Launching the Recovery Console in Windows XP. How to recover Windows XP using the Recovery Console

This article provides information for advanced users about what the Recovery Console is and how to use it, but does not provide information about troubleshooting specific problems.

To use the Recovery Console, you will need a Windows installation disc.

To start the computer in the Recovery Console, you must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the Administrators group. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings may prevent you from completing this procedure. If this error occurs, you should contact your network administrator.

This article describes the functionality and limitations when using...This article describes the functionality and limitations when using the Windows Recovery Console. You can use the Recovery Console to restore system programs if your Windows XP computer won't boot or doesn't boot correctly. The article addresses the issues listed below. Run the Windows Recovery Console using the Windows XP installation disc Using the Shell Windows Recovery Console limitations Commands available in the Windows Recovery Console

When you use the Windows Recovery Console without loading the GUI...When you use the Windows Recovery Console without loading the GUI, access to NTFS, FAT, and FAT32 volumes is limited. Windows Recovery Console allows you to perform the following operations: Use, copy, rename, and replace operating system files and folders Enable or disable services or devices to start the next time you start your computer Recover a file system boot sector or master boot record (MBR) Create and format disk partitions

Note. Only an administrator can access the Windows Recovery Console. This condition prevents unauthorized users from using any NTFS volume.

Option 1: If the Recovery Console is already installed

If the Recovery Console is already installed, you can select it during normal Windows startup. To launch the Recovery Console, follow these steps: During download, select Recovery Console from the boot options menu. If your system allows dual and multi-boot, select the installation that you want to access from the Recovery Console. When prompted, enter your administrator password. At a command prompt, enter Recovery Console commands, and then you can reference the commands that are listed in the "Commands available in Windows Recovery Console" section. At any time, you can type Help and view the list of available commands. You can type Help command_name at any time to get help on a specific command. For example:, you can type help attrib to display help for the attrib command... You can exit the Windows Recovery Console at any time by typing Exit at the command prompt.

Option 2: Run the Windows Recovery Console from the Windows XP CD

If the Windows Recovery Console was not preinstalled, you can start your computer and use the Recovery Console directly from the original Windows XP installation disc. If your computer already has the Windows operating system installed and you want to add the Windows Recovery Console as a boot option, go to the next section, "Adding the console Windows recovery as a boot option." Insert the Windows XP installation CD into your CD-ROM drive and restart your computer. If prompted, select any options required to start (boot) from the CD. When the text part of the download begins, follow the prompts.

Select a recovery option by clicking R. If your system allows dual and multi-boot, select the installation that you want to access from the Recovery Console. When prompted, enter your administrator password. At a command prompt, enter Recovery Console commands, and then you can reference the commands that are listed in the "Commands available in Windows Recovery Console" section. At any time, you can type Help and view the list of available commands. You can type Help command_name at any time to get help on a specific command. For example, you can type help attrib to get help on the attribute command. You can exit the Windows Recovery Console at any time by typing Exit at the command prompt.

Option 3: Add Windows Recovery Console as a boot option

If your computer runs Windows, you can add Windows XP Recovery Console as a boot option from Windows. To install the Recovery Console as a boot option, follow these steps: On a Windows computer, insert the Windows CD into the appropriate drive. Click the button Start and select a team Execute. Type the following commands (where X: is the letter assigned to your CD-ROM drive), then press the key on your keyboard ENTER. X:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons

Note. Before /cmdcons you need to put a space. Click OK and follow the instructions to complete the download.

Note. This action adds the Windows Recovery Console to the Windows Startup folder. Restart your computer and select Recovery Console from the list of available operating systems.

Recovery Console limitations

When using the Windows Recovery Console, you can only use the following items: root directory; The %SystemRoot% folder and all its subfolders for the currently logged-in Windows installation; cmdcons folder; removable media (such as CDs or DVDs) . Note. If you try to access other folders, you may receive an "Access Denied" error message. This message does not necessarily mean that the data contained in these folders is lost or corrupted... It just means that the folder is not accessible while the Windows Recovery Console is running. Additionally, when using the Recovery Console, you cannot copy files from your hard drive to a floppy disk. However, you can copy files from a floppy disk or CD to a hard drive and from one hard drive to another.

Use the Shell in Windows Recovery Console

The Recovery Console provides limited access to NTFS, FAT, and FAT32 volumes. The Recovery Console prevents the Windows GUI from loading to restore Windows functionality.

After you launch the Windows Recovery Console, you will see the following message: Microsoft Windows (R) Recovery Console

Use the Recovery Console to troubleshoot and restore your system.

Type EXIT to exit the recovery console and restart your computer.

Which copy of Windows should I sign in to?

(To cancel, press ENTER.) Enter the appropriate Windows operating system instance number. In this example, you would click 1 . Windows will then prompt you to enter your administrator account password.

