Cannot access recovery console

[kdweiss]

Hi all,

I have a Windows 2000 Server which appears to have a software problem.
Right now, the server doesn't boot in Normal Mode, any Safe Mode, or
Last Known Good Configuration. When I try to boot the system into the
Recovery Console from the W2K CD, I receive the following error shortly
after pressing 'R':

Stop c000218 {registry file failure}
The registry cannot load the hive (file)
\systemroot\system32\config\sofware
Or its log or alternate
It is corrupt, absent or not writable.

Is there someway I can just boot from floppy or CD, get to the command
prompt, and then run the CHKDSK utility?

--Kevin Weiss
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hi all,

I have a Windows 2000 Server which appears to have a software problem.
Right now, the server doesn't boot in Normal Mode, any Safe Mode, or
Last Known Good Configuration. When I try to boot the system into the
Recovery Console from the W2K CD, I receive the following error shortly
after pressing 'R':

Stop c000218 {registry file failure}
The registry cannot load the hive (file)
\systemroot\system32\config\sofware
Or its log or alternate
It is corrupt, absent or not writable.

Is there someway I can just boot from floppy or CD, get to the command
prompt, and then run the CHKDSK utility?

--Kevin Weiss
(e-mail address removed)

I recommend this:
- Temporarily install the server disk as a slave disk in
some other Win2000/XP PC.
- Make sure all your data is backed up
- Run chkdsk

 

[kdweiss]

Sounds good, but unfortunately this is the only HP Proliant server at
the site. No other machine could fit their SCSI disks. Any other ideas?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Sounds good, but unfortunately this is the only HP Proliant server at
the site. No other machine could fit their SCSI disks. Any other ideas?

Here are a couple of alternatives:
- Boot the machine with a Bart PE boot CD. You need a tool
from http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/#download, a CD burner,
a WinXP Professional CD (but no licence) and about 3 hours
of your time. The question is whether the CD will recognise
your SCSI adapter . . .
- Disconnect the SCSI adapter, then load a vanilla version of
Win2000/XP on some spare IDE disk. This will take less time
than making a Bart PE CD. On the other hand a Bart PE CD
is, in my opinion, an indispensable tool for a system administrator.

 

[Dave Patrick]

If the software hive is corrupt, it may be possible to rename the software
hive found in;
%windir%\system32\config\software
to software.old
then copy the most recent backup found in
%windir%\repair\regback
as
%windir%\system32\config\software

If that fails you can copy/ use the file
%windir%\repair\software
This file is an image of the hive at the time the OS was installed, so you'd
have to reinstall all software. This being the case you might just as well
blow it away and start a new install. (note: this would at least allow you
to start the OS to make any necessary backups prior to wiping the drive.)

To start the Recovery Console, start the computer from the Windows 2000
Setup CD or the Windows 2000 Setup floppy disks. If you do not have Setup
floppy disks and your computer cannot start from the Windows 2000 Setup CD,
use another Windows 2000-based computer to create the Setup floppy disks. At
the "Welcome to Setup" screen. Press F10 or R to repair a Windows 2000
installation, and then press C to use the Recovery Console. The Recovery
Console then prompts you for the administrator password. If you do not have
the correct password, Recovery Console does not allow access to the
computer. If an incorrect password is entered three times, the Recovery
Console quits and restarts the computer. Note If the registry is corrupted
or missing or no valid installations are found, the Recovery Console starts
in the root of the startup volume without requiring a password. You cannot
access any folders, but you can carry out commands such as chkdsk, fixboot,
and fixmbr for limited disk repairs. Once the password has been validated,
you have full access to the Recovery Console, but limited access to the hard
disk. You can only access the following folders on your computer: drive
root, %systemroot% or %windir%

