Repairing Your Windows (NT family) Installation
Last Updated: 06 May 2004
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*** PLEASE NOTE: Link(s), If Provided, May Be Wrapped ***
Your first step to recovery, particularly if the machine
hasn't booted since the last installation of software or
driver, is LAST KNOWN GOOD. (Actually, the first step
to successful recovery is a good backup!)
Although I have found this feature less than useful for
most circumstances (under NT4), it does provide an
opportunity to correct the most recent of problems that
prevent your system from logging on. It has been vastly
improved under Windows 2000 and later versions, and is
considerably more effective.
The next option is to boot from the setup CD and choose
REPAIR. Again, this option is much more effective under
Windows 2000/XP, than it was under NT4. (If at all
possible, perform the REPAIR with a copy of the CD which
has your current level of Service Pack slipstreamed).
HOW TO RECOVER FROM A CORRUPTED REGISTRY
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=156640
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=269075
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=307545
SAFE MODE & THE EMERGENCY RECOVERY CONSOLE
Starting with Windows 2000, you can use the Emergency
Recovery Console and/or Safe Mode to attempt to repair
your Windows installation.
• http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/support/safemode.asp
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnw2kmag01/html/Win2KRecoveryandRepair.asp
• http://www.microsoft.com/WINDOWS2000/techenthusiast/tricks/administration/recoveryconsole.asp
• http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/library/resources/reskit/samplechapters/pref/pref_tts_ygqb.asp
• http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/library/operations/management/safemode.asp
• http://www.microsoft.com/TechNet/win2000/whattodo.asp
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=307654
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=229716
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=216417
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=240831
• http://www.winnetmag.com/windowsnt20002003faq/Article/ArticleID/14731/windowsnt20002003faq_14731.html
• http://www.win2000mag.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=21538
• http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm
• http://www.aade.com/XPhint/XPrecovery.htm
SYSTEM RESTORE (WinXP)
System Restore is a feature found in Windows ME and in
Windows XP/2003. Like virtually everything else, the
version found Windows XP is vastly superior to the one
found in WinME.
• http://www.jsiinc.com/subj/tip4600/rh4650.htm
• http://www.winnetmag.com/windowsnt20002003faq/Article/ArticleID/22059/windowsnt20002003faq_22059.html
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/sr/srestore_0qg5.asp
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/dnwxp/html/windowsxpsystemrestore.asp
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=302796
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=310405
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=301224
PERFORMING AN IN-PLACE UPGRADE OF XP
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=315341
WINPE - OEM Recovery Option
WinPE is a Windows Pre-Install environment available to
OEMs and Select Customers. It can be used to recover
a Win2K or WinXP system.
• http://www.jsifaq.com/SUBK/tip5100/rh5173.htm
• http://www.microsoft.com/LICENSING/programs/sa/sam/winPe.asp
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=304992
THIRD PARTY RECOVERY OPTIONS
If your problem persists even after choosing these
options listed above, you should look at the following
tools for accessing and repairing a broken Windows NT
(or 2000/XP/2003) installation:
• http://www.sysinternals.com/
• http://www.winternals.com/
• http://www.oosoft.de/english/products/oobc2000/oobc2000.html
• http://www.win2000mag.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=19630
• http://www.acronis.com/products/
The Systernals/Winternals family includes the following
recovery products (among others):
ERD Professional
Locksmith
NT Recover
Remote Recover
NTFS DOS Pro
Many of these are commercial tools, so if you are not in
a Corporate environment, you might want to skip over to
Disaster Recovery section.
