Recovery Console under XP SP2?

[Peter Wilkins]

Some time ago I installed the recovery console on my XP Pro computer,
and it created a startup menu that gave me the option of booting into
XP or the recovery console. I tested it and it worked fine. I have
not needed it to date, but had a fuzzy warm feeling that it was there
if I ever did need it.

I have since installed SP2, without any problems, but only recently
thought to check the recovery console again. It would not load,
saying that the file hal.dll was missing or the wrong version, and to
reinstall it.

I searched and found 3 different hal.dll files, one in system32, one
in ServicePackFiles\i386, and an older one in NT service pack
uninstall. The two newer ones have the same version number and date,
are both from SP2 but are different in size. The one in System32
folder has an internal name of halmacpi.dll, while the other has an
internal name of hal.dll. So I tried switching them, but it made no
difference - same message trying to boot into recovery mode but the
system wouldn't boot into XP except in Safe mode, so I changed them
back.

So I thought I would just reinstall the whole Recovery Console.
I don't have a Win XP CD (Bloody Toshiba) but WINDOWS\I386 is where
the XP install files from the CD are located, so I tried running the
command C:\WINDOWS\I386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons. No go - I got a message
that the installed windows is newer than the one on the "CD".

"Setup cannot continue because the version of Windows on your computer
is newer than the version on the CD."

The MSKB says to use the XP CD to install the recovery console, and I
assume the winnt32.exe on the CD that Toshiba didn't give me is the
same as the one in my windows\i386 folder, so that is quite a problem
- perhaps there is a newer file associated with SP2?
No, there is no winnt32.exe in my ServicePackFiles\i386 folder, so
where do I go now to re-install the recovery console?

Oh, I did try uninstalling it per the instructions, but then windows
wouldn't boot at all so I had to put it back the way it was: in the
startup menu but non-functional.

Does anyone have any idea how I can get my recovery console working
again under SP2, should I ever need it?
TIA

What a fun day it is today!

 

[Richard Urban]

If you install the recovery console from a CD that is slip streamed with
SP2, you will find that all is working.

--

Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard



Some time ago I installed the recovery console on my XP Pro computer,
and it created a startup menu that gave me the option of booting into
XP or the recovery console. I tested it and it worked fine. I have
not needed it to date, but had a fuzzy warm feeling that it was there
if I ever did need it.

I have since installed SP2, without any problems, but only recently
thought to check the recovery console again. It would not load,
saying that the file hal.dll was missing or the wrong version, and to
reinstall it.

I searched and found 3 different hal.dll files, one in system32, one
in ServicePackFiles\i386, and an older one in NT service pack
uninstall. The two newer ones have the same version number and date,
are both from SP2 but are different in size. The one in System32
folder has an internal name of halmacpi.dll, while the other has an
internal name of hal.dll. So I tried switching them, but it made no
difference - same message trying to boot into recovery mode but the
system wouldn't boot into XP except in Safe mode, so I changed them
back.

So I thought I would just reinstall the whole Recovery Console.
I don't have a Win XP CD (Bloody Toshiba) but WINDOWS\I386 is where
the XP install files from the CD are located, so I tried running the
command C:\WINDOWS\I386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons. No go - I got a message
that the installed windows is newer than the one on the "CD".

"Setup cannot continue because the version of Windows on your computer
is newer than the version on the CD."

The MSKB says to use the XP CD to install the recovery console, and I
assume the winnt32.exe on the CD that Toshiba didn't give me is the
same as the one in my windows\i386 folder, so that is quite a problem
- perhaps there is a newer file associated with SP2?
No, there is no winnt32.exe in my ServicePackFiles\i386 folder, so
where do I go now to re-install the recovery console?

Oh, I did try uninstalling it per the instructions, but then windows
wouldn't boot at all so I had to put it back the way it was: in the
startup menu but non-functional.

Does anyone have any idea how I can get my recovery console working
again under SP2, should I ever need it?
TIA

What a fun day it is today!

 

[Guest]

Microsoft says,installing recovery anytime before SP2 should work
with SP2.Try running CHKDSK C: /R From cmd.The cmd though you
entered is invalid, C: should be the cdrom letter.

 

[Bob Harris]

First, installing SP-2 should have updated the recovery console, as well as
the main XP installation. Obviously it did not on your PC.

If you had an XP CD (in your case, any XP Pro CD), you could slip-stream it
with SP-2 to make a new XP Pro install CD. The recovery console on that CD
should be SP-2 compatible.

If you want to persue the slip-streaming path, take a look at the following
links:

nLite is a small, free utility that does slip-streaming for you. It can
download here:

http://nuhi.msfn.org/download.html

This utility requires that Microsoft .Net Framework be installed. That is
free from Microsoft. A link to it is listed on the above mentioned webpage.

A good tutorial is located at:

http://www.msfn.org/articles.php?action=show&showarticle=49

HOWEVER, if you do not have the XP CD, you might want to download the
multiple floppy disk set for XP Pro that is intended for PC without bootable
CDROMs. Included in this floppy set is the recovery console. I would hope
that the current MS download is SP-2 compatible:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q310994/



Some time ago I installed the recovery console on my XP Pro computer,
and it created a startup menu that gave me the option of booting into
XP or the recovery console. I tested it and it worked fine. I have
not needed it to date, but had a fuzzy warm feeling that it was there
if I ever did need it.

I have since installed SP2, without any problems, but only recently
thought to check the recovery console again. It would not load,
saying that the file hal.dll was missing or the wrong version, and to
reinstall it.

