Re: Recovery Console Perplexations and Woes

From: Steve N. (Steve_N_at_nunya.biz.nes)
Date: 01/19/05 

Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 15:14:21 -0800

Bart, for future reference:

1. You could have fixed the MBR by booting a Win98 floppy and running
FDISK /MBR

2. You can get a free tool that can allow you reset the Admnistrator
password:
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd

Thanks for the good read, though. You should write a book.

Steve

Bart Marks wrote:
> Bart Marks <yee.ha@yippie.kye.yay> wrote in
> news:Xns95E29156FABAEeXiGeNT@216.143.170.12:
>
>>>Boo to Mr. Microsoft's Recovery Console acess procedures!
>>>
>>>Seems I lost my MBR, (that other PC) and when I boot from XP
>>>Professional SP2 installation disk, it gives me the option to goto
>>>Recovery Console,
>>>then the dialog, then enter my admin password... No way, Jose! I have
>>>verified that I have the Administrator Password correct, so why does
>>>it do that to me?
>>>
>>>OK, another factor, that I thought I'd check is that I use TweakUI to
>>>log me on ordinarily - could that be the issue, or is there some super
>>>secret default PW for XP's Recovery Console on a fubarred HDD???
>>>
>>>Many thanks for assistance!
>>>
>>>PS: Not to be rude, but I *have* been all over Google and
>>>microsoft.com - it all dead-ends at "enter the PW" and/or "if it won't
>>>accept the PW you just be SOL," or words to that effect in slightly
>>>more technical jargon.
>
>
>
> Malke <malke@nospoonnotreally.com> wrote in news:#kxPGla$EHA.1524
> @TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl:
>
>>I understand that you are upset, but let's go over exactly what you've
>>actually done (since you haven't specified). You start the Recovery
>>Console and you input the Administrator password that you created at
>>the installation or setup of XP Pro. This is not supposed to be the
>>password for your regular account. If you have XP Home and it came
>>preinstalled, the default Administrator password is a blank. Have you
>>tried that? Please post back and tell us exactly what you are doing.
>>Again, I understand that you are upset but you need to communicate what
>>you've done so we can help you. There are ways of dealing with the
>>problem if you have run into the sysprep problem.
>>
>>Malke
>>--
>>MS MVP - Windows Shell/User
>>Elephant Boy Computers
>>www.elephantboycomputers.com
>>"Don't Panic!"
>
>
>
>
> Hello, Malke, and thank you very much for your response!
>
> Let me deal with the "upset" part first, because that facet apparently
> shined through my attempts at coping with this pestulance using levity:
>
> < fair warning: snippable drivel ensues >
>
> "Recovery Console" by its denotation says that an ordinary user, like
> myself would not avail oneself to it unless one needed to recover, ehh?
>
> What horror if a user had but one computer in their house with WinXPpro?
>
> OK - Now, when I *need* to recover, I try to pop into that program provided
> ostensibly for that reason, and what do you know? I got them 'Recovery
> Console Blues' because the dialog won't accept my Administrator password
> established at previous install and setup.
>
> Now, I understand that the geniuses (geniui?) at Microsoft, under the
> constant influence of the hum and whir of machinery and effects of the
> famous Seattle coffee recipes, up in the air at Redmond Hills so close to
> 7th Heaven wanted to build in security measures so that just any old body
> could not go popping into systems and and making dangerous or malicious
> changes -- but for heavens' sake, you guys, who in the world could picture
> a scenario wherein someone with ill intentions would just happen to have
> the Windows XP Professional SP2 installation CD, with the appropriate Key,
> etc., handy, and decide to go pop into someone else's machine with it, and
> recover from a lost MBR???
>
> OK, OK, let's just postulate that there *could* exist such a far fetched
> *plausibility,* and out of an abundance of caution, Microsoft software
> engineers decided to build-in a password protection sequence for
> specifically the Recovery Console, aside from, and in addition to, the
> Administrator Password with which we are all so familiar, with the initial
> steps after having installed Windows XP Pro... I ponder this: Why in the
> world would they not inform you of this clearly in the install dialog????
>
> Perhaps they did, but it was in the teeny-tiny small print and disclaimers
> that only a way-experienced NT/2000 and now XP user - whose eyes weren't in
> need of reading glasses to function in front of the glare of data being
> rendered faster than the speed of light - would read. But then, in the
> midst of exigent circumstances and the need to recover, where's the
> Microsoft support dialog when you search for "recovery console access