Note. If the password is entered incorrectly three times in a row, the Windows Recovery Console will close. If the Security Accounts Manager database is damaged or missing, you cannot use the Windows Recovery Console because the user cannot be authenticated. After entering your password and launching the Windows Recovery Console, enter the Exit command to restart your computer.

In Windows XP Professional, you can configure Group Policy to automatically log you into the Recovery Console with Administrator rights.

Commands available in the Windows Recovery Console

The following commands are available in the Windows Recovery Console. For these commands, character case does not matter.

Warning. Some of these commands may break the system. Read the entire command description before entering this command at the command prompt. If you have questions or concerns about a specific command, please contact our support team for assistance.

Team help serves to display a list of all supported commands. attrib del fixboot more set batch delete fixmbr mkdir systemroot bootcfg dir format more type cd disable help net chdir diskpart listsvc rd chkdsk enable logon ren cls exit map rename copy md rmdir

Team attrib used in conjunction with one or more of the following options to change the attributes of a file or folder: - R

Notes +- attribute setting

Reset attribute

R- file attribute “Read-only”

S- file attribute “System”

H- file attribute “Hidden”

C- file attribute “Compressed”

At least one attribute must be set or removed.

To view attributes, use the command dir.

batch input_file [output_file]

This command is used to execute commands specified in a text file. In command syntax, input_file is a text file containing a list of commands to be executed, and output_file is a file that will contain the result of executing the specified commands. If the output file is not specified, the output is performed on the monitor screen. BOOTCFGThis command is used to restore and configure boot. This command uses the following options: bootcfg /add

bootcfg /rebuild

bootcfg /disableredirect

bootcfg /redirect [port_baud_speed] |

Examples: bootcfg /redirect com1 115200bootcfg /redirect useBiosSettings

/add- adding a copy of Windows to the boot menu.

/rebuild- View all copies of Windows with the ability to select a copy to add to the boot menu.

/scan- search for copies of Windows on disks and display the results with the ability to select a copy to add to the boot menu.

/default- setting the default boot entry.

/list- display of systems already in the boot list.

/disableredirect- disable redirection in the bootloader.

/redirect- enable redirection in the bootloader with a given configuration.

CD And CHDIR

Teams CD And chdir are used to move to another folder. Below are examples of how to use these commands. Type cd... to go to the parent folder.

Enter cd drive: to go to the current folder on the specified drive.

Type cd without parameters to display the current drive and folder. On the team chdir spaces are treated as delimiters. Therefore, folder names containing spaces should be enclosed in quotation marks.

An example is below: cd "\windows\profiles\username\programs\start menu"

Team chdir works only in system folders of the current Windows installation, on removable media, in the root directory of any hard drive, or on local installation media.

Team chkdsk checks the specified disk for errors and corrects them if necessary. The command also marks bad sectors and recovers data that can be read.

You can use the following options.

/p- full disk scan and correction of errors found.

/r- search for bad sectors and restore readable data.

Note. When specifying a parameter /r it is assumed that the parameter /p also indicated. Team chkdsk without parameters, displays information about the state of the current disk.

To execute a command chkdsk The Autochk.exe file is required. The CHKDSK command automatically looks for this file in the startup folder. If the command console was previously installed, the startup folder is the Cmdcons folder. If the CHKDSK command does not find the Autochk.exe file in the startup folder, it searches for the Windows installation disk. If the installation media cannot be found, the user will be prompted to specify the location of the Autochk.exe file.

This command is used to clear the screen. COPYcopy source destination This command is used to copy files. In command syntax, the source is the file you want to copy and the destination is the folder or name of the new file. You cannot use the asterisk (*) wildcard character and copy folders. If you copy a compressed file from a Windows installation disk, the file is automatically decompressed during the copy process.

File sources can be removable media, subfolders inside the system folder of the current Windows installation, the root folder of any hard drive, local installation media, and the Cmdcons folder.

If no destination is specified, the default destination is the current folder. If the file already exists, you will be prompted to choose whether to overwrite the existing file. Removable media cannot be a destination.

DEL And DELETE

del drive: path filename

delete drive: path filename

This command is used to delete files. In the command syntax drive: path file_name is the file to be deleted. Team delete works only in system folders of the current Windows installation, on removable media, in the root directory of any hard drive or local installation folders. Team delete does not allow wildcards. DIRdir

drive: path filename

This command is used to list the files and subfolders in a folder. In the command syntax drive:pathfilename is the drive, folder, and files you want to display.

Team dir displays a list of all files, including hidden and system files. Files can have the following attributes: D- catalog

H- hidden file

S- system file

E- encrypted

R- read-only file

A- file ready for archiving

C- compressed file

P- reprocessing point

Team dir works only in system folders of the current Windows installation, on removable media, in the root directory of any hard drive and on local installation sources. DISABLE

disable service_name

This command is used to disable a Windows system service or driver. In the command syntax, service_name is the name of the service or driver to disable.

Team listsvc used to display all services and drivers that can be disabled. Team disable displays the previous service startup type before changing it to SERVICE_DISABLED. If you need to enable the service again, you should write it down.

