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When all else fails, the Recovery Console provides enough tools to fix most startup bugs. Here are the best, courtesy of Dave Cook
A damaged boot file, a failed service or a faulty driver. Any one of these problems can cut short a Windows XP startup. If Safe Mode combined with System Restore fails to fix the setback, the next logical repair option is the Recovery Console.
The Recovery Console works in a non-graphical, command-line environment and as such is not recommended for novices. Its chief advantage over Safe Mode is that it works even when Windows system files have been corrupted.
Basically you can launch the Recovery Console in one of two ways. To see how, check out Repairing Windows XP - Part 4. Once running, typing HELP at the Recovery Console prompt displays a list of commands that are available from the console.
Give It The Boot
The first file in the Windows boot sequence is Ntldr, a hidden system file found in the root directory of your hard drive. Ntldr performs a variety of vital tasks before it looks for the Boot.ini file, a text menu boot file also found in the root directory.
After Ntldr completes the initial boot process, Ntdetect begins looking for installed hardware. These three files (and others) form an essential part of the Windows startup process. If a program (or perhaps another operating system in a multiboot scenario) overwrites or corrupts an essential startup file then Windows XP will fail to start.
The following example can be used to fix damaged boot files from the Recovery Console:
BOOTCFG - Should the Windows startup file, Boot.ini become corrupt, use bootcfg /rebuild to automatically replace the existing Boot.ini file. Alternatively, use bootcfg /add to append a Windows installation to Boot.ini without changing existing entries.
COPY - Use the copy command (including source and destination) to restore damaged or missing system files such as Ntldr, and Ntdetect. Compressed files will be expanded automatically. If the file is stored inside a .cab file then use the expand command.
FIXBOOT - Use the fixboot command to re-write the boot sector code. For this option to work, you'll need to start the Recovery Console from the Windows CD.
Senior Service
Buggy drivers and poorly written third-party services are another common cause of Windows XP startup problems. Thankfully, a combination of Safe Mode and System Restore can often return the machine to a healthy state.
Sometimes, though, the problem is so severe that you can't even start Windows in Safe Mode. When this happens, the Recovery Console provides three commands to help identify the offending service and disable (or enable) it.
LISTSVC - This command displays a list of all the services and drivers on your system including current status and whether any optional components are installed.
DISABLE - To stop a service or driver, use the disable command followed by the name of the faulty service or driver. Before the service is disabled, the current start type value of the service is shown: SERVICE_BOOT_START, SERVICE_SYSTEM_START, SERVICE_AUTO_START, or SERVICE_DEMAND_START. Always make a note of the start value so that it can be re-enabled using the same value later.
ENABLE - If the stopped service or driver turns out to be okay (something else is causing the problem), it can be re-enabled using the enable command. This should be followed by the name of the service or driver and the identical start value you observed when it was disabled.
Last Resort Time
Let's face it - you could try every option we've covered in this series only to find Windows still fails to start. If that happens, you may be able to repair the Windows installation using the Windows Setup program.
To perform a repair, boot from the Windows CD. However, rather than choosing the option to repair the installation at the Welcome To Setup screen (which launches the Recovery Console), press ENTER to start the Windows Setup program.
At the screen which lists the machine's current Windows installations, select the problem Windows XP installation from the list and press R to begin the repair process. With any luck, this will refresh your system files and have them back working normally. In severe cases, however, reformatting the disk and a clean install of Windows may be the only solution.
