The Windows Recovery Console (WRC) is a tool included with Windows XP, used to repair the operating system when it won't start, as well as perform some other tasks not otherwise possible from within Windows. For those accustomed to being able to boot into DOS to effect repairs in some earlier versions of Windows, the WRC is the Windows XP equivalent.
The WRC allows you to do the following:
Repair a Windows XP installation, including the filesystem boot sector, the Master Boot Record (MBR), and the Boot Manager configuration
Copy, rename, delete, or replace operating system files that otherwise cannot be modified while Windows is running
Enable or disable services or devices
Create and format hard drive partitions
To get into the WRC, you'll need to boot up off the
Windows XP CD. After Setup loads all its drivers, press
R
to start the Windows Recovery Console.
You can also install the Recovery Console to your hard disk so that
it can be started without the CD. This option, which will add it to
the Boot Manager menu, is useful if you find that you need the
Recovery Console frequently or you're unable to boot
off the CD. To install the WRC, insert your Windows CD, go to Start
→ Run, and type
d:
i386winnt32.exe
/cmdcons
, where d:
is the drive
letter of your CD drive.
Regardless of how the WRC is started, you'll be greeted with a rather unfriendly warning message, followed by the following prompt:
Which Windows installation would you like to logon to (enter to abort)?
Choose whatever number corresponds to the Windows installation you
wish to repair (usually 1
), and log in using your
Administrator password. If you've forgotten your
Administrator password (set when Windows XP was installed), WRC
won't let you in. You'll have three
tries before WRC reboots your system. If this is the case, and
Windows won't start, you may have to reinstall
Windows XP.
Once you've logged in, the WRC looks and feels like the Windows XP command prompt described at the beginning of this chapter, but it's not exactly the same. You can execute most of the standard DOS commands (albeit in a more limited fashion), but you won't be able to launch DOS or Windows programs.
The following DOS commands, documented earlier in this chapter, can
be used in the Windows Recovery Console: attrib
,
cd
, cls
,
copy
, del
,
dir
, exit
,
md
, more
,
ren
, rd
,
set
, and type
. In addition,
you'll be able to use the Chkdsk, DiskPart, and
Format utilities discussed in Chapter 3. The
following are the special commands that are available in the Windows
Recovery Console:
Command |
Description |
---|---|
batch filename [outputfile] |
Executes a batch file, something that can't be accomplished in the WRC by typing the filename alone, as in the real command prompt. |
bootcfg /command |
Starts the Boot Manager configuration and recovery tool. This tool is used to view, edit, and rebuild the boot.ini file, which contains a list of all installed operating systems on a multiple-boot system. Command can be any of the following:
|
disable [service | device_driver] |
Disables a system service or a device driver for the next time Windows starts. See enable, below, for details. |
enable service | device_driver [startup_type] |
Starts or enables a system service or a device driver for the next time Windows starts. Use the listsvc command to list the names of all available services and device drivers. The startup_type option can be SERVICE_BOOT_START, SERVICE_SYSTEM_START, SERVICE_AUTO_START, or SERVICE_DEMAND_START. |
fixboot [drive] |
Writes a new partition boot sector onto the specified drive letter. In most cases, you can omit drive to use the current partition. Use this command to fix the partition boot sector if it has been damaged, typically by a virus or the installation of another operating system. |
fixmbr [device] |
Repairs the master boot record of the specified disk. Use the map command to display the entries for device. In most cases, you can omit device to use the default boot device, upon which your primary operating system is installed. Use this if the boot record has been damaged, typically by a virus or the installation of another operating system. |
listsvc |
Lists the services and drivers available on the computer, for use with the enable and disable commands discussed above. |
logon |
Logs on to another Windows XP/2000 installation (assuming you have more than one) without having to reboot and reenter the Recovery Console. |
map |
Displays drive letter mappings for use with the fixmbr command. |
systemroot |
Changes the current directory (like the cd command) to the "systemroot" directory (usually c:windows). |
By default, the attrib
, copy
,
del
, dir
, and
ren
commands don't support
wildcards (*
and ?
) in the
Windows Recovery Console. While this is a safety feature intended to
prevent unintentional damage to the system, it can be a frustrating
limitation. To lift this restriction, type:
set AllowWildcards = true
Another restriction is one placed on the cd
command, wherein your access is restricted to certain directories
unless you type:
set AllowAllPaths = true
To enable access to the floppy drive, type:
set AllowRemovableMedia = true
Finally, to turn off the prompt that appears when you try to replace
a file with the copy
command, type
set NoCopyPrompt = true
Unfortunately, these are only temporary settings and are lost as soon as the system is restarted.
You may encounter an error in which the set
command is currently disabled; unfortunately, this can only be fixed
by returning to Windows and following this procedure: Start the Local
Security Settings editor (secpol.msc) and
navigate to Security
SettingsLocal
PoliciesSecurity
Options
in
the tree. Double-click the "Recovery Console: Allow
floppy copy and access to all drives and all
folders" entry, select Enabled →
OK.