Team disable outputs the following startup type values: SERVICE_DISABLED

SERVICE_BOOT_START

SERVICE_SYSTEM_START

SERVICE_AUTO_START

SERVICE_DEMAND_START

diskpart /add /delete device_name disk_name partition_name size

This command is used to manage partitions on hard disk volumes. You can use the following options.

/add- creating a new section.

/delete- deleting an existing partition.

device_name- the name of the device on which you want to create a new partition.

drive_name- drive letter, for example D:.

section_name- designation of an existing partition that should be deleted.

size- size of the new partition in megabytes. You can determine the disk name using the MAP command, for example: \Device\HardDisk0.

Instead of the disk name, you can use the partition name, for example: \ Device\HardDisk0\Partition1. If the command is entered without parameters, the user interface for managing partitions will be launched.

Warning. If this command is used on a disk that has been configured as dynamic, the partition table may become corrupted. The structure of dynamic disks can only be changed using Disk Management. ENABLE

enable service_name startup_type

Team enable used to enable a Windows system service or driver.

Team listsvc used to display all services or drivers that can be enabled. Team enable displays the previous service startup type before changing it to the new one. It is recommended that you record this value in case you need to restore the service to its previous startup type.

Valid values ​​for the startup_type parameter: SERVICE_BOOT_START

SERVICE_SYSTEM_START

SERVICE_AUTO_START

SERVICE_DEMAND_START

If a new startup type is not entered, the command enable displays the previous startup type. EXITTeam exit serves to close the recovery console and restart the computer. EXPAND

expand source [destination] expand source /D

This command is used to unpack files. In the command syntax, the source is the name of the file to be unpacked, and the destination is the folder for the new file. If no destination is specified, the current folder is used by default. This command does not support wildcards.

You can use the following options.

/y- cancel confirmation when overwriting existing files.

/f: filespec- files that need to be unpacked.

/d- output the contents of the source without unpacking it. If the source contains more than one file, you must use the option /f: filespec to specify the files that need to be unpacked. This command supports wildcards.

The destination can be subfolders inside the system folder of the current Windows installation, the root folder of the hard drive, local folders with installation files, and the Cmdcons folder. Removable media cannot be a destination, and a destination file cannot have a Read-Only attribute. To remove the Read-Only attribute, use the command attrib.

If the destination file already exists and the parameter /y not specified when running the command expand a corresponding warning will appear.

fixboot disk_name:

This command is used to write new Windows boot sector code to the system partition. In the command syntax, drive_name is the drive on which the boot sector will be written. This command fixes corruption in the Windows boot sector. It overrides the default settings that are written to the system boot partition. Team fixboot

fixmbr device_name

This command is used to restore the master boot record of a boot partition. In command syntax, devicename is the optional name of the device for which a new master boot record (MBR) is required. Use this command if a virus has damaged the boot record and Windows cannot start.

Warning. This command may damage the partition table if the system is infected with viruses or has hardware problems. Using this command can create inaccessible partitions. Before executing this command, it is recommended to scan the system using an antivirus program.

You can determine the device name using the command map. If the device name is not specified, the master boot record of the boot device will be restored, for example: fixmbr \device\harddisk2

If the team fixmbr detected an incorrect or non-standard partition table signature, the command fixmbr will ask for confirmation before overwriting the master boot record. Team fixmbr supported on computers based on x86 processors.

format drive: /Q /FS: filesystem

This command formats the specified drive with the specified file system. In the command syntax, /Q specifies that a quick format of the disk should be performed, drive is the drive letter of the partition that you want to format, and /FS:filesystem is the file system type, such as FAT, FAT32, or NTFS. If no file system is specified, the existing type will be used if available. LISTSVTCeam listsvc Lists available services and drivers and their startup types for the current Windows installation. This command is useful when using commands disable And enable.

The list is compiled based on the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config\System hive. If this hive is damaged or missing, the result of this command is unpredictable.

Team logon displays a list of all found copies of Windows and asks for an administrator password to log into one of them. After three unsuccessful login attempts, the Recovery Console exits and the computer restarts.

This command lists drive letters, file system types, and physical device mappings. In the command syntax, the arc parameter specifies for the command map Using ARC paths instead of Windows format device paths.

M.D. And MKDIR

Teams md And mkdir are used to create new folders. Wildcards are not supported. Team mkdir works only in system folders of the current Windows installation, on removable media, in the root directory of any hard drive and on local installation sources.

more filename

This command displays the text of the file on the screen.

Team net is not performed from the Windows Recovery Console, although the help states otherwise. The protocol stack does not load for the recovery console. Therefore, network functions are not available.

R.D. And RMDIR

Teams rd And rmdir serve to delete folders. These commands only work in the system folders of the current copy of Windows, on removable media, in the root directory of any hard drive, or on local installation sources.

REN And RENAME

Teams ren And rename are intended to change the file name.

