Recovery Console crashes

[Tony Batchelor]

XP Pro sp3.

I installed RC as per instructions and on boot the option appeared.
When I selected it, the RC gave messages that it was starting and then when
the screen blanked, instead of the RC command screen, I got the blue failure
screen.

I uninstalled RC, removed the cmdcons folder and file and reinstalled.

Same result.

So then I used msconfig and went to BOOT.INI. That gave me a message that
the path was no good, so removed the entry for me.

Rebooting and reinstalling I went to RC and then got a message that hal.dll
could not be found. After booting into XP again I found that the file was
labelled HAL.DLL so I renamed it and tried again. That message did not
appear, but RC crashed again.

So I then tried to boot from the XP CD to start RC. That does not work as
whether or not I choose to "Boot from CD", or just let it run, I just get
straight into the installed XP.

What else can I try?

Tony
PS I need to use RC to apply the fixboot command

 

[John John (MVP)]

And what was the error message in the "blue failure screen"? My guess
is that is was a 0x7b error...

Why do you need to run the fixboot command if the computer boots to XP
without problems?

John

 

[Tony Batchelor]

Sorry John - I had 'boot' on the brain!!!

I meant the next command on the RC list = fixmbr. The MBR appears to be
corrupted as the result of an unwanted Intel AMT chip being incorrectly
installed on my new computer instead of being simply left unconfigured.

The error message was STOP: 0x0000007B
(0xF78D2524, 0xC0000034, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

Tony

 

[John John (MVP)]

Same difference... if the computer is booting properly there is no need
to run the fixmbr command, if the MBR was corrupt the computer would not
boot.

The 0x7b error is because the Recovery Console is missing the storage
controller drivers, you have to press F6 when the Console starts to load
and you have to supply the controller drivers on a floppy diskette. If
you want to do away with the floppy requirements you can follow Jerold's
instructions:

JSI Tip 6575. How can I add 3rd party mass storage drivers to my
installed Recovery Console so I don't have to press F6 and load them?
http://windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/77901/jsi-tip-6575-how-can-i-add-3rd-party-
mass-storage-drivers-to-my-installed-recovery-console-so-i-dont-have-to-press-f6-and-load-them.html

Due to the lenght of the link it will wrap so here is a tiny link to the
article:
http://tinyurl.com/62lqv8

If you ask me it's simpler to press F6 and supply the diskette...

John

 

[Tony Batchelor]

OK, now we are getting somewhere! Here are my answers:

Tony
1. The computer is not booting properly. I have to try more than once most
times to eventually end up with XP loaded. Hence the need to attempt
corrections using RC
RC
2. My computer is of the "modern" variety that doesn't come with a floppy,
only a CD/DVD. Can that be used?
3. If so, I could copy the drivers to a CD and use that. Is the file I want
the Drivers folder in Windows?

 

[John John (MVP)]

OK, now we are getting somewhere! Here are my answers:

Tony
1. The computer is not booting properly. I have to try more than once most
times to eventually end up with XP loaded. Hence the need to attempt
corrections using RC
RC
2. My computer is of the "modern" variety that doesn't come with a floppy,
only a CD/DVD. Can that be used?

Nope, the drivers *must* be supplied on a floppy they will not be
accepted from any other media source. You will have to use Jerold's
method to incorporate the drivers to the Recovery Console.

3. If so, I could copy the drivers to a CD and use that. Is the file I want
the Drivers folder in Windows?

You will need the drivers from the motherboard or controller cd.

If your computer booting is erratic you should run a disk diagnostic on
the drive, go to the drive manufacturer's web site and download the
diagnostic utility for your drive and run it. You could also run a
chkdsk on the drive but be aware that there is *always* a risk of data
loss when chkdsk is run, make sure that you have a backup of your
precious files!

John

 

[Tony Batchelor]

Thanks John

So it looks to me as if RC is useless for use on how computers "from the
box" are supplied nowadays! Like my last two, they don't
- have a floppy drive
- or have installations CDs (OS loaded from hidden partition)
- and once the OS is loaded the hidden partition is no longer accessible,
so any driver folder is also no longer accessible

Looks like MS need to write a new programme for RC!

Tony
By the way, For the time being I will have to buy Bootmaster. I tried the
demo version today and it confirmed a corrupt MBR

 

[John John (MVP)]

You can use a USB floppy, but not all of them work:

A connected USB floppy disk drive does not work when you press F6 to
install mass storage drivers during the Windows XP installation process
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916196

As for Microsoft rewriting the Recovery Console or the Setup program in
my opinion that will not happen. You have to keep in mind that when
Windows XP was released in 2001 USB sticks barely existed and hardly
anybody even knew of them, even burning files to CD was relatively new.
I don't think the the fault for the floppy problem lies with
Microsoft, I think that it lies with cheap hardware vendors who for the
sake of saving $2.00 on the cost of a new computer have decided to do
away with the floppy drive. Those vendors knew full well of the F6
floppy requirements for Windows XP yet they were all too happy to sell
computers with XP installed or advertised as XP compatible but without
floppy drives. The newer Vista and Server 2008 will accept the drivers
on CD or USB sticks.

John

 

[Tony Batchelor]

John

I have resolved the problem, so this is just to windup the subject.

In the end it was as cheap (and more useful in the long run) to buy the
Bootmaster utility and repair the MBR that way. I did in fact find other
things it could do which cured another problem I didn't know I had!

Regarding your comment below - everything has to move on! My first "DOS" was
from a punched card on a timeshare computer, and my first personal computer
used an analogue cassette to load a sort of OS. My first use of a rewriteable
memory was a drum holding a few kB and we had to polish the surface every
week or so, so that the head could still read and write to it!!!

MS-DOS first came to me on a 5 1/4" floppy and Windows 1.0 caused me
problems as it came on a 3½" floppy that I had to get copied on to the bigger
disc to use in the 'old' computer! I still have the discs.

But we don't expect that the modern ones should have all those
possibilities! Now we have to get used to the box just having a CD/DVD and
lots of USBs. No manual in book form, and no CDs with the OS, just a hidden
partition.

Bye
Tony

: