The systems administrator will encounter
computers whose operating systems have become corrupt and cannot
function properly or will not even be able to boot up. Usually the
problem is that a critical file or program was deleted or changed so
that the operating system no longer recognizes it and therefore will
no longer work. In Windows 2000 an Emergency Repair Disk
(ERD) can be created or the Recovery Console feature can
be used. These options help fix these problems by repairing files or
copying new files that have been corrupted or damaged so that the hard
drive will not have to be reformatted and lose any valuable data.
Emergency Repair Disk
The ERD allows the reinstallation of any service packs that were
loaded since the original installation as well as copy files from the
CD-ROM of the corrupted files on the hard disk. If the file system
becomes corrupt and cannot start, an ERD may provide a solution. If a
service pack was applied since the original installation it will need
to be reapplied because the files that are copied will be original
installation files taken from the CD-ROM.
Creating an Emergency Repair Disk
To create an emergency repair disk, follow these steps:
- Run the Backup program (Start > Programs > Accessories
> System Tools > Backup)
- On the Welcome tab, click the Emergency Repair Disk button
- Insert a blank formatted 3.5 floppy disk in Drive A:
- Check the box labeled Also Backup The Registry To The Repair
Directory
- Click OK
- Remove the disk and label it "Emergency Repair Disk"
with the current date
Using an Emergency Repair Disk
There are two ways the emergency disk can be used. If the system
supports a bootable CD-ROM, insert the Windows 2000 CD and boot from
the CD. If the system does not support a bootable CD-ROM, insert Setup
disk 1 and restart the computer. There will then be a prompt for setup
disk 2, then setup disk 3.
- Press Enter when asked whether to install Windows 2000
- Press R to use the emergency repair diskette
- When presented with a Fast or Manual option, press F to select
the Fast option
- Press Enter to use the Emergency Repair Diskette
- Insert the Emergency Repair Diskette and press Enter
- Once the files have been repaired, reboot the operating system
Recovery Console
The Windows 2000 Recovery Console is a command-line interface that can
be used to perform a variety of troubleshooting and recovery tasks,
including starting and stopping services, reading and writing data on
a local drive (including drives that are formatted with the NTFS file
system), and formatting hard disks. Once the recovery console is
started, the commands from the command line can be used to remove,
replace, or copy corrupt files.
There is more than one way to start the Recovery Console. The first
way is to first insert the Windows 2000 CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive
and wait for the Microsoft Windows 2000 CD dialog box to open. If it
opens, close it. If it does not, go to the run command window on the
start menu and type "cmd". This will bring up a
command prompt window where the administrator can change to the drive
letter of the CD-ROM, then change to the I386 folder and run the
winnt32 command with the /cmdcons switch. After the Recovery Console
is installed, it can be accessed from the Please Select Operating
System To Start menu. Another way of starting the recovery console
is to start the system with the Windows 2000 setup disks or the CD and
enter by selecting the appropriate option when prompted.
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Lab
Activity (PDF, 8 KB) |
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In this lab, students will learn how to create and use an
Emergency Repair Disk. |
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