The Windows Recovery console is designed to help you recover when your Windows-Based computer does not start properly or does not start at all. If Safe mode and other startup options do not work, you can consider using the Recovery Console. This method is recommended only if you are an advanced user who can use basic commands to identify and locate problem drivers and files. In addition, you must be an administrator to use the Recovery Console.
Installing the Recovery Console
You can install the Recovery Console on your computer to make it available in case you are unable to restart Windows. You can then select the Recovery Console option from the list of available operating systems on startup. It is wise to install the Recovery Console on important servers, and on the workstations of IT personnel. This article describes how you can install the Recovery Console to your Windows XP computer. To install the Recovery Console, you must have administrative rights on the computer.
Although you can run the Recovery console by booting directly from the Windows XP CD, it's much more convenient to set it up as a startup option on your boot menu. To run directly by booting from the CD see the "Using the Recovery Console" section later in this article.
To install the Recovery Console, perform the following steps:
Insert the Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM drive.
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type Code:
d:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons
where d is the drive letter for the CD-ROM drive.
A Windows Setup Dialog Box appears, which describes the Recovery Console option. The system prompts you to confirm installation. Click Yes to start the installation procedure.
Restart the computer. The next time you start your computer, you will see a "Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" entry on the boot menu.
NOTE: Alternatively, you can use a UNC to install the Recovery Console from a network share point.
Using the Recovery Console
You can enable and disable services, format drives, read and write data on a local drive (including drives that are formatted to use the NT File System (NTFS), and perform many other administrative tasks. The Recovery Console is particularly useful if you need to repair your computer by copying a file from a disk or CD-ROM to your hard disk, or if you need to reconfigure a service that is preventing your computer from starting properly.
If you cannot start your computer, you can run the Recovery Console from the Microsoft Windows XP startup disks or the Windows XP CD-ROM. This article describes how to perform this task.
After Windows XP is installed on your computer, to start the computer and use the Recovery Console you need the Windows XP startup disks or the Windows XP CD-ROM.
NOTE: To start the computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM, you need to configure the basic input/output system (BIOS) of the computer to boot from your CD-ROM drive.
To run the Recovery Console from the Windows XP startup disks or the Windows XP CD-ROM, use the following steps:
Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.
Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.
When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.
If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, choose the installation that you need to access from the Recovery Console.
When you are prompted to do so, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.
At the command prompt, type the appropriate commands to diagnose and repair your Windows XP installation.
For a list of commands that are available in Recovery Console, type recovery console commands or help at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.
For information about a specific command, type help commandname at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.
To exit the Recovery Console and restart the computer, type exit at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.
Using the Recovery Console Command Prompt
When you use the Recovery Console, you are working at a special command prompt rather than the usual Windows command prompt. The Recovery Console has its own command interpreter. To enter this command interpreter, you are prompted by Recovery Console to type the Administrator password (the local Administrator, not a domain Administrator).
When the Recovery Console starts, you have the opportunity to press F6 to install a third-party SCSI or RAID driver, in case you need such a driver to access the hard disk. This prompt works the same as it does during installation of the operating system.
The Recovery Console takes a few seconds to start. When the Recovery Console menu is displayed, a numbered list of the Windows installations on the computer is displayed (usually only one entry-c:\Windows-exists). Press a number before you press ENTER, even when only one entry appears. If you press ENTER without choosing a number, the computer restarts and begins the process again.
When you see the prompt for %SystemRoot% (usually C:\Windows), you can begin using the available commands for the Recovery Console.
Command Actions
The following list describes the available commands for the Recovery Console:
Attrib changes attributes on one file or subdirectory.
Batch executes commands that you specify in the text file, Inputfile; Outputfile holds the output of the commands. If you omit the Outputfile parameter, output is displayed on the screen.
Bootcfg is used to manipulate the Boot.ini for boot configuration and recovery.
CD (Chdir) operates only within the system directories of the current Windows installation, removable media, the root directory of any hard disk partition, or the local installation sources.
Chkdsk The /p switch runs Chkdsk even if the drive is not flagged as dirty. The /r switch locates bad sectors and recovers readable information; this switch implies /p. Chkdsk requires Autochk. Chkdsk automatically looks for Autochk.exe in the startup (or boot) folder. If Chkdsk cannot find the file in the startup folder, it looks for the Windows 2000 Setup CD-ROM. If Chkdsk cannot find the installation CD-ROM, it prompts the user for the location of Autochk.exe.
Cls clears the screen.
Copy copies one file to a target location. By default, the target cannot be removable media and you cannot use wildcards. Copying a compressed file from the Windows 2000 Setup CD-ROM automatically decompresses the file.
Del (Delete) deletes one file. Operates within the system directories of the current Windows installation, removable media, the root directory of any hard disk partition, or the local installation sources. You cannot use wildcards by default.
Dir displays a list of all files, including hidden and system files.
Disable disables a Windows system service or driver. The variable service_or_driver is the name of the service or driver that you want to disable. When you use this command to disable a service, it displays the service's original startup type before changing the type to SERVICE_DISABLED. You should note the original startup type so that you can use the enable command to restart the service.
Diskpart manages partitions on hard disk volumes. The /add option creates a new partition; the /delete option deletes an existing partition. The variable device is the device name for a new partition (such as \device\harddisk0). The variable drive is the drive letter for a partition that you are deleting (for example, D); partition is the partition-based name for a partition that you are deleting, (for example: \device\harddisk0\partition1) and can be used in place of the drive variable. The variable size is the size, in megabytes, of a new partition.
Enable enables a Windows system service or driver. The variable service_or_driver is the name of the service or driver that you want to enable, and start_type is the startup type for an enabled service. The startup type uses one of the following formats:
SERVICE_BOOT_START
SERVICE_SYSTEM_START
SERVICE_AUTO_START
SERVICE_DEMAND_START
cont...................
