How do I install the Recovery Console?

John Savill

September 26, 1999

2 Min Read
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A. The Windows 2000 recovery console enables an Administrator to gainaccess to a 2000 system from a command session to replace damaged files and todisable or enable services. When installed it adds an option to the Windows2000 start menu.

To install perform the following:

  1. Boot into Windows 2000

  2. Insert the installation CD

  3. From a command prompt move to the I386 directory and type:
    C:> winnt32 /cmdcons

  4. A dialog will be displayed asking for confirmation. Click Yes.

  5. File will be copied to the computer and an extra item added to the bootmenu.
    C:CMDCONSBOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Command Console"/cmdcons

  6. A completion message will be displayed. Click OK

Rebooting the computer will enable the option "Microsoft Windows 2000Command Console" to be selected and start Windows 2000 in command mode.

You will be asked which 2000 installation to repair and the Administratorpassword:

Microsoft Windows 2000(TM) Recovery Console.

The Recovery Consoel provides systemrepair and recovery functionality.

Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Consoleand restart the computer.

1: C:Winnt2: F:WINNT

Which Windows 2000 installation wouldyou like to log onto(To cancel, press ENTER)? 2Type the Administrator password: ***

Once you have entered the password you will be able to enter a number ofcommands such as DISABLE to disable a service, DISKPART to create and removepartitions and many others. Just type HELP for a list of all commands.

Its also possible to activate the console directory from the installation CDby booting off of the CD (if you motherboard supports CD booting), selectRepair and press C to repair using the console.

If you have renamed the Administrator account the console will still workhowever deleting the Administrator account will render the console inoperative.

The Recovery Console does have some security built-in and you can only accessthe root of the system driver and the %systemroot% directory and itssub-directories.

Some of the most useful commands are:

LISTSVC

List services

ENABLE/DISALBE

Enable/disable service

DISKPART

Equivalent of FDISK

FIXBOOT

Create a new boot sector on the system partition

FIXMBR

FDISK /MBR equivalent (problems with RAID etc)

LOGON

List installation of Windows 2000 installation and can choose which to work on

SYSTEMROOT

Move to the system root

MAP

Display a list of drives and their ARC paths. Useful to fix boot.ini problems

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