XP Recovery Console Administrator PW?

[KerryL]

Hard drive problems have required that I either recover or re-install XP. My C: drive contains data I want to save so my first option is to repair the existing version of XP.

When I boot off the XP CD-Rom I'm asked whether I want to repair an existing version of XP or install new, so I select "R" which takes me to the Windows XP Recovery Console. This screen says:

1: C:\Windows
Which Windows installation would you like to log onto?

I select "1" and the response is:

Type the Administration password:


The problem is, when I installed XP it never prompted me for an Administration Password and I never set one up. IOW, as far as I know, there is no Administration PW, so I can't get beyond this prompt. (My XP acct was an administrator acct but my PW doesn't work, nor does a blank.)

Is there a default Administration password?
Is there any way I can get beyond this prompt to try and repair my XP installation?

If not, and I re-install XP on C:, will my Favorites folder and all of the subfolders under the 'My Documents' folder be wiped out?

Thanks for your help,
KerryL

 

[bcastner]

The default is no password, so you just hit the enter key.

See this for how to run a repair in-place upgrade of XP, you do not hit the First 'R', rather you pretend at first it is a new installation:

http://support.microsoft.com:80/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp&NoWebContent=1

 

[smah]

You are entering the Recovery Console. I don't believe that this is what you're after. Skip the first "R" and try the second "R". See:

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341

 

[smah]

you beat me again bcastner

 

[bcastner]

smah, with you, on my best day, all I can modestly aspire to is a tie.

 

[KerryL]

So I select "new install" and then use the "R" option after that?

Bcastner: FWIW, when I was prompted to enter the Administration PW, I did try just hitting the enter key without typing an entry, but I got the same message--that the PW was incorrect.

Smah: I'm sorry you lost out to bcastner but if it makes you feel any better, I do not think less of you. Better luck next time, my friend.

Anyway, thanks to both of you. I linked to the Knowledge Base article and printed it off--I'll give it a shot tonight.

BTW, is the data in the 'My Documents' folder safe with an XP repair? Is it safe if I have to re-install XP or will it be overwritten?

KerryL

 

[bcastner]

It is perfectly safe.

On the password issue:

After you enter the number for the appropriate Windows installation, you are prompted to enter the Administrator account password. Note that if you use an incorrect password three times, the Windows Recovery Console quits. Also, if the SAM (Security Accounts Manager) database is missing or damaged, you cannot use the Windows Recovery Console because you cannot have proper authentication. .

Under Windows XP Professional, you can have group polices set to enable automatic administrative logon.

For additional information about how to set Recovery Console to enable automatic administrative logon, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
312149 HOW TO: Enable Administrator to Logon Automatically in Recovery Console

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;312149

 

[alfredomcse]

On many XP installations you can't start the Recovery Console because it won't recognize your password. This registry edit causes the Recovery Console not to ask for a password. This works for both XP Home and XP Professional.

Start | Run | Regedit
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNTCurrentVersion\Setup\RecoveryConsole
Set the DWORD SecurityLevel value to 1
Exit Registry and Reboot

 

[KerryL]

Bcastner: I'm using XP Home Edition, not XP Pro.
(I didn't see a Home Edition forum in here.)

Alfredomsce: I can't launch XP, so it's impossible for me to get to the registry.

 

[bcastner]

This sounds like this issue:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;308402

You could download the XP boot disk and approach Recovery Console in that fashion. See the link for details.

 

[KerryL]

Well guys, the steps explained in Knowledge Base article 315341 didn't work because the option of using "R" for repair never appears. If you'd like me to detail what each screen says during my attempt to repair my current XP install let me know, but here's a summary. (I apologize for the length of this reply, but it's the only way I can describe what happened.)

Everything in 315341 is accurate until I hit F8 to approve the XP licensing agreement. From that screen the directions say "make sure your current installation of XP is selected in the box, then press R to repair." Unfortunately, I never see that option.


Instead, I get a screen that says:

"The following list shows the existing partitions and unpartitioned space on this computer. Use up/down keys etc.
o To set up XP on the selected item, press Enter
o To create a partition in the unpartitioned space, press C
o To delete the selected partition, press D
19093 MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on Bus 0 on ATAPI [MBR]
C: Partition1 [NTFS] 19085 MB
Unpartitioned space 8 MB"

Of course, I highlighted the existing partitioned space, which is where XP is, and hit Enter. ("R" does not work.)


Which brings up this screen:

"Setup will install XP on partition C: Partition1 etc....
Use up/down keys to select the file system you want to use, then press Enter.
o Format the partition using NTFS file system(Quick)
o Format the partition using FAT file system (Quick)
o Format the partition using NTFS file system
o Format the partition using FAT file system
o Leave the current file system intact (No change)"

"R" doesn't work here either, so of course I selected the last option to leave the current system (NTFS) intact.