Note. You cannot specify a new drive or path for a renamed file. These commands only work in the system folders of the current copy of Windows, on removable media, in the root directory of any hard drive, and on local installation sources.

Team set can be used to view and change environment settings.

AllowWildCards = FALSE

AllowAllPaths = FALSE

AllowRemovableMedia = FALSE

The Recovery Console is designed to recover an operating system that boots incorrectly or does not boot at all. Using the Windows Recovery Console, you can gain limited access to volumes without launching the GUI. Using the recovery console, you can copy, rename, replace files and folders of the operating system, allow or prohibit services or devices from starting the next time you boot your computer, fix the boot sector or master boot record (MBR), create and format partitions on disks.
Only administrators who are authorized using Windows tools have access to the recovery console. Thus, in some particularly severe cases of OS destruction, it is not possible to use the recovery console. But when solving problems with loading the OS that arise when installing new drivers or software, as well as problems with the boot record, the recovery console will be an indispensable and convenient tool that allows you to solve the problem in a matter of minutes.

How to start the recovery console?

You can start the Recovery Console in the following way:

In this way, you can start the recovery console, but after exiting it and rebooting, if you need to access the console again, you will have to repeat all the steps again, because. The console does not install on the hard drive.

How to install the Recovery Console?

If you need to use the Recovery Console frequently, it is easier to install it on a disk than to launch it from a CD each time. To install the console on a disk, you need to run the command while in Windows from the Windows 2000 installation disk

D:I386winnt32/cmdcons

Replace the D in the command with the letter of your CD drive. After this, the message shown in Figure 5 will be displayed on the screen.

Rice. 5. Installing the recovery console.

After an affirmative answer to the question about installing the recovery console on your hard drive, the console will be installed completely automatically and after its installation is complete, a message will be displayed on the screen, which is shown in Figure 6.

Rice. 6. The Recovery Console is installed on the disk.

Now, to launch the console, just select the appropriate item in the boot menu when starting the operating system. An example of the boot menu after installing the recovery console is shown in Figure 7.

Rice. 7. Selecting the recovery console in the boot menu.

The operating system in the user’s eyes is everything that is visible on the monitor screen, all the programs in which it is so familiar and convenient to work, games and music players. However, sometimes it happens that instead of the usual welcome screen, we see a more than dull situation: the computer constantly reboots, incomprehensible messages appear, or a completely incomprehensible blue screen with a bunch of incomprehensible numbers and letters is displayed. All this means only one thing - yours is out of order.
This can happen for a number of reasons - power surges while working with a computer, the action of malicious viruses, a conflict between devices or programs installed by you. For an avid user, this will not cause either surprise or annoyance, since there is nothing complicated in reinstalling the operating system.
However, there are cases when time is money, and the installation will take more than one hour of work, or some information is saved directly on the Desktop and simply installing Windows from scratch can damage them. What to do in this situation, you ask? Several built-in functions prepared in advance by Microsoft will come to our aid.

Safe Mode

Advice from MirSovetov! It is advisable to store all important information not on the main disk with the operating system (usually C:), since in the event of a malfunction it may be lost during the process of reinstalling Windows.

Fixboot

Fixmbr

Chkdsk

All of the options discussed above do not guarantee 100% recovery of your Windows operating system, since everything directly depends on the cause of the malfunction, but in most cases they help to quickly and without loss restore normal operation.

The other day I received a question from my former work colleague about the Win XP recovery console, which is actually why I decided to write this post. Well, now more about the console:

Recovery Console is a command line that supports a whole list of commands that can be used to troubleshoot problems with your computer when your computer does not start correctly or does not start at all. If you are unable to boot into Safe Mode, then you should try using the Recovery Console.

In the Windows XP Recovery Console, you can:

- Use, copy, rename or replace system files and directories
— Fix the boot sector of the file system or Master Boot Record (MBR)
— Enable or disable services or device installations the next time you start the computer
— Create or format partitions on the disk

There are several ways you can get into Recovery Console. You can boot it from the Windows XP CD-ROM when you need it, but it's best to install the Recovery Console before you need it. The advantage of installing the Recovery Console on your computer is obvious; you can launch it much faster.

You must understand that there may be cases where you will not be able to boot from your hard drive, in these cases you will still have to use the Windows XP CD. But for other problems Recovery Console installed on your computer can be a great solution.

To install Recovery Consoles on your computer, you will need about 7 Mb of free space. To install you need to do the following:

1. While using Windows XP, insert the original Windows XP disc into the CD-ROM and click Exit when the system installation window appears. (You can skip this if you have a directory \i386 on your hard drive)

2. Select Start -> Run and in the window that appears, enter: (X):\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons
Where (X) should be the drive letter corresponding to the CD-ROM. If the i386 directory is already contained on your computer, then you just need to specify the path to it, for example: C:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons

3. Follow the instructions to install the console, after installation is complete, restart your computer

4. The Recovery Console will show a list of available operating systems in the boot menu, you need administrator rights to use the Recovery Console

To speed up the boot menu, select Start -> Control Panel -> System -> Advanced. Click on the Settings button in the Boot and Recovery menu. In the System Boot section, you can set the time used to display the boot menu.

