Finally, Microsoft has provided a useful, uncomplicated OS repair tool that actually works. The Windows 2000 Recovery Console (RC) provides a command-line interface that you can use to repair an OS installation—regardless of whether the computer is using NTFS or the FAT file system. You can launch the RC from the Win2K CD-ROM on an as-needed basis, or you can preinstall the utility as a safeguard. You can use the RC to stop and start services, read and write data on a local hard disk, copy data from a 3.5" disk or CD-ROM, and perform other command-line tasks. For example, if a system file on your hard disk has been corrupted or deleted, you can overwrite the file with a new copy from the Win2K CD-ROM.
Launching the RC
If the OS won't load on a system and you haven't preinstalled the RC on the affected computer, you can launch the tool from the Win2K CD-ROM. If the computer can't boot from a CD-ROM, you can use the Win2K setup disks. (If you can't find or didn't previously create setup disks, collect four blank formatted 3.5" disks and label them Disk1, Disk2, Disk3, and Disk4. Insert the Win2K CD-ROM into a working system's CD-ROM drive, and put Disk1 into the disk drive. Click Start, Run. In the Open box, type
<d>:\bootdisk\makeboot a:
where d is the drive letter for the CD-ROM drive. Click OK, then follow the prompts to create the setup disks.)
Insert either the bootable CD-ROM or setup Disk1, and start the affected computer. The Win2K Setup program starts. When Setup asks whether you want to continue installing Win2K, press Enter to continue. When Setup asks whether you want to install a fresh version of Win2K or repair an existing installation, press R to respond that you want to repair your current installation. Then, press C to launch the RC.
Preinstalling the RC
I recommend that you preinstall the RC on your important servers and your IT personnel's workstations. When those computers fall victim to problems, you need to get them running quickly (and the RC requires only 7MB of disk space). Preinstalling the RC means you won't need to spend time finding the Win2K CD-ROM or stepping through the RC's setup process.
To install the tool before trouble strikes, place the Win2K CD-ROM in the CD-ROM drive. (The RC won't install on a mirrored volume. If the computer on which you're preinstalling the tool has a mirrored volume, you must first break the mirror. Install the RC, then reestablish the mirrored volume.) Choose Start, Run. In the Open box, type
<d>:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons
where d is the drive letter for the CD-ROM drive. Alternatively, you can use Universal Naming Convention (UNC) to install the RC from a network share point.