Emergency measures

Posted on 2 Mar 2006 at 16:27

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Below we guide you through the process of getting the Recovery Console up and running as well as listing how to solve a couple of common problems. In the final step of the walkthrough, when replacing missing or corrupt files, it can be useful to have access to another computer. Use the second PC to track down the file you need on your Windows installation CD so that you know where it is located. A number of system files are contained within compressed .CAB files (or files with incomplete extensions) and you will need to use the Expand command to extract them. You can use a file compression tool such as WinZip to browse through the contents of these files.

First, you will need to use the 'cd' command (change directory) to navigate to the folder (the new Windows name for a directory - the command just hasn't been updated) the files should be extracted to. For example, type 'cd system32' to navigate to c:\windows\system32. If you wanted, for example, to replace a damaged hal.dll file, you would need to type 'expand x:\i386\hal.dl_' and press Enter. Use your second machine to determine the exact location of the files you require.

Other useful commands include 'fixboot' which can be used to repair a corrupt boot sector, and 'fixmbr' to repair a damaged master boot record. When you have finished with the recovery process, type 'exit' (again without the quotes) and press Enter.

Reinstall Windows over the top

Missing or corrupt system files can cause serious problem when it comes to booting into Windows. If an important file has been deleted or changed, Windows simply may not be able to start. One of the easiest ways to solve this problem is to reinstall Windows over the top of itself - as opposed to formatting your hard drive and installing from scratch. The advantage of using this method, if it does indeed sort out the problem, is that only files which are missing or corrupt are replaced and any user files are left in place, helping to protect personal documents.

If you are running Windows 98 or Me, such an overlay installation can be performed from within Windows itself if you are able to load the operating system, or by booting from CD. To reinstall from a CD boot, insert your installation CD and restart your computer. Continue with the setup process as normal, and your existing Windows installation will be detected.

From the menu that appears, select the option to replace your operating system, press Enter and work your way through the steps of the setup routine.

Alternatively, if you are able to boot into Windows, but are experiencing a series of problems, load Windows and open up My Computer. Double-click the icon for your CD drive and then click the Browse this CD link from the menu that appears. Now double-click the Setup.exe file in the window that opens and then click Continue. After a quick check of your hard drive, you will be asked if you want to save your existing system files - select No and click Next. You will now need to set country information and create an optional Startup Disk. Click Next and installation of Windows will continue, replacing any necessary files.

In the case of Windows XP, either Home or Professional Edition, care must be taken to ensure that you select the right option. With your Windows installation CD inserted, start your computer, press a key to boot from CD and wait for the Welcome To Setup screen to appear. You will be presented with three options: setup Windows; repair an installation and exit. Although the repair option may seem like the one to go for, you should press Enter to start setup in the usual way. This done, press F8 to agree to the Licensing Agreement and your computer will be scanned for existing versions of Windows. When your current, broken installation is detected, make sure it's selected in the list and then press R to perform a repair. The rest of the process is now an automated affair and your computer will restart itself as and when necessary. If you are sitting in front of your PC when a restart takes place, ignore the message reading 'Press any key to boot from CD' and the setup will copy across any necessary files.