I searched and found 3 different hal.dll files, one in system32, one
in ServicePackFiles\i386, and an older one in NT service pack
uninstall. The two newer ones have the same version number and date,
are both from SP2 but are different in size. The one in System32
folder has an internal name of halmacpi.dll, while the other has an
internal name of hal.dll. So I tried switching them, but it made no
difference - same message trying to boot into recovery mode but the
system wouldn't boot into XP except in Safe mode, so I changed them
back.

So I thought I would just reinstall the whole Recovery Console.
I don't have a Win XP CD (Bloody Toshiba) but WINDOWS\I386 is where
the XP install files from the CD are located, so I tried running the
command C:\WINDOWS\I386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons. No go - I got a message
that the installed windows is newer than the one on the "CD".

"Setup cannot continue because the version of Windows on your computer
is newer than the version on the CD."

The MSKB says to use the XP CD to install the recovery console, and I
assume the winnt32.exe on the CD that Toshiba didn't give me is the
same as the one in my windows\i386 folder, so that is quite a problem
- perhaps there is a newer file associated with SP2?
No, there is no winnt32.exe in my ServicePackFiles\i386 folder, so
where do I go now to re-install the recovery console?

Oh, I did try uninstalling it per the instructions, but then windows
wouldn't boot at all so I had to put it back the way it was: in the
startup menu but non-functional.

Does anyone have any idea how I can get my recovery console working
again under SP2, should I ever need it?
TIA

What a fun day it is today!

 

[Peter Wilkins]

If you install the recovery console from a CD that is slip streamed with
SP2, you will find that all is working.

Thanks Richard,

but I can't create a slipstreamed SP2 CD - Toshiba doesn't give out XP
CDs with their computers, just a licence sticker on the computer and
an i386 folder in the Windows folder.

I've tried several ways using that folder and SP2, and it creates a CD
OK, but when I try to boot from it, it just tells me to put the
original XP CD into the CDROM and will go no further.

 

[Peter Wilkins]

First, installing SP-2 should have updated the recovery console, as wellas
the main XP installation. Obviously it did not on your PC.

If you had an XP CD (in your case, any XP Pro CD), you could slip-streamit
with SP-2 to make a new XP Pro install CD. The recovery console on thatCD
should be SP-2 compatible.

If you want to persue the slip-streaming path, take a look at the following
links:

Thanks Bob,
I had already tried slipstreaming using the i386 folder on the
computer and SP2, but it didn't work - it created a CD OK but when I
tried booting from it, insisted on getting the original XP CD, which I
don't have.

HOWEVER, if you do not have the XP CD, you might want to download the
multiple floppy disk set for XP Pro that is intended for PC without bootable
CDROMs. Included in this floppy set is the recovery console. I would hope
that the current MS download is SP-2 compatible:

I already had that floppy set, just for insurance, but it was
downloaded a long time ago pre SP1 and SP2, and it's a no-go.
I will check to see if there is a later one including SP2 and try that
if so. Thanks for the pointers.

 

[Peter Wilkins]

Microsoft says,installing recovery anytime before SP2 should work
with SP2.Try running CHKDSK C: /R From cmd.The cmd though you
entered is invalid, C: should be the cdrom letter.

I don't have an XP CDROM. I have an i386 folder in Windows that has
the XP install files on it - but installing SP2 seems to have screwed
it all up as far as the recovery console is concerned, don't know why
yet.

 

[Rich]

A slipstreamed SP2 CD is the answer. I went through the same
tail-chase as you. After slipstreaming a new XP install disk with SP2
incorporated, the recovery panel installed.

I still have yet to test it, but I expect no problems.

BTW, I found that there are instructions for creating a slipstream CD
on some sites that did not work for me.

The instructions on the following site were successful for me:

www.infinisource.com/WindowsXP/wincp-sp1-bootcd.html

I substituted my SP2 CD for the SP1 CD in the instructions.

Rich

 

[Rich]

Peter,

This is a bummer. A real catch-22.

What I have heard is that if you uninstall SP2 you can then install
the recovery console.

SP2 can then be reinstalled.

NOTE that this is a workaround. I have not personally done this.

Did you seach MS Knowledgebase for workarounds?

Rich

 

[Peter Wilkins]

Peter,

This is a bummer. A real catch-22.
What I have heard is that if you uninstall SP2 you can then install
the recovery console.
SP2 can then be reinstalled.

NOTE that this is a workaround. I have not personally done this.

Did you seach MS Knowledgebase for workarounds?

Thanks Rich,

I think uninstalling/reinstalling SP2 is a bit too much to do on spec
just to get the recovery console back! I did search the MSKB and
found how to do the installation normally, but found no workaround
without an XPCD. Apparently, installing SP2 should have automatically
upgraded my recovery console installation, but in my case it didn't -
it even removed the hidden recovery console folder, which is really
why it wouldn't work - the failure message I got about the hal.dll
file being corrupted or the wrong version was a bit misleading.

It's not quite so annoying now as I have managed to modify my boot.ini
so that the recovery console bootup option has gone, saving me 15 secs
on bootup. I must have done something funny the first time I tried,
as the system wouldn't boot after I amended it, even though the old
boot.ini looks exactly the same as the new one I typed up. (must look
at it in a hex editor - might have some spurious characters in it)

What I've just done is create a new Ghost 2003 full system backup on
DVD's, with the first DVD bootable and with Ghost on it.

So if anything really bad happens, I'll just boot from the Ghost DVD,
restore the whole image from Ghost, and forget the recovery console!

It might take a bit longer, but it works.

Thanks again.