Startup Process

Recovery Console

The Recovery Console is a command-line console designed to help you recover when your Windows 2000-based computer does not start. You can use the Recovery Console after starting the computer with the Windows 2000 Setup CD or the Setup floppy disks. You can use the Recovery Console to obtain limited access to NTFS, FAT, and FAT32 volumes without starting the graphical interface.

To use the Recover Console, you must be logged on as an administrator.

Caution

The Recovery Console is powerful. It is recommended that you use Recovery Console only if you are an advanced user or administrator who can use basic commands to identify and locate problem drivers and files.

Each time you use Backup to back up the system state data, a copy of the registry is placed on the local system partition in a subfolder of %SystemRoot%\Repair\RegBack. You can use the Recovery Console to copy files from %SystemRoot%\Repair\RegBack to %SystemRoot%\System32\Config (the location of the registry). After you do this, the registry contains the information it had when the system state was last backed up. Changes made after that time are lost.

Caution

Do not use a registry editor to edit the registry directly unless you have no alternative. The registry editors bypass the standard safeguards provided by administrative tools. These safeguards prevent you from entering conflicting settings or settings that are likely to degrade performance or damage your system. Editing the registry directly can have serious, unexpected consequences that can prevent the system from starting and require that you reinstall Windows 2000. To configure or customize Windows 2000, use the programs in Control Panel or Microsoft Management Console (MMC) whenever possible.

For more information about the Recovery Console, including a list and description of available commands, see "Repair, Recovery, and Restore" in this book.