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

| Hi all,
|
| I have a Windows 2000 Server which appears to have a software problem.
| Right now, the server doesn't boot in Normal Mode, any Safe Mode, or
| Last Known Good Configuration. When I try to boot the system into the
| Recovery Console from the W2K CD, I receive the following error shortly
| after pressing 'R':
|
| Stop c000218 {registry file failure}
| The registry cannot load the hive (file)
| \systemroot\system32\config\sofware
| Or its log or alternate
| It is corrupt, absent or not writable.
|
| Is there someway I can just boot from floppy or CD, get to the command
| prompt, and then run the CHKDSK utility?
|
| --Kevin Weiss
| (e-mail address removed)
|

 

[kdweiss]

Again, I cannot access the recovery console. When I try to, after I
press the first 'R' (for Repair), I get a message stating it couldn't
find a hard disk. I found a tool to read the logical drives:

NTFS Reader Bootable Floppy
http://download2.lsoft.net/NtfsFloppySetup.exe

It does show both a logical C and D drive, as expected. Is there some
way to run CHKDSK (or some alternative) in DOS mode?

 

[Guest]

Well start off and tell us what you did before you got to this point.
Install new hardware? New software? Just out of the blue happen?

If it's not starting the recovery console and saying no drive found, you
might be faced with a bad drive completly.

who is the manufacture of the drive itself? You might be able to download a
drive fitness test that self boots to test its sectors.

 

[kdweiss]

We were having problems with an MSSQL DB on that server. For some
reason, stop/start of the SQL service appeared to fix the problem (i.e.
SQL ANAYLZER no longer show errors). About 90 min. later, the server
crashed. Then we kept receiving the aformentioned error (stop
C000218...).

We called HP for some ideas. HP had us run a diag stating the physical
drive which C resides is fine. At that point, we ruled out hardware as
a problem, and they don't support OS problems (as expected). Still, we
cannot access the Recovery Console. I did find a tool to read NTFS
volumes, and it did find both the logical C and D drives, as expected:

NTFS Reader Bootable Floppy
http://download2.lsoft.net/NtfsFloppySetup.exe

I did a google for a "Recovery Console CD", w/o the use of BartPE. I
found this:
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_Systems/Q_20846728.html

I'm currently trying the last suggestion with that thread. I'm thinking
if there's just some way I can get the system to run CHKDSK in DOS
mode, it might fix the problems on the C drive. Any other suggestions?

 

[Dave Patrick]

You didn't mention the drive controller (possibly SCSI, or ultra DMA, or
ATA100, or raid, or serial ATA), but you may need to boot the Windows 2000
setup disks or CD-Rom and *F6* very early and very important (at setup is
inspecting your system) in the setup to prevent drive controller detection,
and select S to specify additional drivers. Then later you'll be prompted to
insert the manufacturer supplied Windows 2000 driver for your drive's
controller in drive "A"

If you wait and then S to specify additional drivers, then it may be too
late as Windows 2000 Setup at this point may have already assigned the
resources your drive's controller is wanting to use.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

| Again, I cannot access the recovery console. When I try to, after I
| press the first 'R' (for Repair), I get a message stating it couldn't
| find a hard disk. I found a tool to read the logical drives:
|
| NTFS Reader Bootable Floppy
| http://download2.lsoft.net/NtfsFloppySetup.exe
|
| It does show both a logical C and D drive, as expected. Is there some
| way to run CHKDSK (or some alternative) in DOS mode?
|

 

[kdweiss]

OK,

I created a BartPE CD with WinXP image:
http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

I booted the server from the CD, and tried to run CHKDSK. It tried to
run, but it couldn't find the NTFS volume for C. But the other program
did find the C drive. This leads me to believe there's a problem with
the logical C drive.

Is there a way to repair the partition table without using 'fixboot' or
'fixmbr' from the recovery console. Can I use 'dskprobe'?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

OK,

I created a BartPE CD with WinXP image:
http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

I booted the server from the CD, and tried to run CHKDSK. It tried to
run, but it couldn't find the NTFS volume for C. But the other program
did find the C drive. This leads me to believe there's a problem with
the logical C drive.

Is there a way to repair the partition table without using 'fixboot' or
'fixmbr' from the recovery console. Can I use 'dskprobe'?

Which "other" program found the C: drive?

