Re: Recovery Console crashes

You can use a USB floppy, but not all of them work:

A connected USB floppy disk drive does not work when you press F6 to install mass storage drivers during the Windows XP installation process
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916196

As for Microsoft rewriting the Recovery Console or the Setup program in my opinion that will not happen. You have to keep in mind that when Windows XP was released in 2001 USB sticks barely existed and hardly anybody even knew of them, even burning files to CD was relatively new. I don't think the the fault for the floppy problem lies with Microsoft, I think that it lies with cheap hardware vendors who for the sake of saving $2.00 on the cost of a new computer have decided to do away with the floppy drive. Those vendors knew full well of the F6 floppy requirements for Windows XP yet they were all too happy to sell computers with XP installed or advertised as XP compatible but without floppy drives. The newer Vista and Server 2008 will accept the drivers on CD or USB sticks.

John

Tony Batchelor wrote:

Thanks John

So it looks to me as if RC is useless for use on how computers "from the box" are supplied nowadays! Like my last two, they don't
- have a floppy drive
- or have installations CDs (OS loaded from hidden partition)
- and once the OS is loaded the hidden partition is no longer accessible, so any driver folder is also no longer accessible

Looks like MS need to write a new programme for RC!

Tony
By the way, For the time being I will have to buy Bootmaster. I tried the demo version today and it confirmed a corrupt MBR


"John John (MVP)" wrote:


Tony Batchelor wrote:


OK, now we are getting somewhere! Here are my answers:

Tony
1. The computer is not booting properly. I have to try more than once most times to eventually end up with XP loaded. Hence the need to attempt corrections using RC
RC
2. My computer is of the "modern" variety that doesn't come with a floppy, only a CD/DVD. Can that be used?

Nope, the drivers *must* be supplied on a floppy they will not be accepted from any other media source. You will have to use Jerold's method to incorporate the drivers to the Recovery Console.



3. If so, I could copy the drivers to a CD and use that. Is the file I want the Drivers folder in Windows?

You will need the drivers from the motherboard or controller cd.

If your computer booting is erratic you should run a disk diagnostic on the drive, go to the drive manufacturer's web site and download the diagnostic utility for your drive and run it. You could also run a chkdsk on the drive but be aware that there is *always* a risk of data loss when chkdsk is run, make sure that you have a backup of your precious files!

John


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