Reference number: CH000627

How to use the Windows recovery console.

Question:

How to use the Windows recovery console.

Additional information:

The Microsoft Windows recovery console was first introduced in Microsoft Windows 2000 and is available in all later versions of Windows including Windows XP. This feature enables users to get to a mode that allows them to recover, change, or fix files or settings that may be causing their computer not to boot properly.

• A listing of available Windows 2000 and Windows XP recovery console commands can be found on our recovery console definition.

Answer:

Note: Below are some important things to realize when using the Microsoft Windows recovery console.

1. You will need to know the Microsoft Windows administrator password.
2. Before running the Windows recovery console you need to realize you will need to have at least some experience using MS-DOS.
3. You only have access to root directory and the Microsoft Windows or Winnt directory. This means you cannot open any other directory.
4. You only have access to read from the floppy disk drive, CD-ROM drive, or other disc drive. This means you cannot copy information from the hard disk drive to another drive for backup. However, you can copy information from the CD-ROM or floppy disk drive to the hard disk drive.

First, to get into the Microsoft Windows recovery console you must have a Microsoft Windows CD, if your computer came with another restore or recovery cd it's possible the below steps my not apply to your CD. Place the Windows CD in your computer and boot from the CD. Additional information about booting from a CD can be found on document CH000217.

Note: If you do not have a standard Microsoft Windows XP CD you can get into the recovery console by using the Windows XP bootable diskettes. A link for downloading the files to make these diskettes can be found on our boot disk page. See document CH000635 for additional information.

Once in the Microsoft Windows Setup screen choose one of the below options, depending on which version of Microsoft Windows you are using.

Windows 2000 users choose

• To repair a Windows 2000 installation, press R.
• To repair a Windows 2000 installation by using the recovery console, press C

As shown above you would want to press R and then press C.

Windows XP users choose

• To repair a Windows XP installation using recovery console, press R.

As shown above Windows XP users only need to press R to enter the recovery console.

After getting to the Microsoft Windows recovery console you will need to select the Windows installation you wish to log onto. Therefore press 1 if you wish to edit the primary Windows installation.

After selecting the installation you will be prompted for the administrator password, enter the password exactly as you would in Windows. If you do not know the Windows administrator password you cannot enter the recovery mode.

Finally after you have entered the password you will be at a MS-DOS prompt similar to the MS-DOS shell window you can get through Windows. However, you will also have access to many additional commands not found in standard MS-DOS mode. 

• Typing in help at the prompt will give a complete listing of all commands available through the prompt. 
• Additional information about many of the commands available in MS-DOS and in the recovery mode can also be found on our MS-DOS page.