How to do System Restore from Recovery Console

STEP :- 1

To run the Recovery Console from the Windows XP startup disks or the Windows XP CD-ROM, follow these steps:

1. Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.
Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted.

2. When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.

3. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the installation that you must access from the Recovery Console.

4. When you are prompted, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.

5. At the command prompt, type the appropriate commands to diagnose and repair your Windows XP installation.

For a list of commands that are available in Recovery Console, type recovery console commands or help at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.

For information about a specific command, type help commandname at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.

6. To exit the Recovery Console and restart the computer, type exit at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.

STEP:- 2

Once you get to the recovery console follow the steps mentioned below

• Type CD\ then Enter

• Then cd system~1\_resto~1 then Enter

• Type dir then Enter

When you hit enter it will list all the restore points folders like rp1, rp2 …….. If the restore points have more than one page then u have to keep on hitting the key to view the last restore point folder. You will have to choose the second to last option folder

• Type cd rp {the second to the last restore point no. } (Note: Example: cd rp9, if rp9 is the second to the last restore point where the last restore point no. is 10)

• Then type cd snapshot

Now the command prompt will look like this c:\system~1\_resto~1\rp9\snapshot

• Type: copy _registry_machine_system c:\windows\system32\config\system

• Press enter

• Then type:
copy _registry_machine_software c:\windows\system32\config\software

Then type exit

If you get an access denied error when doing the above, then do the following at the recovery console:

Type CD\ then press Enter

Type cd windows\system32\config then press Enter

Type ren system system.bak then press Enter

Type exist press Enter

Your PC will reboot, go back into the Recovery Console and then you have access

If you still cannot get access in anyway to your installation in the recovery console then your SAM database files are corrupt. There is no way you can restore these with the recovery console. You may need to do a fresh install