HELP

Team help serves to display a list of all supported commands.

ATTRIB

Team attrib Used in conjunction with one or more of the following options to change the attributes of a file or folder through the Recovery Console:

R
+R
-S
+S
-H
+H
-C
+C

Notes.

+ - setting the attribute.
— - attribute reset.
R- file attribute “Read-only”
S- file attribute “System”
H- file attribute “Hidden”
C- file attribute “Compressed”

At least one attribute must be set or removed.

To view attributes, use the command dir.

BATCH

batch input_file [ output_file ]

This command is used to execute commands specified in a text file. In command syntax, input_file is a text file containing a list of commands to be executed, and output_file is a file that will contain the result of executing the specified commands. If the output file is not specified, the output is performed on the monitor screen.

BOOTCFG

This command is used to repair and configure boot. This command uses the following parameters:

bootcfg /add
bootcfg /rebuild
bootcfg /scan
bootcfg /list
bootcfg /disableredirect
bootcfg /redirect [port_baud_speed] |

bootcfg /redirect com1 115200

bootcfg /redirect useBiosSettings

/add- adding a copy of Windows to the boot menu.
/rebuild- View all copies of Windows with the ability to select a copy to add to the boot menu.
/scan- search for copies of Windows on disks and display the results with the ability to select a copy to add to the boot menu.
/default- setting the default boot entry.
/list- display of systems already in the boot list.
/disableredirect- disable redirection in the bootloader.
/redirect- enable redirection in the bootloader with a given configuration.

CD and CHDIR

Teams CD And chdir are used to move to another folder. Below are examples of how to use these commands.

Type cd .. to go to the parent folder.
Enter cd drive: to go to the current folder on the specified drive.
Type cd without parameters to display the current drive and folder.

On the team chdir spaces are treated as delimiters. Therefore, folder names containing spaces should be enclosed in quotation marks. An example is given below:

cd “\windows\profiles\username\programs\start menu”

Team chdir works only in system folders of the current Windows installation, on removable media, in the root directory of any hard drive, or on local installation media.

CHKDSK

chkdsk disk /p /r

Team chkdsk checks the specified disk for errors and corrects them if necessary. The command also marks bad sectors and recovers data that can be read.

You can use the following options.

/p- full disk scan and correction of errors found.
/r- search for bad sectors and restore readable data.

Note. When specifying a parameter /r it is assumed that the parameter /p also indicated. Team chkdsk without parameters, displays information about the state of the current disk.

To execute a command chkdsk The Autochk.exe file is required. The CHKDSK command automatically looks for this file in the startup folder. If the command console was previously installed, the startup folder is the Cmdcons folder.

If the CHKDSK command does not find the Autochk.exe file in the startup folder, it searches for the Windows installation disk. If the installation media cannot be found, the user will be prompted to specify the location of the Autochk.exe file.

In case of abnormal situations or unexpected errors, we recommend using the recovery console and running the commandchkdsk /f/r to find and fix corrupted files.

CLS

This command is used to clear the screen.

COPY

copy source destination

This command is used to copy files. In command syntax, the source is the file you want to copy and the destination is the folder or name of the new file. You cannot use the asterisk (*) wildcard character and copy folders. If you copy a compressed file from a Windows installation disk, the file is automatically decompressed during the copy process.

File sources can be removable media, subfolders inside the system folder of the current Windows installation, the root folder of any hard drive, local installation media, and the Cmdcons folder.

If no destination is specified, the default destination is the current folder. If the file already exists, you will be prompted to choose whether to overwrite the existing file. Removable media cannot be a destination.

DEL and DELETE

del drive: path filename

delete drive: path filename

This command is used to delete files. In the command syntax drive: path file_name is the file to be deleted. Team delete works only in system folders of the current Windows installation, on removable media, in the root directory of any hard drive or local installation folders. Team delete does not allow wildcards.

DIR

dir drive: path filename

This command is used to list the files and subfolders in a folder. In the command syntax drive:pathfilename is the drive, folder, and files you want to display. Team dir displays a list of all files, including hidden and system files. Files can have the following attributes:

D- catalog
H- hidden file
S- system file
E- encrypted
R- read-only file
A- file ready for archiving
C- compressed file
P- reprocessing point

Team dir

DISABLE

disable service_name

This command is used to disable a Windows system service or driver. In the command syntax, service_name is the name of the service or driver to disable.

Team listsvc used to display all services and drivers that can be disabled. Team disable displays the previous service startup type before changing it to SERVICE_DISABLED. If you need to enable the service again, you should write it down.

Team disable outputs the following startup type values:

SERVICE_DISABLED
SERVICE_BOOT_START
SERVICE_SYSTEM_START
SERVICE_AUTO_START
SERVICE_DEMAND_START

DISKPART

diskpart /add /delete device_name disk_name partition_name size

This command is used to manage partitions on hard disk volumes. You can use the following options.

