You probably have asked yourself "How does the recovery console work?" after your PC crashed and Windows wouldn't start. Well a little guide is here to show you the necessary steps. Read more.
Part One In part one, you boot to the Recovery Console, create a temporary folder, back up the existing registry files to a new location, delete the registry files at their existing location, and then copy the registry files from the repair folder to the System32Config folder. When you are finished this procedure, a registry is created that you can use to boot back into Windows XP. This registry was created and saved during the initial setup of Windows XP, so any changes and settings that took place after Setup completes are lost.
To complete part one, follow these steps: Boot to the Recovery Console.
Run the following commands from within Recovery Console:
md tmp
copy C:windowssystem32configsystem C:windows mpsystem.bak
copy C:windowssystem32configsoftware C:windows mpsoftware.bak
copy C:windowssystem32configSam C:windows mpsam.bak
copy C:windowssystem32configsecurity C:windows mpsecurity.bak
copy C:windowssystem32configdefault C:windows mpdefault.bak
delete C:windowssystem32configsystem
delete C:windowssystem32configsoftware
delete C:windowssystem32configSam
delete C:windowssystem32configsecurity
delete C:windowssystem32configdefault
copy C:windows epairsystem C:windowssystem32configsystem
copy C:windows epairsoftware C:windowssystem32configsoftware
copy C:windows epairsam C:windowssystem32configsam
copy C:windows epairsecurity C:windowssystem32configsecurity
copy C:windows epairdefault C:windowssystem32configdefault
NOTE : This procedure assumes that Windows XP is installed to the C:Windows folder. Make sure to change C:Windows to the appropriate windows_folder if it is a different location.
If you have access to another computer, to save time, you can copy the text in step two, and then create a text file called "Regcopy1.txt" (for example). To create this file, run the following command when you boot into Recovery Console: batch regcopy1.txt The Batch command in Recovery Console allows for all the commands in a text file to be sequentially processed. When you use the batch command, you do not have to manually type as many commands. Part Two In part two, you copy the registry files from their backed up location by using System Restore. This folder is not available in Recovery Console and is normally not visible during normal usage. Before you start this procedure, you must change several settings to make the folder visible: Start Windows Explorer.
On the Tools menu, click Folder options .
Click the View tab.
Under Hidden files and folders , click to select Show hidden files and folders , and then click to clear the Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) check box.
Click Yes when the dialog box is displayed that confirms that you want to display these files.
Double-click the drive where you installed Windows XP to get a list of the folders. If is important to click the correct drive.
Open the System Volume Information folder. This folder appears dimmed folder because it is set as a super-hidden folder.
NOTE : This folder contains one or more _restore {GUID} folders such as "_restore{87BD3667-3246-476B-923F-F86E30B3E7F8}".
Open a folder that was not created at the current time. You may have to click Details on the View menu to see when these folders were created. There may be one or more folders starting with "RP x under this folder. These are restore points.
Open one of these folders to locate a Snapshot subfolder folder; the following path is an example of a folder path to the Snapshot folder:
C:System Volume Information\_restore{D86480E3-73EF-47BC-A0EB-A81BE6EE3ED8}RP1Snapshot From the Snapshot folder, copy the following files to the C:WindowsTmp folder:
_REGISTRY_USER_.DEFAULT _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SECURITY _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SYSTEM _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SAM These files are the backed up registry files from System Restore. Because you used the registry file created by Setup, this registry does not know that these restore points exist and are available. A new folder is created with a new GUID under System Volume Information and a restore point is created that includes a copy of the registry files that were copied during part one. This is why it is important not to use the most current folder, especially if the time stamp on the folder is the same as the current time.
The current system configuration is not aware of the previous restore points. You need a previous copy of the registry from a previous restore point to make the previous restore points available again.
The registry files that were copied to the Tmp folder in the C:Windows folder are moved to ensure the files are available under Recovery Console. You need to use these files to replace the registry files currently in the C:WindowsSystem32Config folder. Recovery Console has limited folder access and cannot copy files from the System Volume folder by default.
NOTE : The procedure described in this section assumes that you are running your computer with the FAT32 file system. Part Three In part three, you delete the existing registry files, and then copy the System Restore Registry files to the C:WindowsSystem32Config folder: Boot to Recovery Console.
From within Recovery Console, run the following commands:
Del c:windowssystem32configsam
Del c:windowssystem32configsecurity
Del c:windowssystem32configsoftware
Del c:windowssystem32configdefault
Del c:windowssystem32configsystem
copy c:windows mp\_registry_machine_software
c:windowssystem32configsoftware
copy c:windows mp\_registry_machine_system c:windowssystem32configsystem
copy c:windows mp\_registry_machine_sam c:windowssystem32configsam
copy c:windows mp\_registry_machine_security c:windowssystem32configsecurity
copy c:windows mp\_registry_user_.default c:windowssystem32configdefault NOTE : This procedure assumes that Windows XP is installed to the C:Windows folder. Make sure to change C:Windows to the appropriate windows_folder if it is a different location.
