Recovering from Failed System Drive with Non-Default %SystemRoot% Folder

• Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Server

SUMMARY

When you install Windows 2000 by booting from either the Windows 2000 installation CD-ROM or the four Setup floppy disks, Setup does not prompt you for or allow you to change the target installation folder name. The default installation folder is \Winnt. This cannot be specified or changed during Windows 2000 Setup except in the following situations:

• The Winnt folder already exists.



• You perform an unattended installation and specify the "TargetPath=" parameter in the answer file.



• You run the Winnt32.exe from a working copy of Microsoft Windows NT or Windows 2000 and change the location in the Advanced Options settings.

MORE INFORMATION

Use one of the following methods to assist in reinstalling Windows 2000 in an alternate %SystemRoot% folder.

• Perform an unattended installation using an answer file. Unattended installations allow you to define the installation folder using the "TargetPath=WINDIR" parameter. This can even be accomplished while booting from the Windows 2000 installation CD-ROM as follows:
  
  Using Notepad or another text editor, create a file called Winnt.sif containing the following parameters, and then save the file to a floppy disk. Make sure the file name is Winnt.sif, and does not end with a .txt extension.

  [Unattended]
  UnattendMode=GuiAttended
  OemPreinstall=No
  TargetPath=OLDWINDIR <-Match the original folder name.
  
  [data]
  unattendedinstall=yes
  msdosinitiated =0

  Boot from the Windows 2000 installation CD-ROM while the disk containing the Winnt.sif file is in drive A. Windows 2000 Setup then reads the Winnt.sif file and uses the folder name specified in the "TargetPath" parameter instead of the default \Winnt folder.
  
  For additional information, please click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:




Q216258 How to Perform Unattended Windows 2000 Installation from CD-ROM

• Use the Windows 2000 Recovery Console to create and format the new system/boot partition, and then create a \Winnt folder. When Windows 2000 Setup encounters the \Winnt folder during Text-mode Setup, it prompts you to overwrite it or press ESC to use a different folder. Press ESC, and change the folder name to match your original %SystemRoot% folder name, and then continue with the installation.



1. Boot from the Windows 2000 installation CD-ROM or the four Setup floppy disks, press R to repair, and then press C to start the Recovery Console.



2. Use the DISKPART command to partition a new drive.



3. Use the FORMAT command to format the partition. For example:




format drive: /q /fs:file-system (FAT, FAT32, NTFS)

4. Use the MAP command to display the arc path for the new partition and use it in the next step for the "TargetDevice=" entry.



5. Using Notepad or another text editor, create a file called Setup.log containing the following parameters, and then save the file to a floppy disk. Make sure the file name is Setup.log, and does not end with a .txt extension.
   
   NOTE: Make sure to modify the "TargetDevice=" line below to match your hardware configuration, specifying on which disk\partition you want the Winnt folder to be created. Display this information using the Recovery Console's MAP command in the step above.




[Paths]
TargetFolder = "\WINNT"
TargetDevice = "\Device\Harddisk0\Partition1" <- Set to your hardware configuration.
SystemPartitionFolder = "\"
SystemPartition = "\Device\Harddisk0\Partition1"
[Signature]
Version = "WinNt5.0"
[Files.SystemPartition]
NTDETECT.COM = "NTDETECT.COM","1805e"
ntldr = "ntldr","35567"
[Files.WinNt]

6. Boot from the Windows 2000 installation CD-ROM or floppy disks again, press R to repair, press R to repair using the "Emergency Repair process," and then press M for manual repair. In the next screen, clear all the choices except Verify Windows 2000 System files, and then select Continue. When you are prompted for the Emergency Repair disk, insert the disk you created in step 5 and press ENTER to continue. This creates a Winnt folder and then quits.



7. Boot using the Windows 2000 installation CD-ROM or floppy disks and perform your new installation. Remember to press ESC to select your new installation folder name when the time comes.



• Using an MS-DOS or Windows 95/95 Startup disk, create a FAT or FAT32 partition on the new system/boot drive, and then create a \Winnt folder. Boot using the Windows 2000 installation CD-ROM or floppy disks, and start your new installation. When Windows 2000 Setup encounters the existing \Winnt folder, it prompts you to overwrite it or press ESC to use a different folder. Press ESC and change the folder name to match your original %SystemRoot% folder name, and then continue with the installation.
  
  NOTE: If you require a partition using the NTFS file system, you can use the convert.exe drive_letter: /fs:ntfs command after the installation is complete, but before you perform a restore from your last good backup. This retains your NTFS file and folder permissions that were assigned before the drive failure.



• Install the drive on or move it to another computer running Windows NT or Windows 2000, create a partition, format it, and then create a \Winnt folder. Move the drive back to the original computer and start Setup from the Windows 2000 installation CD-ROM or floppy disks. When Windows 2000 Setup encounters the existing \Winnt folder, it prompts you to overwrite it or press ESC to use a different folder. Press ESC and change the folder name to match your original %SystemRoot% folder name, and then continue with the installation.

Additional query words: win2000hotsetup

Keywords : kbenv
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto