PartitionMagic, XP/Linux Dual Boot, and XMNT AUTOCHK Not Found

[unsatisfactory]

I'm currently attempting to revive my laptop after using PartitionMagic to shrink C and create a Linux partition + swap. I was running XP, by the way. This went all right, and I installed Slackware without any hitches. Now, however, whenever I attempt to boot XP, I get the following error messages:

XMNT2002 Program Not Found
AUTOCHK Program Not Found
Skipping Autocheck

.. and then it reboots.

An archived thread (thread616-439106) covers this problem extensively with a fix if you can still access Linux, but I have the additional problem: while running Linux, it will shutdown unwelcomely. Sometimes while it's still booting, sometimes immediately after I log in. Any ideas?

 

[torandson]

Hi,
I hope you backed up your important data before doing anything else. You may be looking at a reformat and reinstall of everything.

It depends on how your drive is partitioned, and how and where you installed various things.

How is your C: drive formatted, NTFS or FAT32?

Are you using Partition Manager's Boot Magic?

I had a problem after using PM8.0 on a Windows XP multi-boot system to modify some partitions recently. Either PM8.0 or the boot process edited my boot.ini file when PM8.0 told me a reboot was necessary, and this changed the partition number for the XP OS in the boot.ini file and added another (Win (#2)) entry. I got a message about hal.dll not being installed because XP was being directed to boot from the wrong partition by that entry in the boot.ini file.

I can't help you much here, but to get help on this from anyone you will need to provide specifics about exactly what you did to convert the laptop, and what the partitioning scheme is.

I set up a Compaq laptop years ago for dual boot Windows ME and Red Hat Linux, and I had to first buy the Compaq complete system re-install CD from Compaq before doing it. That CD was required several times before I got it all working correctly, because the first several attempts failed. The Restore CD that came with the laptop did not have the complete install software, which had to be specially ordered. Good luck.

--torandson

 

[torandson]

Hi again,
I just did an experiment. I booted from the boot menu to the hidden partition on which my XP copy resides, and got the same behavior you describe.

"AUTOCHK Program Not Found
Skipping Autocheck

.. and then it reboots."

(PM8.0 is not installed on the system yet, so the other message did not appear)

Then I loaded Partition Magic from the rescue floppies and UNhid the backup partition that has a copy of my XP installation on it.

It booted.

It's on a completely different drive in a completely different partition, and it booted!

(Note: XP is not on my C drive, so it does not share a partition with the boot sector.)

Try this: boot Partition Magic from the boot floppies, and see if you can UNhide your XP partition. Make sure you click on "APPLY" after selecting the partition/Advanced/Unhide. Then see if you can boot into XP.

If that works, then you can deal with the other problem(s) afterward.

--torandson

 

[torandson]

Hi again,
With another suggestion:
You may look into damn small linux <

http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/>

From what I read you could create a minimal installation of Linux that runs entirely in RAM and boots from CD, or put it on a USB drive.

Or set up a CD to boot "knoppix," though I have never done that so I can't tell you how. Check Google.

Then, if you could boot into a CD- or USB-based Linux maybe you could do something like this to get the XP partition to not be hidden:

From Brogan
NOTE - For anybody who has partitioned their hard drive and receive the following errors using Partition Magic:
"xmnt2002 not found skipping autocheck"
"autochk not found skipping autocheck"

and can access the Linux partition but not the Windows.

Find the grub.conf in /etc. The Windows partition may look like this depending on what you named your partition and which hardrive you are using:
title XP
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
make it

Change it to:
title XP
unhide (hd0,0)
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1

Save it and now you will be able to access Windows. If this worked for you as it has done for me please tell me so.

Mark

If you stored the LILO or GRUB bootloader on the C partition, it may have clobbered the XP boot code and maybe LILO or GRUB is hiding the partition??? not running correctly??? I'm just guessing here.
If so, you may be able to repair the boot sector using your XP installation CD and beginning as if to install the OS, but selecting REPAIR at the menu which gives you that option instead of install.
Check this last topic elsewhere. I'm just suggesting some avenues of research, since I don't know what your setup is.
--torandson