Repairing Windows XP with on-board toolsPart 1

Who does not know that! The PC starts up and nothing works.
Until the introduction of Windows ME, 2000 and XP, this meant a new installation, which in the vast majority of cases involved a considerable expenditure of time and immense data loss.
With Windows XP, a destroyed operating system has in many cases lost its horror.

There are three supporting tools available:

1. System restore
2. Recovery Console
3. Repair installation

 

 

1. System restore

A simple but very useful tool in Windows XP is System Restore. It allows the operating system to be automatically reset at an earlier point in time.

After 24 hours, the processing of Windows updates from the Internet, the installation of unsigned drivers, the installation of software using the Windows Installer, during a system restore and when restoring a backup, Windows XP automatically sets restore points. These can be supplemented with manual points.

If an error occurs, those restore points are used to restore the system state to an earlier point in time.
System restore can be reached via Start> Programs> Accessories> System Tools. After activating the Restore computer to an earlier point in time option, click Next.

The next step is to select the date that is intended for the restoration.
Then click on Next again.

Now a restart follows. The backed up system will be restored. After the reboot you will be informed that the restoration has been completed.

Finally, a few more tips on system recovery:

Regulate the point in time of the automatic backup intervals:

As already described, Windows XP sets automatic restore points after 24 hours. This time span can be changed.
Start the registry (Start> Run> regedit) and enter the path:
HKEY_LocalMachineSoftwareMicrosoftWindowsNTCurrentVersionSystemRestore Looking for. There are in the entry RPGlobalInterval 86.400 seconds, that corresponds to the mentioned 24 hours.
This value can be changed after a double click.

Delete restore points:

Right click on the My Computer> Properties. The device manager opens. In the option system recovery is the entry Disable System Restore . After marking it, please click Apply and all previous restore points will be deleted. After deleting, please deactivate this point again so that Windows XP can create new restore points again.

Limit storage space:

Also in Device Manager> System Restore you can specify how much space is allowed for System Restore. The default is 12%. This can be changed by moving the slider. If the allotted space is used up, Windows automatically overwrites the oldest points.

System restore can only be performed after restarting:

If you get this error message it is due to the file Wininit.ini . It indicates an incomplete installation or deinstallation.
If the problem occurs repeatedly, please search for this file and rename it. It is located in the Windows folder.

 

If this does not solve your system problems, move on to Part 2 - The Recovery Console.

 

2. The recovery console

If Windows XP cannot be started in normal or safe mode, a repair comes with the
System recovery as described in Part 1 is no longer an option.
But in this case, too, there is a tried and tested tool in Windows XP.


2. The recovery console
To start the recovery console, the Windows installation CD must be inserted and the boot process assigned to the CD drive, if necessary.
After reaching the setup screen, the console will start with R started.

Another option is permanent installation.

Information on this can be found in the tip:

Install, use, and upgrade the Recovery Console


However, before the recovery console can be used, the restriction of the
set variables are canceled.
If this is not done, the files cannot be edited.
How this restriction is lifted can also be found in the above tip.

Is the set variable once activated, all further restrictions can be lifted directly in the recovery console.
If folders or files need to be edited directly, this is done with the command set AllowAllPaths = True .
If access to removable media is required, the command set AllowRemovableMedia = True is required.

Then access to z. B. floppy disks possible.

Furthermore, placeholders may not be used in the recovery console.
This restriction can be avoided with set AllowWildCards = True .
After that, the use of placeholders is permitted again.
If the reason for the broken operating system is suspected to be a driver, this is carried out with the command disable (name) switched off. If the problems persist after it has been deactivated, the driver will run the command enable (name) turned on again.

 

Repair of the boot configuration:

The cause of the error is often a problem in the Master Boot Record(MBR). A repair is carried out by entering the command fixmbr .
After pressing the Enter key, the program checks the MBR.
The information given here is confirmed with J and Enter.
But be careful: The fixmbr command corresponds to fdisk / mbr in DOS.
Entries in the boot manager can also be lost.
Another reason for bad booting is often a damaged boot sector.
This can be renewed with the command fixboot c :.

Further commands:

bootcfg / list
Overview of the current start configuration

bootcfg / scan
Scan program to determine the Windows installations, including those that cannot run, are displayed.

bootcfg / rebuild
A new start configuration is compiled, accepted with "y" and Enter, integrated with "A".
The start configuration is not overwritten, only new or missing entries are added.

listsvc
A list of all integrated drivers; helps a lot with troubleshooting.

Also the well-known command chkdsk reappears in the recovery console.
This can be used to check a faulty hard drive. By also entering the parameter r a possible hard disk error is corrected.
To prevent error-free drives from being marked, the parameter p .
Thus the complete correction order is chkdsk / p / r .
By entering help you can display all commands.

However, this command can still be refined. For example, entering help copy explains how the copy command works.

By entering Exit the recovery console will exit.

If the system problems cannot be solved with this either, move on to part 3 - The repair installation

3. The repair installation

If all previous attempts to save the system have failed, the third, last and most effective one presents itself
Possibility of a repair installation. Even an operating system that has been totally destroyed by registry changes can still be saved in this way.

Here, the entire base of Windows XP is renewed. All drivers and updates that have already been installed will be lost and will have to be reloaded after the repair has been carried out.
In contrast to a new installation, however, all programs, applications and your own files remain untouched and function perfectly after the repair.

{/source 3. The repair installation After the CD drive has been selected as the first boot source in the BIOS, the computer is started with the Windows installation CD. The same setup screen appears as for the recovery console. However, the Enter key is now pressed to select the Press Enter key to install Windows XP now parameter. The EULA is then confirmed with F8. The message appears: If one of the following Windows XP installations is corrupted, Setup can attempt to repair it. Now the damaged installation is selected. The command Press the R key to repair the selected Windows XP installation is executed. The setup routine that follows is the same as for a new installation. The valid serial number also needs to be entered. {source}

___________________________________________________
This tip comes from www.win-tipps-tweaks.de
© Copyright Michael Hille

Warning:
Using Registry Editor or its tips incorrectly can cause serious system problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Tampering with the registry files and using the tips is at your own risk.