Recovering XP

You've probably wondered what happened to the start-up disk you used to create in earlier versions of Windows.

XP does have recovery routines built-in .....

But this isn't going to help if your machine won't boot up !!

Using the Recovery Console in XP Home Edition

If Windows XP will not start even in Safe Mode or with Last Good Configuration, you can run the Recovery Console from the Setup CD. Boot to the CD and start WINNT.EXE, then when prompted to Install or Repair, click Repair, which installs the Recovery Console for you.

If you wish you can also install the Recovery Console so that it always appears as a startup menu option when you boot your machine. 

1. Insert your setup CD. Click Start - Run,- D:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons  (Where D: is your CD-ROM drive letter)
2. Follow the instructions on screen to install the Recovery Console, and when the installation is complete, restart your computer.
3. The Recovery Console will show up in the list of available operating systems in the Startup menu. 

(If your machine came with XP pre-installed then the i386 directory is probably already installed on your computer. Use the same syntax as in Step 2, but point to that directory instead)

How to Set up and Use Automated System Recovery in Windows XP Pro

XP Pro offers a more complete solution to the problem of recovering from major breakdowns through the ASR option in Backup/Restore. Details are available at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/using/itpro/managing/asr.asp If you're planning to move your system to a new machine with a radically different architecture then follow these steps before you transfer your disk. It works !!

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