how to install xp recovery console??? [small pic warning]

[sarbin]

i know the rc can be installed from a retail xp installer disk, but how do i install it when all i have are factory product-recovery disks?

tia!

[jdhurst]

Maybe someone will be able to assist. I have never been able to do this with the stock recovery CD's.

One thing you might try (use caution!) is to start the recovery CD, and at the first stable menu, break out of it with control-C. That brings you to a DOS prompt. It may be possible to find the XP Repair console from there, but I don't know for sure.
... JDH

[sarbin]

thx!

i wasn't real hopeful.

i might try your suggestion with my a31p recovery startup disk. my t43 disk loads the graphical r&r interface and i don't think that ctrl-c will break out of it. but... i'm going to explore the disk a bit. i know the command is: "d":\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons so if i can find winnt32.exe, i may give it a try.

[sarbin]

no joy with a31p recovery disks.

anyone have a clue how to install the recovery console on a preload disk and only recovery cds, if it's even possible? i don't have a retail xp disk.

[K0LO]

I don't have the same model ThinkPad as you, but doing a default factory install on my X41T from the recovery disks will create the folder I386 in the root directory. You will find the winnt32.exe program in this folder.

[sarbin]

thanks for responding.
i see winnt32.exe there and tried the \i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons command from the root of c:.

the following is the result:



this a31p is at xpsp2, which explains the error/warning since the i386 folder is created upon initial install via the recovery disks. i'll give the same command a try on my t43 later today. since it's at xpsp2 as installed from the recovery disks, it may work.

i've got a feeling that there is more to it, though. otherwise, why would ms give the instructions as to be run from the xp install cd...

[K0LO]

I think you're right. Although I haven't done this personally, I think that winnt32.exe is a DOS program that must be run outside of Windows. You may have to create a bootable USB flash drive that boots to DOS and then run it from there, or else make a bootable DOS CD containing the program. But again, I'm only speculating.

Here is an MS article about the error message, and here is one about installing the recovery console.

[al7kz]

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