/add- creating a new section.
/delete- deleting an existing partition.
device_name- the name of the device on which you want to create a new partition.
drive_name- drive letter, for example D:.
section_name- designation of an existing partition that should be deleted.
size- size of the new partition in megabytes.

You can determine the disk name using the MAP command, for example: \Device\HardDisk0. Instead of the disk name, you can use the partition name, for example: \ Device\HardDisk0\Partition1. If the command is entered without parameters, the user interface for managing partitions will be launched.

Warning. If this command is used on a disk that has been configured as dynamic, the partition table may become corrupted. The structure of dynamic disks can only be changed using Disk Management.

ENABLE

enable service_name startup_type

Team enable used to enable a Windows system service or driver.

Team listsvc used to display all services or drivers that can be enabled. Team enable displays the previous service startup type before changing it to the new one. It is recommended that you record this value in case you need to restore the service to its previous startup type.

Valid values ​​for the launch_type parameter:

SERVICE_BOOT_START
SERVICE_SYSTEM_START
SERVICE_AUTO_START
SERVICE_DEMAND_START

If a new startup type is not entered, the command enable displays the previous startup type.

EXIT

Team exit serves to close the recovery console and restart the computer.

EXPAND

expand source [destination]

expand source /D

This command is used to unpack files. In the command syntax, the source is the name of the file to be unpacked, and the destination is the folder for the new file. If no destination is specified, the current folder is used by default. This command does not support wildcards.

You can use the following options.

/y- cancel confirmation when overwriting existing files.
/f:filespec- files that need to be unpacked.
/d- output the contents of the source without unpacking it.

If the source contains more than one file, you must use the option /f:filespec to specify the files that need to be unpacked. This command supports wildcards.

The destination can be subfolders inside the system folder of the current Windows installation, the root folder of the hard drive, local folders with installation files, and the Cmdcons folder. Removable media cannot be a destination, and a destination file cannot have a Read-Only attribute. To remove the Read-Only attribute, use the command attrib.

If the destination file already exists and the parameter /y not specified when running the command expand a corresponding warning will appear.

FIXBOOT

fixboot disk_name:

This command is used to write new Windows boot sector code to the system partition. In the command syntax, drive_name is the drive on which the boot sector will be written. This command fixes corruption in the Windows boot sector. It overrides the default settings that are written to the system boot partition. Team fixboot

FIXMBR

fixmbr device_name

This command is used to restore the master boot record of a boot partition. In command syntax, devicename is the optional name of the device for which a new master boot record (MBR) is required. Use this command if a virus has damaged the boot record and Windows cannot start.

Warning. This command may damage the partition table if the system is infected with viruses or has hardware problems. ( In this case, the Recovery Console will not help.) Using this command can create inaccessible partitions. Before executing this command, it is recommended to scan the system using an antivirus program.

You can determine the device name using the command map. If the device name is not specified, the master boot record of the boot device will be restored, for example:

fixmbr\device\harddisk2

If the team fixmbr detected an incorrect or non-standard partition table signature, the command fixmbr will ask for confirmation before overwriting the master boot record. Team fixmbr supported on computers based on x86 processors.

FORMAT

disk format: /Q /FS:filesystem

This command formats the specified drive with the specified file system. In the command syntax, /Q specifies that a quick format of the disk should be performed, drive is the drive letter of the partition that you want to format, and /FS:filesystem is the file system type, such as FAT, FAT32, or NTFS. If no file system is specified, the existing type will be used if available.

LISTSVC

Team listsvc Lists available services and drivers and their startup types for the current Windows installation. This command is useful when using commands disable And enable.

The list is compiled based on the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config\System hive. If this hive is damaged or missing, the result of this command is unpredictable.

LOGON

Team logon displays a list of all found copies of Windows and asks for an administrator password to log into one of them. After three unsuccessful login attempts, the Recovery Console exits and the computer restarts.

MAP

This command lists drive letters, file system types, and physical device mappings. In the command syntax, the arc parameter specifies for the command map Using ARC paths instead of Windows format device paths.

MD and MKDIR

Teams md And mkdir are used to create new folders. Wildcards are not supported. Team mkdir works only in system folders of the current Windows installation, on removable media, in the root directory of any hard drive and on local installation sources.

MORE

more filename

This command displays the text of the file on the screen.

NET

Team net is not performed from the Windows Recovery Console, although the help states otherwise. The protocol stack does not load for the recovery console. Therefore, network functions are not available.

RD and RMDIR

Teams rd And rmdir serve to delete folders. These commands only work in the system folders of the current copy of Windows, on removable media, in the root directory of any hard drive, or on local installation sources.

REN and RENAME

Teams ren And rename are intended to change the file name.

Note. You cannot specify a new drive or path for a renamed file. These commands only work in the system folders of the current copy of Windows, on removable media, in the root directory of any hard drive, and on local installation sources.

