Member Avatar for pratapchiluveru

I have windows XP and fedora 8 installed in my laptop. For some days evreything is ok, but suddenly when I try to open windows XP It shows the windows loading screen and then it showsit shows the error AUTOCHK.EXE PROGRAM NOT FOUND SKIPPING AUTOCHEK and then restarts.
I checked for autochk.exe and found it in C:\Windows, and C:\Windows\SYstem32. I thought it as damaged one and i replaced with autochk.exe from the windows XP CD. Still the problem exists. Can anyone suggest me what to do to solve problem. I can access the all the windows drives, and I can still execute windows commands from linux (using wine).
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance

  • 2 Contributors
  • 8 Replies
  • 317 Views
  • 2 Days Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by FlamingClaw

Dani AI

Generated

Short summary and what to try next (building on and ):
You already did the obvious — checked that autochk.exe exists and copied a fresh copy from the XP CD — so the on-screen message is probably a symptom, not the root cause. Common underlying causes are (a) damaged file-system/driver files, (b) the system looking for the wrong volume/drive letter, or (c) a missing core driver such as the mount‑point manager. Start with offline repairs from the XP CD / Recovery Console and work up to registry fixes only if the simple repairs fail. [Recovery Console / chkdsk reference].(https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/performance/use-recovery-console-not-start)

Immediate Recovery Console steps (do these first from the XP CD):

  • Boot the XP CD, press R to enter the Recovery Console and select the Windows install.
  • Run a full disk check to repair bad sectors: 
    chkdsk /r C:
  • Restore the Autochk executable from the CD (replace X: with your CD/DVD drive): 
    expand X:\i386\autochk.ex_ C:\Windows\System32\autochk.exe

    or

    copy X:\i386\autochk.exe C:\Windows\System32
  • If the partition layout changed recently, also run (in RC) fixboot C: and fixmbr. These RC commands and expand/chkdsk behavior are documented by Microsoft. (See Recovery Console guidance.) [Microsoft RC / expand / chkdsk].(https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/performance/use-recovery-console-not-start)

If the above doesn’t fix it — check mount/drive‑letter mapping or missing drivers:

  • Because you run Fedora, mount the Windows partition and confirm these files exist and have nonzero size: C:\Windows\System32\autochk.exe and C:\Windows\System32\drivers\mountmgr.sys (or ntfs.sys). If mountmgr.sys or other core drivers are missing/corrupt, copy them from the CD’s i386/servicepack area into \Windows\System32\drivers.
  • If you moved/imagined partitions (Ghost, resize, moved recovery partition) Windows can have a wrong C: mapping. Boot any Windows install/repair media, run regedit, select HKLM, File→Load Hive, open the offline ...System32\config\SYSTEM hive and compare HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices between the recovery environment and the offline hive — correct the \DosDevices\C: entry if it points to the wrong disk signature. That “load hive / fix MountedDevices” method is a common, proven fix. [Example discussion / load‑hive method].(https://superuser.com/questions/290612/missing-autochk-program-during-boot)
    If you need to assign a letter in WinRE first, use DiskPart: 
    diskpart
list volume
select volume <n>
assign letter=C
exit

    (See DiskPart docs for assign.) [DiskPart assign].())

Final notes and cautions:

  • Disable automatic restart via F8 to capture any STOP code (often 0xC000021A) — that code helps diagnostics. If you can read the partition and files from Linux, back up important data before making registry or MBR changes. If you are uncomfortable editing the offline registry or copying drivers, a Repair Install or help from a technician is the safer path. Microsoft’s Recovery Console guidance and the forum examples linked above cover the exact commands and the hive‑load method. [Microsoft Q&A / recovery advice].(https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2509905/windows-xp-fails-to-boot-autocheck-program-not-found)

Recommended Answers

All 8 Replies

Member Avatar for pratapchiluveru

thanks for you reply FlamingClaw. There is only the description of autochk.exe, and it says its is not important. How can I solve the problem?
Thanks in advance

Member Avatar for pratapchiluveru

thank you very much

Member Avatar for FlamingClaw

thank you very much

ok, then try to press the Mark as Solved button.
thx

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.