How to install the Windows Recovery Console (RC) in Windows 2000/XP

From ArticleWorld

This guide will show you how to install the Windows Recovery Console in Windows 2000/XP. If the Recovery Console does not come pre-installed by default, you may want to install it, as there are occasions when it will allow you to recover your system from a critical condition.

Steps

1. Insert your Windows Installation CD, and go to Start, Run.

2. In the Run box, type the following:

X:\i386\WinNT32.exe /cmdcons

where X is the letter assigned to your CD drive. Now press enter.

3. In the dialog box that appears, click Yes to install the recovery console.

Notes

After completing these steps, you will be able to choose between normally booting Windows and booting to the RC when your computer starts up. You should not use the RC unless it is really necessary. It offers you a rather limited interface for accessing your hard disk, quite similar to that of MS-DOS. Be careful with what you do in the Recovery Console: you can make an already existing condition worse if you do not know what you are doing.

You should learn the basics of using the Recovery Console. It may prove extremely helpful even when you are not troubleshooting your computer, but simply waiting for someone to do it, and want to copy some files on a floppy disk, for example. However, its real power comes when troubleshooting your computer, and if you want to learn how to administer Windows system, you should have a good knowledge of how the RC works and what it allows you to do.