Help with Windows Recovery Console (XP)

I'm working on my Mother's computer. She had gotten several errors, including:

and

So I'm trying to boot into the recovery console. I'm using the instructions found here: http://icrontic.com/article/repair_windows_xp

My issue is, when I get into the recovery console, it doesn't ask me for which installation number like in this image:

http://icrontic.com/draco/images/articles/repairing_windows_xp_in_eight_commands/xp_src_console.gif


It just goes directly into the command prompt with C:\> and when I try to run the commands, they don't work.

I WILL say, that I don't have the stock recovery disk, but am using a rc.iso file burned to a CD. It gets me to this black screen, with the message at the top, just doesn't prompt for installation number???

Any help?

Thanks!

 

I cannot help you with the Recovery Console (never used it before).

But have you tried to just boot into Last Known Good Configuration?

 

Yeah, I've tried that. Didn't work.

 

The first error is due to a bad or missing hive. Because Last Know Good Configuration did not work, I am not sure if the following will help or not. It will allow you to do a system restore if you have restore points available. The second may be do to several problems including a missing file or bad boot.ini file. Fixing the first may resolve the second but I am not sure. If doing a system restore does not work with ERD 2007 then you may be looking at a repair install. If ERD 2007 removes the config/system error than you may be able to repair the second problem with recovery console.

Download the following file which includes erd 2007.

http://www.chip.de/downloads/Microsoft-Diagnostics-and-Recovery-Toolset_35181963.html

The site is German but the program is english. You will have to install this on a XP computer as I believe it will not install on Vista or Windows 7. If one isn't available the erd50.iso file can be extracted with a program called Universal extractor. You will have to use two extraction methods.

http://calmit.org/wp-content/uploads/21.png

Installing the program on an XP computer creates erd50.iso in the following folder.

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset\

Burn erd50.iso with Imgburn or a burning program that can burn bootable iso images.

Boot the CD and preform a system restore under system tools.

http://calmit.org/using-erd-commander-system-restore-to-recover-an-unbootable-windows-system/

 

Are you saying I can't download and create this disk on a Windows 7 computer?

 

I just say that since it didn't find you windows installation so it went straight to C:\ prompt. It could be due to file corruption.

At the C:\ prompt in recovery console try doing a chkdsk /r and then boot without the CD. It may fix the corruption and let you boot.

If not then you can try tgell's link to try to get a system restore point.

 

I know there is a corrupted file in there somewhere. I will run that and see if it helps.

I'm at work right now, so it will have to be late tonight.

Thanks for the replies.