How to use the Windows Recovery Console?

Introduction

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 recover, change, or fix files or settings that may be causing their computer not to boot properly.

Before using Microsoft Windows recovery console note following points:

  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.

Getting Started:

First, to get into the Microsoft Windows recovery console you must have a Microsoft Windows CD. Place the Windows CD in your computer and boot from the CD.

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. If you need a set of boot disks, check How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks.

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 :

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

Windows XP users :

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

Now choose which Windows Installation to Repair. The next prompt will ask you which Windows installation you want to recover:

Microsoft Windows(R) Recovery Console

The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality.
Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.

1: C:\WINDOWS

Which Windows Installation would you like to log on to
(To cancel, press ENTER)?

Therefore press 1 if you wish to edit the primary Windows installation.

Enter the Windows XP Administrator Password:

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.

Command

Purpose

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

CD / ChDir

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

Del / Delete

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

MD / Mkdir

Creates a directory

More

Displays a text file

Net Use

Connects a network share to a drive letter

Ren / Rename

Renames a single file

RD / Rmdir

Deletes a directory

Set

Displays and sets environment variables

Systemroot

Sets the current directory to the systemroot directory

Type

Displays a text file.