Installing the Recovery Console
You can install the Recovery Console on your computer to make it available in case you are unable to restart Windows. You can then select the Recovery Console option from the list of available operating systems on startup. It is wise to install the Recovery Console on important servers, and on the workstations of IT personnel. This article describes how you can install the Recovery Console to your Windows XP computer. To install the Recovery Console, you must have administrative rights on the computer.
Although you can run the Recovery console by booting directly from the Windows XP CD, it's much more convenient to set it up as a startup option on your boot menu. To run directly by booting from the CD see the "Using the Recovery Console" section later in this article.
To install the Recovery Console, perform the following steps:
Insert the Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM drive.
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type Code:
d:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons
where d is the drive letter for the CD-ROM drive.
A Windows Setup Dialog Box appears, which describes the Recovery Console option. The system prompts you to confirm installation. Click Yes to start the installation procedure.
Restart the computer. The next time you start your computer, you will see a "Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" entry on the boot menu.
NOTE: Alternatively, you can use a UNC to install the Recovery Console from a network share point.
Using the Recovery Console
You can enable and disable services, format drives, read and write data on a local drive (including drives that are formatted to use the NT File System (NTFS), and perform many other administrative tasks. The Recovery Console is particularly useful if you need to repair your computer by copying a file from a disk or CD-ROM to your hard disk, or if you need to reconfigure a service that is preventing your computer from starting properly.
If you cannot start your computer, you can run the Recovery Console from the Microsoft Windows XP startup disks or the Windows XP CD-ROM. This article describes how to perform this task.
After Windows XP is installed on your computer, to start the computer and use the Recovery Console you need the Windows XP startup disks or the Windows XP CD-ROM.
NOTE: To start the computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM, you need to configure the basic input/output system (BIOS) of the computer to boot from your CD-ROM drive.
To run the Recovery Console from the Windows XP startup disks or the Windows XP CD-ROM, use the following steps:
Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.
Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.
When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.
If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, choose the installation that you need to access from the Recovery Console.
When you are prompted to do so, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.
At the command prompt, type the appropriate commands to diagnose and repair your Windows XP installation.
For a list of commands that are available in Recovery Console, type recovery console commands or help at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.
For information about a specific command, type help commandname at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.
To exit the Recovery Console and restart the computer, type exit at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.
Using the Recovery Console Command Prompt
When you use the Recovery Console, you are working at a special command prompt rather than the usual Windows command prompt. The Recovery Console has its own command interpreter. To enter this command interpreter, you are prompted by Recovery Console to type the Administrator password (the local Administrator, not a domain Administrator).
When the Recovery Console starts, you have the opportunity to press F6 to install a third-party SCSI or RAID driver, in case you need such a driver to access the hard disk. This prompt works the same as it does during installation of the operating system.
The Recovery Console takes a few seconds to start. When the Recovery Console menu is displayed, a numbered list of the Windows installations on the computer is displayed (usually only one entry-c:\Windows-exists). Press a number before you press ENTER, even when only one entry appears. If you press ENTER without choosing a number, the computer restarts and begins the process again.
When you see the prompt for %SystemRoot% (usually C:\Windows), you can begin using the available commands for the Recovery Console.
Command Actions
The following list describes the available commands for the Recovery Console:
Attrib changes attributes on one file or subdirectory.
Batch executes commands that you specify in the text file, Inputfile; Outputfile holds the output of the commands. If you omit the Outputfile parameter, output is displayed on the screen.
Bootcfg is used to manipulate the Boot.ini for boot configuration and recovery.
CD (Chdir) operates only within the system directories of the current Windows installation, removable media, the root directory of any hard disk partition, or the local installation sources.
Chkdsk The /p switch runs Chkdsk even if the drive is not flagged as dirty. The /r switch locates bad sectors and recovers readable information; this switch implies /p. Chkdsk requires Autochk. Chkdsk automatically looks for Autochk.exe in the startup (or boot) folder. If Chkdsk cannot find the file in the startup folder, it looks for the Windows 2000 Setup CD-ROM. If Chkdsk cannot find the installation CD-ROM, it prompts the user for the location of Autochk.exe.
Cls clears the screen.
Copy copies one file to a target location. By default, the target cannot be removable media and you cannot use wildcards. Copying a compressed file from the Windows 2000 Setup CD-ROM automatically decompresses the file.
Del (Delete) deletes one file. Operates within the system directories of the current Windows installation, removable media, the root directory of any hard disk partition, or the local installation sources. You cannot use wildcards by default.
Dir displays a list of all files, including hidden and system files.
Disable disables a Windows system service or driver. The variable service_or_driver is the name of the service or driver that you want to disable. When you use this command to disable a service, it displays the service's original startup type before changing the type to SERVICE_DISABLED. You should note the original startup type so that you can use the enable command to restart the service.
Diskpart manages partitions on hard disk volumes. The /add option creates a new partition; the /delete option deletes an existing partition. The variable device is the device name for a new partition (such as \device\harddisk0). The variable drive is the drive letter for a partition that you are deleting (for example, D); partition is the partition-based name for a partition that you are deleting, (for example: \device\harddisk0\partition1) and can be used in place of the drive variable. The variable size is the size, in megabytes, of a new partition.
Enable enables a Windows system service or driver. The variable service_or_driver is the name of the service or driver that you want to enable, and start_type is the startup type for an enabled service. The startup type uses one of the following formats:
SERVICE_BOOT_START
SERVICE_SYSTEM_START
SERVICE_AUTO_START
SERVICE_DEMAND_START
cont...................