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XP's low-level Recovery Console


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Recovery Console overview

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.

Using the Recovery Console, you can enable and disable services, format drives, read and write data on a local drive (including drives formatted to use NTFS), and perform many other administrative tasks. The Recovery Console is particularly useful if you need to repair your system by copying a file from a floppy disk or CD-ROM to your hard drive, or if you need to reconfigure a service that is preventing your computer from starting properly.

There are two ways to start the Recovery Console:

  1. If you are unable to start your computer, you can run the Recovery Console from your Setup CD.

  2. As an alternative, 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.

After you start the Recovery Console you will have to choose which installation you want to log on to (if you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot system) and you will have to log on with your administrator password.

The console provides commands you can use to do simple operations such as changing to a different directory or viewing a directory, and more powerful operations such as fixing the boot sector. You can access Help for the commands in the Recovery Console by typing help at the Recovery Console command prompt.

For information on starting and using the Recovery Console, see Related Topics.

Once you are running the Recovery Console, you can get help on the available commands by typing help at the command prompt.


To start the computer and use the Recovery Console

From the Setup CD-ROM 

  1. Insert the Setup compact disc (CD) and restart the computer. If prompted, select any options required to boot from the CD.
  2. When the text-based part of Setup begins, follow the prompts; choose the repair or recover option by pressing  R.
  3. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot system, choose the installation that you need to access from the Recovery Console.
  4. When prompted, type the Administrator password.
  5. At the system prompt, type Recovery Console commands; type help for a list of commands, or help   commandname for help on a specific command.
  6. To exit the Recovery Console and restart the computer, type exit .

If you have already installed the Recovery Console 

  1. During Startup, select Recovery Console from the startup options menu.
  2. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot system, choose the installation that you need to access from the Recovery Console.
  3. When prompted, type the Administrator password.
  4. At the system prompt, type Recovery Console commands; type help for a list of commands, or help   commandname for help on a specific command.
  5. To exit the Recovery Console and restart the computer, type exit .

To install the Recovery Console as a startup option

1.

With Windows running, insert the Setup CD into your CD-ROM drive.

2.

CLick Start and select Run .

3.

Type the following where D : is the CD-ROM drive letter:

D :\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons

4.

Follow the instructions on the screen.

Note

To run the Recovery Console, restart your computer and select the Recovery Console option from the list of available operating systems.

You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from completing this procedure.

To see the commands available on the Recovery Console, type help at the at the console prompt.

If your computer will not start, you can run the Recovery Console from the Setup CD. See Related Topics for information on running the Recovery Console when your computer will not start.

 

To delete the Recovery Console

1.

Open My Computer

2.

Double-click the hard drive on which you installed the Recovery Console.

3.

On the Tools menu, click Folder Options .

4.

Click the View tab.

5.

Click Show hidden files and folders , clear the Hide protected operating system files check box, and then click OK .

6.

At the root directory, delete the \Cmdcons folder.

7.

At the root directory, delete the file Cmldr.

8.

At the root directory, right-click the Boot.ini file and then click Properties .

9.

Clear the Read-only check box, and then click OK .

10.

Open Boot.ini in Notepad, and remove the entry for the Recovery Console. It will look similar to this:

C:\cmdcons\bootsect.dat="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons

11.

Save the file and close it.

Warning: Modifying the Boot.ini file incorrectly may prevent your computer from restarting. Be sure to delete only the entry for the Recovery Console.

Note:

• 

To open My Computer, click Start , and then click My Computer

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It is recommended that you change the attribute for the Boot.ini file back to read-only after you complete this procedure. You may also want to hide your system files again.

Recovery Console commands

The following commands can be used with the Recovery Console:

Attrib:  Changes the attributes of a file or directory.

Batch:  Executes the commands specified in the text file.

Bootcfg:  Boot file (boot.ini) configuration and recovery.

ChDir (Cd):  Displays the name of the current directory or changes the current directory.

Chkdsk:  Checks a disk and displays a status report.

Cls:  Clears the screen.

Copy:  Copies a single file to another location.

Delete (Del):  Deletes one or more files.

Dir:  Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory.

Disable:  Disables a system service or a device driver

Diskpart:  Manages partitions on your hard drives.

Enable:  Starts or enables a system service or a device driver.

Exit:  Exits the Recovery Console and restarts your computer.

Expand:  Extracts a file from a compressed file.

Fixboot:  Writes a new partition boot sector onto the specified partition.

Fixmbr:  Repairs the master boot record of the specified disk.

Format:  Formats a disk.

Help:  Displays a list of the commands you can use in the Recovery Console.

Listsvc:  Lists the services and drivers available on the computer.

Logon:  Logs on to a Windows installation.

Map:  Displays the drive letter mappings.

Mkdir (Md):  Creates a directory.

More:  Displays a text file.

Net Use:  Connects a network share to a drive letter.

Rename (Ren):  Renames a single file.

Rmdir (Rd):  Deletes a directory.

Set:  Displays and sets environment variables.

Systemroot:  Sets the current directory to the systemroot directory of the system you are currently logged on to.

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Type:  Displays a text file.

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