WinXP recovery console

I made a mistake while loading linux to dual boot with xp... lilo wrote over my master boot record and I was no longer able to load xp. (not that thats a bad thing...)

When trying to repair the master boot record so I can use both operating systems, I tried to use the recovery console.

Apparently if you rename/delete your admin account on a machine running xp, you can't use the xp recovery console because it asks for the administrator account password.

After many many tries, I thought I was going to have to format and reload. All my data gone and I haven't backed up in at least two months!

I tried everything, even Win9x boot disks...

It turns out, you can use the Win2k boot disks to access the recovery console. There you have access to all recovery console commands without providing admin password. I could copy/delete/move/rename etc. files to and from external media.

However I wasn't able to move to a directory that had a space in it.

cd winnt
cd drivers
cd tempcd

worked just fine

cd program files
cd documents and settings

did not work

I thought I had read somewhere that the recovery console will give you access to only windows setup folders and files?

Anyway, I thought it was strange as you need an account and password for every other boot option.
In this case I was happy that I didn't have to reload my whole system.

Hmmmm, If the MBR is the only thing you messed up.... Get a Windows XP setup disk (preferably XP Pro, but XP Home works also) Load the recovery console and use the following commands:

bootcfg /copy
bootcfg /rebuild
bootcfg /disableredirect

That will make a backup of your boot.ini file, rebuild your MBR to work with XP and then disable redirection into LILO...


Also you can just edit lilo.conf to work with XP:
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/MultiOS-HOWTO-6.html

If none of that works go to www.osloader.com and download OS loader, it should make it a little easier for you =)

I tired to use the windows xp recovery console, but it wants the administrator
When I set up this box, I renamed the account, so it wouldn't let me in the console because the account didn't exist.

The win2k boot disks will let you into the console without a password.
I then fixed the master boot record and then reloaded linux the correct way.
Works perfectly now!

I do wish that I had posed this before all that though because your way would have saved me some time.

Thanks!

Hmmm, So you dont have the admin password either?

http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/bootdisk.html

Use that program, make a boot disk and start your computer with it..... The admin account is there but Windows prolly set the password for it.... That should let you change the password for the admin (have you tried your password?)

I noticed the same thing, the password I mean when trying to enter the recovery console, all I did was hit enter and it let me in. . .

When you boot the system now what comes up? Does Lilo come up, and the only thing you can select is linux? Is this the problem? Or does no OS boot?

For the files that had spaces in them did you try the name using the ascii input for spaces.

I.E. Program Files becomes Program%20Files

I am not sure this would work but it should.

for the folders with spaces try using the trunkated version of the names, instead of Program Files use progra~1 in the console

Thanks for your help all! I got the problem worked out but don't seem to want to boot to windows any longer. I'm getting attached to linux. :)

Just for future info... some commands from the DOS command line can take quotes if the paramaters have spaces in them.

Example: del "c:\my documents"