How to Manually Create an Emergency Repair Disk

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.51 and 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.51 and 4.0

SUMMARY

When you try to run an emergency repair on a Windows NT system, and you do not have an emergency repair disk, the emergency repair fails when you use the files located in the \%Systemroot%\Repair directory.

MORE INFORMATION

If the Windows NT system files are on a file allocation table (FAT) partition, or a partition formatted with MS-DOS, and you cannot start Windows NT, start to MS-DOS by either selecting MS-DOS from the menu or from an MS-DOS startup floppy disk. Copy the contents of the \%Systemroot%\Repair directory to the root of a Windows NT formatted floppy disk.

NOTE: If creating an Emergency Repair disk booted via DOS from a FAT partitioin then ensure that the System, Hidden, and Read-Only file attributes are removed from the SETUP.LOG file in the %SYSTEMROOT/REPAIR directory. This will ensure that the SETUP.LOG file is copied onto the diskette.

If the Windows NT system files are on a new technology file system (NTFS) partition, install another copy of Windows NT into a separate and unique directory. Start Windows NT from this install. Copy the contents of the \%Systemroot%\Repair directory to the root of a Windows NT formatted floppy disk. Alternately, if you have a backup tape from the failed system, you can restore the %Systemroot%\Repair directory and copy the restored files to the root of the formatted floppy disk.

To create a Windows NT formatted floppy disk on Windows NT 3.51, double- click on the File Manager icon, place a floppy disk in the floppy disk drive, click Disk on the menu, and select Format Disk from the drop-down window. The Format Disk dialog appears. Select the drive and capacity, and then click OK.

To format a floppy disk in Windows NT 4.0, go to the Desktop, double-click on My Computer. Place a floppy disk in the floppy disk drive. Click the right mouse button (right-click) on the disk drive with the disk in it. Select Format, and then click OK.

You can now run the repair process. Select "Emergency Repair Disk," and insert the disk you just created.