When considering which file system to install Windows 2000 on to, the decision is fairly
obvious: NTFS is far superior to the myriad incarnations of FAT in almost every respect,
especially in terms of security. In fact, NTFS is so secure that if someone had physical
access to a computer running Windows 2000 and booted from a DOS floppy, hoping to use DOS
commands to damage or compromise your OS, they would be thwarted by their inability to
read or write to the NTFS partition. However, this also creates a catch-22 for system
administrators who need to troubleshoot problems on the NTFS partition that are preventing
the graphical interface from loading. In Windows 2000, Microsoft's solution to this quandary
is the Recovery Console.
The Recover Console is a text-mode command interpreter that gives system administrators
access to the hard disk of a Windows 2000 system regardless of file system (NTFS or FAT).
The console is useful for disaster recovery purposes or simple troubleshooting and maintenance.
Using the commands listed below, administrators can start and stop services, repair the
master boot record and boot sectors, format volumes, etc.
| attrib |
dir |
fixmbr |
more / type |
| batch |
disable |
format |
rd / rmdir |
| cd / chdir |
diskpart |
help |
ren / rename |
| chkdsk |
enable |
listsvc |
set |
| cls |
exit |
logon |
systemroot |
| copy |
expand |
map |
|
| del / delete |
fixboot |
md / mkdir |
|
How do I install the Recovery Console?
The Recovery Console can be started in two ways. One is from Windows 2000 Setup (booting
from the CD or installation diskettes) where you can choose to repair a Windows 2000
installation by using the Recovery Console. The second method of accessing the Recovery
Console is to install it as a start-up option. Installing the Recovery Console as a
start-up option can be a very convenient way to access this powerful trouble-shooting
utility, but it is important to keep in mind that if the MBR or the boot sector of the
system volume is damaged, then you will not be able to access the Recovery Console as
a start-up option and will have to boot from setup floppies or the CD-ROM.
To add the Recovery Console as a start-up option, on the Start menu click Run and then
type
F:\I386\Winnt32.exe /cmdcons
(where F is the letter of the CD-Rom drive containing your Windows 2000 CD)
Once the Recovery Console is installed as a start-up option, it will appear during system
start-up like so:
Windows 2000 Start-up Options
After selecting the Recovery Console you will be prompted to choose the Windows 2000
installation that you would like to logon to. Then you will be prompted for the
Administrator's password for that installation.
Windows 2000 Recovery Console Login