Boot Error message root>system32\hal.dll

I am attempting to restore the image created using Acronis Backup & Recovery 10. I am using the trial version. The Acronis support rep assured me in an online chat that the software was a complete and fully functional version of the registered product. I work for a small, nonprofit company (a church) and I need to save pennies where I can. The Pastor's computer was dying and we have had a replacement one donated (used and reconditioned). I am attempting to backup the old and restore to the new.

The backup seemed to have worked just fine. I restored to an external hard drive. The restore process on the new unit seems to be endlessly slow. Once it said it was successful and I rebooted to Windows I get the boot error "Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: root>system32\hal.dll". I don't know what to do with that!

I am clearly a novice at this and I was assured that the software would know what to do. Now I don't know where to go next. I came into the office on a Saturday just to work on it, and the online chat that I used before isn't available on Saturdays. I will check back here first thing Monday morning and hopefully someone more knowledgeable than I will have some words of magic for me to try!

Thank you all very much.