> password" or such? "You need 'the' password; if you don't have it: too
> bad!" is the universally accepted standard response, in essense?
>
> <announcement: snippable drivel completed - whoo whoo>
>
>
> Here's the history of the situation:
>
> I installed Windows XP Pro basic on the [not yet] crashed workstation some
> time ago, and have since sequentially updated through SP1 and now SP2.
>
> I believe the root of the problem is that I installed a 3rd party system
> lock between the SP1 and SP2 era, which works by locking out the MBR unless
> an appropriate password is entered at a boot screen dialog, between the
> BIOS screen and the OSLOGON. Now this worked fine for quite some time.
> Being aware of the circumstances, for purposes of drive image backups and
> other huge updates which required a series of reboots, I simply entered the
> password, temporarily entered the unlocked system mode, rebooted, and moved
> forward without the requirement to lock the system, and did what I had to
> do attended, until such time as the task(s) were complete, and then, when
> all was stable, resumed and locked the system again.
>
> It came to pass on 17JAN that there was some sort of buffer overload during
> normal multi-tasking operations, with the system [MBR] lock in place but
> with the system up and running. The overload, or whatever was the
> causation, induced a crash, with a "Blue Screeen" which stated "...
> hardware error... if first time... restart system... if not call your
> administratior..." Esc or Ctrl-Alt-Del does not work there.
>
> Only way out of that situation was the cold boot - hold start button for 4
> seconds > shut down > wait 30 seconds or so > restart.
>
> I did so, entered the 3rd party System lock sequence, entered password to
> unlock thereby accessing the MBR, and successfully rebooted into Windows...
>
> The system restarted, and after some vasillation into the OSLOGON screen
> and back to black screen, rebooted on into Windows - but probably reverted
> automatically to some last-known-good-configuration; without specific
> notice thereto.
>
> Now here's the latest Microsoft security procedures at work: I was
> inundated with Microsoft auto-update dialogs, M$ AntiSpyware, M$ Windows
> auto-update, M$ Firewall, including a small grey system dialog window which
> stated "Your system has recovered from a serios error... Please send to
> Microsoft..."
>
> At this point, I had physically pulled the workstation's connection to the
> internet (don't want to spread viruses, or allow a hijack to consummate).
> In any case, I have long since stopped allowing the dialog "to send the
> information to Microsoft" because it's usually in conflict with other
> urgent operations/issues ongoing, and *they* never return acknowledgments.
> When the dialogs subsided, because of the "system error" information
> provided by the M$ dialog, I decided to access Windows XP's version of
> chkdisk, via My Computer > C:\ > Properties > Tools tab > Error checking
> [Auto-fix & Scan-recover] > requires reboot on C:\ (because of Windows in
> use) > and once again, on reboot I got the OSLOGON screen, but only black
> screen after that, and my monitor's hardware dialog informs me "no signal"
> thereby suggesting/hinting damaged MBR.
>
> < this is going long...
> sorry, but want to provide enough info this time >
>
> Well, I had imaged the drive only 5 days prior, so I booted via floppy
> recovery disks into my drive image recovery system and restored the drive
> back to the 12th [from the 17th]. System seemed to work OK, so I still
> wanted to do the chkdisk procedure; went through the above; and again got
> nearly the same error as above, only this time with no OSLOGON screen.
>
> That's the point where I decided to try the Recovery Console > fixmbr via
> install disk with no joy, because the only password requirement I had
> inferred from all the information available was that I would need my
> "Administrator's Password" as it is constantly and consistently denoted!
>
> Thus, was/am/is not able to figure out how to use this magnificent tool so
> generously provided by the brain-trust at Microsoft Concepts Breakfast Tea
> and Fashion Show, INC. LOL! JK. I'm not really mad at Microsoft, it's just
> that they can't anticipate *every* possible situation, like an MBR getting
> damaged and needing a quick and easy recovery by an ordinary home user.
>
> Whew! So, there's the history!
>
> I take it from your response that there must be some procedure at OS
> installation to establish some entry password indigenous only to the
> Recovery Console for each [system][installation][installation disk][time
> zone][religious preference][political affilation][favorite color]???
>
> Please, pray tell. Or write ye yon book; because, if the information be
> true, would I that make said purchase in haste forthwith and be joyous in
