How to repair Windows XP using recovery console

In case your computer doesn’t start up and the blue screen of death starts showing up telling about some damaged system files you can try fixing it through Windows XP recovery console. Depending upon your configuration, you have two options.

Choice 1
If you have recovery console installed in your PC read on. If not – skip to choice 2

1. Restart your Windows XP system.

2. Upon booting up, choose “Recovery Console” option from the menu.

3. When prompted – type your Windows administrator password. You may try pressing enter at once, if you don’t know it or there is no password at all.

4. Type Windows Xp recovery console commands at the command prompt. If you are not familiar with them, type “help” (without quotes) and press enter. You will be given a list of all available commands in recovery console.

5. Type “Help” “Command name” (for instance: help fixboot) for more detailed explanation of each recovery console command.

In case of blue screen of death issue, I would type (without commas) chkdsk /R, fixboot, fixmbr.

Choice 2
Use Windows XP Recovery Console from XP installation CD

1. Insert your Windows XP installation CD into your CD drive and restart the computer. If your PC does not boot right on from your installation disk, it means that you have to change boot options in your BIOS settings. You can do that by pressing F8 or F11 and choosing the CD-ROM drive or going directly into BIOS settings (press “Delete” key or F5 or any other that takes you to BIOS menu) and changing boot device priority there.

2. After the Windows XP setup begins, follow the on screen prompts. You will see “welcome to setup” screen. After the files load up, select the repair or recover option by pressing “R” key on your keyboard.

3. Select the installed system you want to repair. Usually you just type “1” on your keyboard. It means you have only one operational system installed in your hard drive.

4. Repeat the steps 4 and 5 in Choice 1.