 

[kdweiss]

OK Dave,

I took your suggestion and found the driver for our array. I pressed F6
to load it, and was able to use the Recovery Console. I was able to run
a CHKDSK /R, and it fixed some errors. I did a reboot, and the server
began to restart, but again failed with the same message as before:

Now I can use your info from your first post. I'll try replacing the
hive and let you know what happens.

 

[kdweiss]

OK,

On a test machine, I tried the registry hive copy ideas (from the
Recovery Console) previously mentioned. The test machine didn't have a
"Regback" folder, and I'm afraid the server that's having problems
won't either.

In another thread, I found another solution:
http://www.anetforums.com/posts.aspx?ThreadIndex=30064

FIXMBR C:
FIXBOOT C:
COPY CDDrive:\I386\NTLDR C:\
COPY CDDrive:\I386|NTDETECT.COM C:\
BOOTCFG /rebuild

Does this sound like a good solution if my server doesn't have the
"C:\WINNT\Repair\Regback" folder? Should I just reinstall the OS?

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

OK,

On a test machine, I tried the registry hive copy ideas (from the
Recovery Console) previously mentioned. The test machine didn't have a
"Regback" folder, and I'm afraid the server that's having problems
won't either.

In another thread, I found another solution:
http://www.anetforums.com/posts.aspx?ThreadIndex=30064

FIXMBR C:
FIXBOOT C:
COPY CDDrive:\I386\NTLDR C:\
COPY CDDrive:\I386|NTDETECT.COM C:\
BOOTCFG /rebuild

Does this sound like a good solution if my server doesn't have the
"C:\WINNT\Repair\Regback" folder? Should I just reinstall the OS?

The commands you mention will restore a damaged boot
environment. Unfortunately they won't do anything for your
damaged or missing hives.

 

[Dave Patrick]

No regback folder means you have never backed up the registry. Yes, you're
probably looking at a clean install.

--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

| OK,
|
| On a test machine, I tried the registry hive copy ideas (from the
| Recovery Console) previously mentioned. The test machine didn't have a
| "Regback" folder, and I'm afraid the server that's having problems
| won't either.
|
| In another thread, I found another solution:
| http://www.anetforums.com/posts.aspx?ThreadIndex=30064
|
| FIXMBR C:
| FIXBOOT C:
| COPY CDDrive:\I386\NTLDR C:\
| COPY CDDrive:\I386|NTDETECT.COM C:\
| BOOTCFG /rebuild
|
| Does this sound like a good solution if my server doesn't have the
| "C:\WINNT\Repair\Regback" folder? Should I just reinstall the OS?
|

 

[kdweiss]

Hi all,

I wanted to thank everyone for their input. Unfortunately, a reinstall
of the OS was required. At least it got us back up and our data is
available. In our case, the hard drive was fine and neither corrupt nor
damaged.

Anyway, I found the following Windows 2000 Resource Kit article, and
I'll definitely implement this in the future:

Backing up and Restoring the Windows 2000 Registry
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...rver/reskit/en-us/regentry/RegistryBackup.asp

 

[Snarky Parker]

You may also want to look into this backup approach:

You can install a 3rd party utility that can backup your registry. The latest
version of this utility has an autobackup feature or one can use it with the
Task Scheduler. Backups can easily be restored from within Windows or the
Recovery Console. I have mine setup to do a daily backup (never had to use
it..but it gives one a warm feeling just having it available).

If used, be sure to store your backup(s) in a subfolder of the %SystemRoot%
folder so that they are accessible in the RC mode.

Download this freeware utility from here:

ERUNT
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/


| Hi all,
|
| I wanted to thank everyone for their input. Unfortunately, a reinstall
| of the OS was required. At least it got us back up and our data is
| available. In our case, the hard drive was fine and neither corrupt nor
| damaged.
|
| Anyway, I found the following Windows 2000 Resource Kit article, and
| I'll definitely implement this in the future:
|
| Backing up and Restoring the Windows 2000 Registry
|
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...rver/reskit/en-us/regentry/RegistryBackup.asp
|