> abundance therefrom? Yea, I say unto ye: ideedy do dah do dah day-o!
>
>
> Incidentally, I have since <fingers crossed> <knocking on solid resin
> simulated wood covered real wood particle board> recoverd from the maliase
> itself, all but for want of the knowledge how most efficiently to a)
> install the Recovery Console procedures correctly from the onset, in
> prudent and judicious cautionary anticipation and preparation; and/or, b)
> how to effect the Recovery Console access from this point onward. It seems
> it may be a viable option to have available; seems to be setting there
> waiting for anyone with the installation disk to use it; but yet, seems to
> have some super-secret set of rituals to avail oneself to it?
>
>
> PS: Just can't get it off my mind: Does anyone seriously think that a
> hamburgler, or the like, is running around randomly out there with a bona-
> fide Windows XP Professional installation disk - with a unique License key
> at some $300 or so, randomly seeking a defenseless Windows XP Professional
> workstation, so that he/she/they may access the dreaded Recovery Console
> and... and... and... and what exactly? LOL! Well, I guess it could
> happen. Strange world we're living in anymore, ehh?
>
>
> Want to know how I recovered the workstation? It was quite accidental, not
> altogether random, and dependent upon a set of serendipitous procedural
> oddities that happened to be lying around.
>
> First, I used the GRC SpinRite floppy. I hear there's a v6 out there now
> that is considerably faster, but after several hours, it determined that
> there was no problem with the HDD hardware itself - thankfully.
>
> Then, I broke out my newer, from another machine, WinXPpro-SP2 disk, booted
> into it, chose to install, elected to format the drive [in case the crash
> and loss of MBR was malware related]... After all that, I booted into the
> drive image recovery disk system and restored by the fully scanned, fully
> functional, then-to-date updated, 12JAN05 backup, and then reinstalled the
> last 6 days of various updates - and so it all goes well, or so it seems.
>
> Well, pitiful though it may be, that's all the feedback I have. And it's
> been fraught with desperation and anxiety, all for want of access to what I
> already have, save the procedure to simply get to it. Maybe this problem
> will help someone else by way of insuring Recovery Console's easy access,
> because intuitively I'm thinking here: <bold> "fixmbr" sure would have been
> a lot quicker </bold> - and definately easier on my sanity, which is
> becoming tenative at best these days.
>
> <feindish laugher ensues>
>
>
> Thank you in abundance of excess
> for any information in order to access
> and/or regarding that darned ole'
> Microsoft's Super-Secret 'covery Console
>
> </end country music verse>
>
> It just seems like it would be so simple:
>
> From Microsoft: "Dear DoughDough, Thanks for buying this copy of Windows XP
> Professional SP2 with your years' of saved up lunch money. (Sorry, policy
> dictates that we cannot return your first-born child or the rights thereto;
> or rightful title to your soul or ancestry, etc.)"
>
> "Please be informed that prior to actually installing this very expensive
> software on your hard-earned-or-built computer, you may need to have chosen
> and available a few passwords to fully access all the features available
> which you paid so very dearly for":
>
> "An Administrator's Password, for Administration accounts
>
> Pehaps some Limited Admin Passwords, if you choose to deploy limited
> Administator accounts
>
> Some User's Passwords for your User accounts"
>
> "And, oh yeah, a Super Secret Recovery Console account in case you need to
> fix some common problems which computer users frequently encounter."
>
> Or, alternatively:
>
> Warning: If you didn't start computing back in the daze of ARPNET and
> WinDoS/311, you need to return this disc to Best Buy and buy yourself a TV,
> Stereo or maybe even a brand new car.
>
>
> Well, again, thanks for your response.
>
> I have Windows XP Professional installed all around. Only one is a
> WinXPpro-SP2 disc. They were all installed with no additional provision
> for access to Recovery Console - because I was not forewarned of any
> requirement thereto. I have access to friend's Windows XP Home [Basic, no
> SP's] disc, but I'm not sure because of the licensing and activation
> procedures if I should ever attempt to use that to access another Recovery
> Console, and on a WinXPpro system?
>
> Is there a short or simple way to pave the way so that access to the
> Recovery Console is painless in case of future need?
>
> Also, is there a short, simple procedure during install of Windows XP Pro
> to establish that password for access to Recovery Console (in the
> unforseeable future at the point of installation)?
>
> Thank you again.
>
>
> Best regards.
> --