Problem with booting Knoppix - error: windows file missing..

[delfin13]

Hi,
I have tried several times to boot my Win XP with Grub. However, it didn't work, so I switched to the Win bootloader:
1) dd if=/dev/hda5 of=/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1
2) copied to C:/Windows
3) edited boot.ini, last line: C:\bootsect.lnx
4) started Win correctly

However, when I try to start my hard-disk installed Knoppix (other partition than windows, other disk as well for my safety ) the error "<Windows root>\system32\hal.dll is missing or damaged" occurs. But: just when I try to boot *Linux*, Win is booting correctly! Any ideas?

Greetz,
delfin13

[ICPUG]

I presume you have done the 'dd' OK and this method works as I have no experience of that. I personally use grldr from grub4DOS to boot my (Poor Man's install) Knoppix.

The missing hal.dll message is very misleading as hal.dll is usually still there - as you have found because Windows boots OK.

This error usually occurs when Windows cannot find the file referenced in boot.ini, in your case:
bootsect.lnx

Check very carefully the spelling of your file (including small or capital letters) is the same on the disk and in the boot.ini. Make sure that in .lnx the letter 'l' is used and not 1.

Any menu.lst associated with the grub boot should also be located in the c:\ directory.

[delfin13]

Thanks a lot - problem solved I did not have the menu.lst in c: .