneously have a multiprocessor HAL and a single-processor kernel installed, or vice versa. The kernel file Ntoskrnl.exe is used for single-processor systems and Ntkrnlmp.exe is used for multiprocessor systems. However, these file names correspond to the files on the installation media; after Windows 2000 has been installed, the file is renamed to Ntoskrnl.exe, regardless of the source file used. The HAL file also uses the name Hal.dll after installation, but there are several possible HAL files on the installation media.

User Action:

To resolve this Stop message, restart the computer using either the product CD or the four Setup disks. At the Welcome screen, press F10 to start the Recovery Console. Use the Copy command to copy either the correct HAL or kernel file from the original CD into the appropriate folder on the hard disk. The Copy command detects whether the file to be copied is in the Microsoft compressed file format. If so, it automatically expands the file copied on the target drive. For more troubleshooting information about this Stop message, refer to the Microsoft Knowledge Base at https://support.microsoft.com/support.