Repairing Windows XP - Part 4

The Recovery Console isn't for the faint hearted, warns Dave Cook. But in the right hands, it can do magic

When Windows fails to start a combination of Safe Mode and System Restore can often get you out of trouble fast. Failing that, you may be able to repair the operating system using the Recovery Console.

Be warned, though, that the Recovery Console is not for the faint hearted. For a start it operates in a non-graphical, command-line environment. That won't deter old timers used to working with MS DOS, of course, but it's unlikely to appeal to the average Windows user.

So why bother learning how to use it? Because in the right hands the Recovery Console can be used to diagnose and repair some of Windows XP's most troublesome problems.

Advantages

The main advantage to using the Recovery Console over Safe Mode, for example, is that the former will work even when vital system files are corrupt. The Recovery Console will let you perform many important tasks including the ability to:

• Copy, move, rename, or replace system files or folders.
• List, enable or disable Windows services or devices.
• Extract compressed .cab files from a local disk or removable media.
• Rebuild or repair the Windows boot menu (Boot.ini).
• Repair the Master Boot Record.
• Create and format primary partitions, volumes, or logical drives.

Restrictions

The Recovery Console is not all sweetness and light. Although the console prompt looks identical to the familiar MS-DOS prompt and Windows XP's own command interpreter (Cmd.exe), it's not quite the same. Indeed, the default setup of the Recovery Console contains a number of restrictions.

For example, you can access files only in the following locations:

• The partition's root directory
• The folders of removable disks such as floppy disks, CDs, and Zip disks.
• The %SystemRoot% folder and subfolders of a Windows XP installation. Note that this is usually the C:\Windows folder if the system has been upgraded from Windows 98/Me.
• The Recovery Console Cmdcons folder.

These restrictions are necessary because the alternative solution of providing unlimited file access could pose a major security risk. This applies especially to users of Windows Home Edition, where the Administrator account is left blank by default.

Such limits can be frustrating when all you want to do is repair the system. Or simply access a file stored in one of the Program Files folders or Documents And Settings folders.

Boot Menu Option

There are two ways to launch the Recovery Console: from the Windows CD, or from a startup option on the Windows boot menu. Note that the latter option requires the console to be installed at a point in time before Windows fails to start.

Here's how it's done: insert the Windows CD into your CD-ROM drive and at the command prompt (where D:\ is your CD-ROM drive), type D:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons. You'll see a message describing the Recovery Console option. Click Yes to install the console.

While this method makes the Recovery Console far quicker to access when Windows fails to start, be warned that it will present you with a boot menu each time you start Windows XP.

You can configure the menu's startup options from Start, Control Panel, and System applet. Then from the Advanced tab, click Startup And Recovery Settings. It's usually a good idea to reduce the time set to display the various options from 30 seconds, by default, to around 5 seconds.

CD Option

If you wish to avoid a boot menu, you can still launch the Recovery Console from the Windows CD. If Windows fails to start, insert the Windows CD into your CD-ROM drive and restart the computer. Note that for this to work you may need to enable any BIOS settings that allow your computer to boot from a CD.

Follow the onscreen prompts, including the setup prompt to load the basic Windows startup files. Then at the Welcome To Setup screen, press R to launch the Recovery Console (for dual-boot systems, enter the number of the Windows installation to be accessed via the console).

When prompted, type the Administrator password. As we mentioned earlier, this is blank by default on the Windows XP Home Edition. So if there is no Administrator password, just hit ENTER to start the console.

Next Time

Sadly, we've run out of space. In part five, we'll show you how to use the Recovery Console to solve some common startup problems.

Repairing XP - Part 1

Repairing XP - Part 2

Repairing XP - Part 3

Repairing XP - Part 5

 

Dave Cook