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Recovery Console tips for system administrators
Submitted by Kartik Raghavan,
Program Manager for Setup, Windows 2000 Development Team
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The Recovery Console lets system administrators access the file system of
a Windows 2000 computer — even if the hard disk is formatted using NTFS
— by using the Windows 2000 Setup CD, or a boot floppy. With the
Recovery Console and its batch support, you can do a lot of cool things:
 | Fix a non-booting Windows 2000 system.
| Create batch files to fix common scenarios and
distribute those batch files for users to run on their systems.
| Fix a corrupted Master Boot Record (MBR).
| Create a batch file to automate common recovery
tasks.
| Partition and format a disk.
| Expand a file out of the driver cab. |
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Accessing the Recovery Console
- Boot to the Windows 2000 Setup CD, or installation floppy.
- At the Welcome screen, select the Repair option.
- Select the Recovery Console option.
Cool Uses of the Recovery Console
| Cool Tasks |
Cool Ways to Do It |
| Fix the Master Boot Record (MBR) |
fixmbr |
| Create a batch file for recovery commands to
automate common recovery tasks |
batch <nameofbatchfile> <file to
contain output of batchfile>
Note: This command is an example of how you can automate
the disabling of several services (e.g., Telnet, Server,
Telephony, Messenger) simultaneously, or automate replacement of
the registry. One limitation is that a batch file cannot contain
another batch file. This is a really neat scenario for an IT
manager: having batch files that solve common problems that may
require a lot of steps.
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| Enable all paths for the Recovery Console |
Use the Group Policy Editor to enable the SET
Command. This lets you copy files to removable media and gives you
access to all paths.
You can also use the Group Policy Editor to enable Auto-Logon for
the Console.
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| Partition and format a disk |
Use the diskpart and the format
commands to partition and format a disk NTFS, FAT, or FAT32.
This can also be scripted. For assistance, refer to Recovery
Console Help.
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| Expand a file out of the driver.cab |
Windows 2000 driver files are in a .cab file. Use
the console's expand command to view and extract a file out
of a CAB.
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Note: For greater ease of use, the Recovery Console can be
installed locally on the hard drive and be configured as an entry in the
boot.ini file by running WINNT32 /CMDCONS. For security reasons, users
must log on using the local Administrator account of the Windows 2000
installation that they want to access. Files cannot be copied from the
system to a floppy or other form of removable media. Once users are logged
into the console, they can type Help to obtain a list of commands.
For additional details, refer to the following articles:
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