SET

Team set can be used to view and change environment settings.

AllowWildCards = FALSE AllowAllPaths = FALSE AllowRemovableMedia = FALSE NoCopyPrompt = FALSE

Communication with a personal computer does not always consist of only joys and pleasures. Sometimes there are troubles, problems and problems. It happens, it happens that Windows cannot boot, and instead of the usual welcome screen, we see a more than dull situation: the computer freezes tightly and does not respond to anything, or goes into a constant reboot without even having time to open a single window. It happens that the computer startup is interrupted, and several white lines of English text appear on the monitor on a black background, or a completely incomprehensible blue screen with a bunch of incomprehensible numbers and letters is displayed ( BSOD, IT specialists have nicknamed this screen " blue screen of death"). No matter how it looks outwardly, only one thing is clear - the operating system is out of order.

There can be a lot of reasons for this situation - power surges in the electrical network while working with a computer, the harmful effects of viruses, conflicts between devices or programs, or simply the user’s “crooked” hands or something else. For a fairly experienced person, this situation will not cause surprise, except that it may cause annoyance if, for example, there is a lot of work to do and it is completely inappropriate to bother with restoration.

All these problems can be easily solved by completely reinstalling the operating system - in capable hands it takes less than an hour and does not present any difficulties. But in addition to Windows itself, many third-party programs can be installed in the operating system, which will then have to be reinstalled and configured again. It also happens that some important data is saved directly on Desktop or on the system partition (which experienced users do not allow) and, naturally, will be destroyed during reinstallation. Or simply in any situation, time is money. What to do in this case, you ask?

You can try to restore Windows XP using several built-in functions prepared in advance by Microsoft.

Loading Last Known Known Configuration

When starting the system, press and hold the key as soon as the information about the BIOS and found devices disappears from the monitor. F8 on the keyboard (on some computers you will have to not just press and hold, but press this key several times at a fast pace) and wait for the safe mode menu to load.

In this menu, white lines on a black background list options for Windows emergency boot. The very first thing we need to try is the " Loading the last known known good configuration (with working parameters) ". If the failure is not global, selecting this item quite often helps to start the system in normal mode. Didn’t help? Read on.

Safe Mode

We go to the safe mode menu in the same way as described above, and select the top line - " Safe Mode". This type of Windows boot is, perhaps, the most important when any problems arise in the system. It, unlike the usual one, does not start all system services and does not load all drivers when loading - it works at the “very minimum”. It starts and only the essentials necessary for the system to work are loaded. If you manage to access it. Desk, don’t be alarmed by the fact that everything looks unusual - it’s just that video drivers are not loaded in this mode. You can try to find out the cause of the problem on your own and fix it (if you have enough knowledge and experience to do this). Or, as a last resort, “evacuate” important data (save toys, for example, or important program settings) from the system partition to a safe place so that you can safely reinstall the operating system without fear of losing it.

If you know for sure that some program caused the crash, you can try to remove it in safe mode (however, it is not always possible to launch the Windows installer in this mode), and then try to reboot.

You can try to run System Restore (unless, of course, you disable it, as many would-be optimizers advise) and roll back Windows to another checkpoint - very often this solves all problems. To launch it, let's go Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools and choose System Restore. Unfortunately, sometimes this service cannot be started in safe mode.

In general, if you are not a computer “super pro,” I do not recommend disabling this service - quite often it saves the system from reinstallation (although not always), and its operation is almost unnoticeable with the power of modern computers. It is only important to correct the default settings to more reasonable ones. This is done like this: Start -> right click on My Computer -> Properties and select a tab System Restore. Here, in a small window, select each section one by one and, by clicking Options, set separate settings for it. Personally, I set it like this: For the partition where the operating system is installed, I use the slider to set the size limit to about 1 GB, and on all other disks I completely disable recovery so as not to waste space on the hard drive. You will set it the way you think is optimal.

Restoring Windows from a boot disk

If the cause of the failure could not be eliminated, or at least Safe Mode and it worked, but reinstalling Windows is extremely undesirable for fear of losing important programs, or it’s just a shame to waste time; you’ll have to use the Windows XP boot disk from which you installed the operating system.

Note: Some homemade Windows build discs sometimes lack the necessary tools.

Insert the disc into the drive and boot from it, setting the BIOS to boot from the drive first.

How to enable boot priority from the floppy drive in the BIOS. At the very beginning of booting the computer, as soon as the BIOS information is displayed, press and hold (or frequently press) the key Delete(Del) until the BIOS setup menu appears. We look for a section in it where the order of boot devices is indicated (we move using the arrow keys, and select with the Enter, back - Esc). In Award BIOS this is the section Advanced, in AMI BIOS - section BOOT. In other options, you will have to find these options yourself - look for everything related to boot(loading). After the partition is found, you need to change the settings so that your drive becomes the very first boot device (or the top one in the list of boot devices). Changed? Save changes by clicking F10, and answer the next question by clicking " Y" ("yes"). The computer will reboot and the next time you start it will boot from the disk in the drive first. Don't forget to return the settings back when you fix everything, because this boot order is not entirely convenient for everyday use of the computer.

