Recovery Console is used when Safe Mode and other startup options do not sol-ve a problem. Recovery Console allows access to hard drive volumes without starting the GUI (Graphical User Interface). In other words, the Recovery Console allows you access to a command prompt from which you use commands to start and stop services, repair and access hard drive volumes, replace oorrupt files, and perform a manual recovery.

Recovery Console is not loaded onto the system by default, but it can be installed from the XP CD and then loaded through the boot menu or executed from the XP CD. Normally, technicians rl!n Recovery Console from the CD because Recovery Console is needed when there is a problem and is not preloaded. To run Recovery Console from the Windows XP CD, use the XP CD to start XP. If the CD is unavailable or the computer does not support booting from CD, use XP setup boot disks {obtained from Microsoft}. Press R at the Welcome to Setup screen to select the repair the installation option and the Recovery Console window appears. Press the number that corresponds to the partition where XP is loaded. An Administrator password prompt appears. Type the Administrator password and press Enter. A command prompt appears.

To install Recovery Console, insert the XP CD into the CD drive. If the welcome screen appears, close it. Click on the Start button, click on the Run option, and type in the appropriate path to access the i386 folder and the WINNT32 jCMDCOMS command. This starts the Recovery Console installation process. When asked if you want to install Recovery Console, click on the Yes button and follow the prompts on the screen. Once Recovery Console is installed, restart the computer and Recovery Console appears as a boot option. Use the arrow keys to select the Recovery Console option and press Enter. A command prompt appears.

You must sometimes work from the command prompt when the system is not working properly. That is what the Recovery Console tool is all about. You may want to go through the DOS and the DOS Command Line Interface, to understand the process and procedures needed when working from a command prompt. If the registry is corrupt or has been deleted, you are not prompted for an Administrator password. Instead, the system boots to a prompt where you can use basic commands like CHKDSK, FIXBOOT, and FIXMBR to repair the system. However, you cannot access any folders on the hard drive. The drive letters available at the Recovery Console command prompt might not be the same ones you used in the OUI environment. Use the MAP command to see the drive letters.

There are several ways to access a command prompt when the computer is functional. These methods are listed below.

• Click on the Start button, click on the Run option, and type cmd in the dialog box

• Click on Start button, click on the Run option, and type command in the dialog
box. Note that when this option is used, the keyboard arrow keys do not bring up previously used commands as the CMD command does.

• Click on Start button, point to the All Programs option, point to the Accessories option, and click on the Command Prompt option.

Some commands have different options when used within Recovery Console. To get help from a command prompt running within Windows XP or from within Recovery Console, type Help to see a list of commands; type Help command-name where command name is the command itself or type command name The copy command can be used through Recovery Console to restore the rwo important files, system and software, that are used to build two important registry keys HKEY_LQCAL_MACHINE \ System and HKEY _LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software. If the unresolved problem relates to hardware, try replacing the System file first. If the problem relates to software, replace the software file first. Do not replace both files at the same time because the System or Software files may not be current, which means that drivers or service packs may have to be reinstalled after replacement.
Recovery Console has four default limitations which a technician should be aware of.

They are as follows:
• No text editor is available in Recovery Console by default

• Files cannot be copied to removable media such as floppy disks while in Recovery Console. Write access is disabled.

• The Administrator password cannot be changed from Recovery Console.

• Some folders such as Program Files and Documents and Settings are inaccessible from the Recovery Console prompt.