DISASTER RECOVERY
Here are some Microsoft procedures for Disastery Recovery:
• http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/library/resources/reskit/samplechapters/fndc/fndc_rec_ztkn.asp
• http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/library/resources/reskit/samplechapters/pref/pref_tts_ygqb.asp
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=314466
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=165748
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=259003
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=139822
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=241871
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=249694
Additional DR Procedures:
• http://www.winnetmag.com/windowsnt20002003faq/Article/ArticleID/15129/windowsnt20002003faq_15129.html
• http://www.winnetmag.com/windowsnt20002003faq/Article/ArticleID/14673/windowsnt20002003faq_14673.html
• http://www.win2000mag.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=21505
DISASTER RECOVERY FOR AD
• http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/technologies/activedirectory/support/adrecov.mspx
• http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/events/windows2003srv/tnt1-94.mspx
• http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/events/windows2000srv/tnt1-76.mspx
• http://support.microsoft.com/servicedesks/webcasts/wc031902/wcblurb031902.asp
• http://www.jsifaq.com/SUBE/tip2300/rh2384.htm
• http://www.4mcts.com/downloads/addisaster.pdf
Here are some articles about creating and using ERDs
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=146887
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=164471
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=238359
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/periodic/period00/ntp0063.htm
• http://www.execsoft.com/tech-support/NT-articles/article.asp?F=1999010708.htm
• http://www.execsoft.com/tech-support/NT-articles/article.asp?F=1999011823.htm
• http://www.execsoft.com/tech-support/NT-articles/article.asp?F=1999030914.htm
• http://www.execsoft.com/tech-support/NT-articles/article.asp?F=1999033118.htm
REGISTRY BACKUP TOOLS
• NTBACKUP ............... Native Utility
• ERUNT .................. http://home.t-online.de/home/lars.hederer/erunt/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~ RECOVERY FROM TAPE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One technique is to install a secondary (emergency)
installation of NT on a different drive [1] and
restore a previous FULL backup to the original
location. (Don't use the same folder for the temp
copy of NT or you won't be able to restore files
which are currently in use by the temp OS.
A. Install NT4 on a different drive/partition from
original (e.g. D:\NT-TEMP).
B. Boot to NEW installation (e.g. D:\NT-TEMP).
C. Install Backup Software.
D. Restore previously created FULL backups and any
necessary Incremental or Differential backups to
OLD installation. Be sure to restore the Registry.
E. Boot to the OLD installation (e.g. C:\WINNT)
F. Reapply the appropriate Service Pack
G. Alter BOOT.INI to point to the correct
installation as default and decide whether
or not to keep the emergency install.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~ SHORT MANUAL RECOVERY METHOD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Place the problematic drive in another working
machine and manipulate the file system that way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~ LONG MANUAL RECOVERY METHOD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One technique is to install a secondary (emergency)
installation of NT on a different drive [1] and fix
the original installation.
A. Install NT4 on a different drive/partition from
original, being careful to choose the same
networking options as the original installation.
B. Boot to NEW installation.
C. Install appropriate version of Internet Explorer
D. Install appropriate Service Pack and Hotfixes
(THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT -- YOU WILL CAUSE MORE
PROBLEMS FOR YOURSELF IF YOU SKIP THIS STEP!!)
E. Copy all *.SYS, *.DLL, *.EXE from the \WINNT
folder of the NEW installation to the same
locations in the OLD installation. [2]
(DON'T FORGET SUBFOLDERS: e.g. "\System32\Drivers")
F. Boot to the OLD installation
G. Reapply the appropriate Service Pack
H. Alter BOOT.INI to point to the correct
installation as default and decide whether
or not to keep the emergency install.
PERSONAL NOTES
• On the three (3) occasions that I've had to perform
the long recovery method, it has worked just fine
and saved me untold hours in rebuilding the machine'
from scratch. I avoid FDISK/FORMAT like you wouldn't
believe...
• Make sure you restore file permissions when performing
a full recovery from tape.
• System Restore is very effective under Windows XP
• Even if your last Restore Point is old, you can do
the following to help diagnose/resolve issues:
- Create New Restore Point
- Export Registry To A File
- Go Back To Older Restore Point
- Export Registry To A Different File Than Before
- Compare Both Files to Help Determine Changes
- Go Back To Newest Restore Point
- Apply Potential Changes To Registry.
RELATED SCRIPTS (ALSO IN THIS ARCHIVE)
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/Scripts/?File=BackupSS.BAT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/Scripts/?File=BackupSched.BAT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/Scripts/?File=CheckDisk.BAT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/Scripts/?File=CleanTemp.BAT
RELATED TOPICS (ALSO IN THIS ARCHIVE)
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=ERD.TXT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=BootDisk.TXT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=Recovery.TXT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=SafeConfig.TXT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=Backups.TXT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=Diagnose.TXT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=SPack.TXT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=Utils.TXT
[1] If you use the same drive/partition, then you run
the risk of having the same "Program Files" folder,
which might make things some more difficult than
they have to be. At the very least, install it to
a different folder (i.e. \NTTEMP)
[2] Could be done as a script (all on one line):
FOR %%F IN (DLL EXE SYS) DO XCOPY D:\WINNT\*.%%F C:\WINNT\*.%%F /S /E /F /H /R /D /C /I >>OUTPUT.LOG