By the way, some laptop models allow you to for one time change the boot order without going into the BIOS settings. To do this, upon startup, press several times F12 and in the small menu that appears, select your drive. There is no need to return anything later - the next time you boot, everything will be as usual.

Entering the settings of some BIOS versions is not carried out using a key Delete, and, for example, by F2 or other. You can accurately determine this from the BIOS information at the beginning of boot - look carefully at the very bottom of the screen, in the left corner there will be an indication of the desired key.

So, we reboot from the disk in the drive. As soon as the inscription appears Press any key...(or similar), you will only have 5 seconds to start booting from the disk by pressing ANY key on your keyboard. If you don’t have time, the computer will start booting from the hard drive, and you’ll have to reboot again.

Did you press everything on time? Wait for the first dialog box to appear:

Click Enter. The installation will begin (Windows is installed on the same partition, the file system is left unchanged). After you have read the license agreement and agree to it by clicking F8, the installer will check your hard drive for installed versions of Windows XP. Having found one, he will offer to restore it. Agree to this by pressing the key R .

The further procedure resembles a regular system installation - you also enter the license key, select the region and time zone, etc. At the end of the process, which lasts approximately the same as a normal Windows XP installation, all files necessary for operation will be restored and no data or programs will be affected - everything will remain in its place. You may just have to update the drivers, but this will not always be necessary. And all programs with all data and settings will remain intact.

NOTE. If you have Windows Vista installed on the same hard drive along with XP, most likely this method will not work for you - Vista, as a rule, erases all boot records and files and replaces them with its own, registering one single operating system on the hard drive - beloved self, and only then includes in its files entries for loading other operating systems. As a result, the Windows XP installer, naturally, simply does not find any system to restore. In such a situation, you can try to first rewrite the boot sector using the Recovery Console commands fixboot or fixmbr(read below), and then, having completely restored Windows XP, restore the Vista bootloader from under it. This process is described in sufficient detail.

Recovery Console

Sometimes such a global Windows restore is not required and you can try using the built-in utility called Recovery Console .

In situations where the boot record or boot files are corrupted, the Recovery Console is the easiest and fastest way to solve the problem.

To enter it, you need, as in the previous example, to insert the boot disk and wait for the first dialog box to appear (see second screenshot). Only now we shouldn't press Enter- we are interested precisely Recovery Console, so let's press R and wait until a list of operating systems installed on the computer appears on the screen.

If you only have one Windows (like most people), just click first 1 and then Enter. If several operating systems are installed, select the one you need.

Next, you will be asked to enter the administrator's name and password. If you have not changed them, then leave these two fields as they are and click twice Enter. Now you will see the following text on the screen: " C:\Windows" – you have reached your destination.

In this article we will describe only a few commands that we will need. If you want to further use all the capabilities that the Recovery Console can provide, you will have to independently search the Internet for a list of all commands and tips on their use. You can also get some information from the built-in documentation by typing in the Console command line HELP or /? . To get a description of each of the commands, you can add the key /? (For example, chkdsk /? or HELP chkdsk ).

fixboot command

This command repairs the boot sector of the hard drive, i.e., provides the computer with the necessary information to boot the operating system. With its help, you can eliminate a fairly common malfunction, when instead of the expected “windows” we see the inscription on a black background “ NTLDR is missing".

The appearance of such a window clearly indicates damage to the boot record. Among the most likely causes of this error are power supply problems, improper shutdown of the computer, or “experiments” with installing different operating systems other than Windows on the same hard drive.

With the help of this command, the problem can be solved in an elementary way. We type in the command line that appears fixboot, agree that we really want to overwrite the boot sector by pressing Y .

fixmbr command

Performs the same actions as the previous one, with the only difference that in this case the entire boot sector is overwritten.

chkdsk command

Scans the hard drive for errors. If you run this command with the key r (chkdsk /r), all errors found will be automatically corrected. Quite often, this command helps restore Windows and save all data on the system partition.

All the options we have considered do not guarantee 100% recovery of the Windows operating system, since everything directly depends on the cause of the malfunction. However, in most cases, these methods help to restore normal performance quickly and without loss.

Final advice. Take care not to store any important data on the system partition of the hard drive. Otherwise, in the event of an unexpected Windows crash and unplanned reinstallation, this data may be irretrievably lost. Think carefully about a file storage system that is convenient for you, creating various folders on other partitions of the hard drive. And in the future, save the data in these folders. It should also be remembered that Desk- this is also a special folder on the system partition, just like My documents, into which all pictures, music, etc. are saved by default. By the way, you can change the location My documents, moving them to another section. This is done like this: Start -> right mouse button on My Documents -> Properties. In the window that opens, select the tab Destination folder and by pressing Move..., indicate the location.

That's all for today. Good luck!