Which brings up this screen of no return:

"CAUTION: A /Windows folder already exists that may contain a Windows installation. If you continue, the existing Windows installation will be overwritten.

All files, subfolders, user accounts, applications, security, and desktop settings for that Windows installation will be deleted. The 'My Documents' folder may also be deleted.

o To use the folder and delte the existing Windows installation, press L
o To use a different folder, press ESC
o To quit setup press F3"

"R" for Repair does not work here either. And since I would really like to save the data under the 'My Documents' folders, I hit F3 to quit set up until I could tap your vast resources again.

The bottom line is, when I boot off the XP CD and go through the steps outlined in KB article 315341, I'm never prompted with the option of using "R" to repair my current version of XP.

If I continue from the "caution" step above, am I pretty likely to lose all that data?

NOTE:
In KB article 312369, it says that losing data during a reinstall, repair or upgrade is due to a file named Undo_guimode.txt in the Windoes\System32 folder. The file is created by the wizard when XP is run for the first time on PCs where XP is installed by the manufacturer. I used an NTFS utility to check the contents of System32, and that file is NOT there. Theoretically, this reduces the chance that my files will be overwritten if I reinstall. Do you have any knowledge of this?

Again, I apologize for the length of this reply, but if you have any insight or suggestions I sure would appreciate hearing them. Thank you.

KerryL

 

[wolluf]

kerryL - whatever your hard drive problems, they appear to be preventing XP install recognising the existing installation on the machine. alternative ways of retrieving your My Documents folder:-

1. If your filestore is fat32, you can boot from a win98 boot floppy and access hard drive from there (

http://www.bootdisk.com

if you need a 98 boot floppy). You'll need to copy it off onto other floppies though (so depends how big).

2. If its ntfs filestore, you can take a similar approach, but also put ntfsdos (freeware from

http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/NTFSDOS.shtml)

on the boot disk.

3. If you have access to another machine, install your drive as slave and try reading it from there.

Note: As you have hard drive problems, you may have difficulty actually reading the drive at all.

 

[bcastner]

From this site:

http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

"If the option to Repair Install is NOT available and you continue with the install; you will delete your Windows folder, Documents and Settings folders. All Applications that place keys in the registry will need to be re-installed.

You should exit setup if the repair option is not available and consider other options. I have found if the Repair option is not available, XP is usually not repairable and will require a Clean install"

*** End Quote


If the repair option is not available, it is Windows belief that a repair is not possible. I have my own guess that the PID of your installed version and the PID of what you want to Repair from are sufficiently different that a repair is unwise, at least. There used to be a warning to this effect, and the repair operation would be denied. And my guess is that rather than the warning it simply does not offer the repair alternative in this case. My copies of XP are all pre-SP1, and my sense from looking at Google Groups is that the problem started with CDs issued beginning around last May, 2002.

 

[KerryL]

Drat, I was afraid of that. Looks like my approach for saving the data is gonna have to change.

Do you know of any way to move the data or rename the folders the data resides in so XP doesn't overwrite it?

(See thread779-619579

 

[bcastner]

wolluf gave some ideas above.

But, have you:

1. Tried using the boot diskette approach to accessing the recovery console? I suggested this above through a link on the problems with sysprep by an OEM for installation. This link explains more details:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q310994&ID=kb;en-us;Q310994

2. It might be worthwhile trying a registry repair using Knoppix. Information and source here:

http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/remark,7018905~root=winme~mode=flat

This Charlie White is a good explanation of the directories and steps involved:

http://www.digitalwebcast.com/2002/03_mar/tutorials/cw_boot_toot.htm=flat

 

[KerryL]

Thank you, bacastner.

RE #1: That KB article says that XP boot diskette solution is good for when it's not possible to boot off of a CD-Rom. But I can do that, in fact I already have 6 XP boot disks at home. When they're used I see the same thing as if the XP CD is being used. IOW, I can use the CD-Rom, I just can't get to the repair utility.

RE #2: I'm not sure I'm technical enough to understand what the Knoppix CD is or what all it can do. Anyone out there ever use it? Is it good for recovering data from NTFS drives?

RE #3: That link gave me a "document not found" error.

 

[bcastner]

What I was hoping you would discover is that both Knoppix and the other utility mentioned, EBCD, will allow you to reset the administrator password. If you reset that, you can use the recovery console.

BTW, this should have been asked long ago, what exactly needs to be repaired? The Charlie White article (here is a repaired link) once you can get into recovery console should be a first step:

http://www.digitalwebcast.com/2002/03_mar/tutorials/cw_boot_toot.htm