If you have access to another computer, to save time, you can copy the text in step two, and then create a text file called "Regcopy1.txt" (for example). Part Four Click Start , and then click All Programs .
Click Accessories , and then click System Tools .
Click System Restore , and then click Restore to a previous Restore Point .
To complete part one, follow these steps: Boot to the Recovery Console.
Run the following commands from within Recovery Console:
md tmp
copy C:windowssystem32configsystem C:windows mpsystem.bak
copy C:windowssystem32configsoftware C:windows mpsoftware.bak
copy C:windowssystem32configSam C:windows mpsam.bak
copy C:windowssystem32configsecurity C:windows mpsecurity.bak
copy C:windowssystem32configdefault C:windows mpdefault.bak
delete C:windowssystem32configsystem
delete C:windowssystem32configsoftware
delete C:windowssystem32configSam
delete C:windowssystem32configsecurity
delete C:windowssystem32configdefault
copy C:windows epairsystem C:windowssystem32configsystem
copy C:windows epairsoftware C:windowssystem32configsoftware
copy C:windows epairsam C:windowssystem32configsam
copy C:windows epairsecurity C:windowssystem32configsecurity
copy C:windows epairdefault C:windowssystem32configdefault
NOTE : This procedure assumes that Windows XP is installed to the C:Windows folder. Make sure to change C:Windows to the appropriate windows_folder if it is a different location.
If you have access to another computer, to save time, you can copy the text in step two, and then create a text file called "Regcopy1.txt" (for example). To create this file, run the following command when you boot into Recovery Console: batch regcopy1.txt The Batch command in Recovery Console allows for all the commands in a text file to be sequentially processed. When you use the batch command, you do not have to manually type as many commands. Part Two In part two, you copy the registry files from their backed up location by using System Restore. This folder is not available in Recovery Console and is normally not visible during normal usage. Before you start this procedure, you must change several settings to make the folder visible: Start Windows Explorer.
On the Tools menu, click Folder options .
Click the View tab.
Under Hidden files and folders , click to select Show hidden files and folders , and then click to clear the Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) check box.
Click Yes when the dialog box is displayed that confirms that you want to display these files.
Double-click the drive where you installed Windows XP to get a list of the folders. If is important to click the correct drive.
Open the System Volume Information folder. This folder appears dimmed folder because it is set as a super-hidden folder.
NOTE : This folder contains one or more _restore {GUID} folders such as "_restore{87BD3667-3246-476B-923F-F86E30B3E7F8}".
Open a folder that was not created at the current time. You may have to click Details on the View menu to see when these folders were created. There may be one or more folders starting with "RP x under this folder. These are restore points.
Open one of these folders to locate a Snapshot subfolder folder; the following path is an example of a folder path to the Snapshot folder:
C:System Volume Information\_restore{D86480E3-73EF-47BC-A0EB-A81BE6EE3ED8}RP1Snapshot From the Snapshot folder, copy the following files to the C:WindowsTmp folder:
_REGISTRY_USER_.DEFAULT _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SECURITY _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SYSTEM _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SAM These files are the backed up registry files from System Restore. Because you used the registry file created by Setup, this registry does not know that these restore points exist and are available. A new folder is created with a new GUID under System Volume Information and a restore point is created that includes a copy of the registry files that were copied during part one. This is why it is important not to use the most current folder, especially if the time stamp on the folder is the same as the current time.
The current system configuration is not aware of the previous restore points. You need a previous copy of the registry from a previous restore point to make the previous restore points available again.
The registry files that were copied to the Tmp folder in the C:Windows folder are moved to ensure the files are available under Recovery Console. You need to use these files to replace the registry files currently in the C:WindowsSystem32Config folder. Recovery Console has limited folder access and cannot copy files from the System Volume folder by default.
NOTE : The procedure described in this section assumes that you are running your computer with the FAT32 file system. Part Three In part three, you delete the existing registry files, and then copy the System Restore Registry files to the C:WindowsSystem32Config folder: Boot to Recovery Console.
From within Recovery Console, run the following commands:
Del c:windowssystem32configsam
Del c:windowssystem32configsecurity
Del c:windowssystem32configsoftware
Del c:windowssystem32configdefault
Del c:windowssystem32configsystem
copy c:windows mp\_registry_machine_software
c:windowssystem32configsoftware
copy c:windows mp\_registry_machine_system c:windowssystem32configsystem
copy c:windows mp\_registry_machine_sam c:windowssystem32configsam
copy c:windows mp\_registry_machine_security c:windowssystem32configsecurity
copy c:windows mp\_registry_user_.default c:windowssystem32configdefault NOTE : This procedure assumes that Windows XP is installed to the C:Windows folder. Make sure to change C:Windows to the appropriate windows_folder if it is a different location.
If you have access to another computer, to save time, you can copy the text in step two, and then create a text file called "Regcopy1.txt" (for example). Part Four Click Start , and then click All Programs .
Click Accessories , and then click System Tools .
Click System Restore , and then click Restore to a previous Restore Point .
