Changes in the registry, problems with drivers, exposure to malware - this is not a complete list of problems that Windows XP owners face. The solution to such situations may be to search for the source of the problem, study registry errors, check parameters, system settings, etc., but a simpler solution would be to restore the Windows XP system. The process can be carried out using standard OS programs or additional software.
Several different programs can be used to restore and then launch the OS:
The first two programs can be easily found using the Start menu in the Utilities tab. The latest program is located in the Windows system folder.
As for, it performs several functions at once:
The principle of the program is that before major system changes it creates checkpoints to which you can return if necessary. Such points can also be created manually.
In this case, the user may encounter certain difficulties, since the system divides all files into two groups: important and unimportant. Therefore, after starting the recovery process, you may find that some previously installed applications have disappeared from the disk and some files have been lost. In addition, this option has other disadvantages, including the appearance of duplicate files, the use of additional RAM, disk fragmentation, which slows down the computer, etc. The archive also has a low file compression rate and, therefore, they take up a lot of space on the disk. Alternatively, you can use other changes and free archiving programs.
As for Windows Backup Utility, it is also far from ideal. The main problem is that it can actually be used as an archiver, but the resulting archives have a special format that other archiver programs do not recognize.
Restoring Windows XP using standard programs has obvious drawbacks. However, with a few steps, the process can be made more efficient and effective. The user is given the following options:
Since various problems may arise due to the system dividing files into important and unimportant, an excellent way out of the situation would be to distribute these files manually. In this case, system files should be stored on drive C, while all personal files should be moved to drive D. This step will make it easier to check and start the Windows XP recovery process, since only one partition will be involved. In this case, the procedure will take a little time, and all user data will be intact.
Disk partitioning will also help simplify checking and starting recovery. For these purposes, special programs can be used, such as Acronis Disk Director Suite10 or Partition Magic. The ideal solution would be to partition the disk before installing Windows XP or saving important data on the computer. If the procedure is carried out later, then before starting you need to make sure that all system files and important data are saved on the external drive. It is advisable to run the Windows XP disk partitioning program under the supervision of a person who has experience and knowledge in the field of operating system recovery.
Restoring Windows XP can be done using additional software. A huge number of programs are available to the user, which, as a rule, have several standard functions:
System recovery is one of the most effective methods for solving a wide variety of problems that arise when working with the OS. The process can use both standard operating system tools and additional software.
Restoring the Windows XP system is one of the best ways to eliminate problems associated with the inability to boot the system, or freezes caused by incorrect installation of drivers or the action of virus programs. Typically, system recovery is used in cases of file corruption when other actions to restore system functionality (rollback to the last save point, recovery console, or loading the last known good configuration) are useless.
The advantages of system recovery include the ability to save all installed applications and their settings, as well as the user’s personal files located on the system partition. The settings of the operating system itself remain unchanged.
In Windows XP, system recovery begins in the same way as a normal system installation. It is necessary to set the disk drive as the first boot device in the BIOS, and then insert the disk with the operating system into the DVD Rom. After you restart your computer, the standard Windows XP installation process will begin.
In the standard menu that appears, you should select “Install Windows XP”.
Accept the license agreement by pressing F8.
The menu item we need will appear in the next window: “Try to restore the selected copy of XP.” Select it by pressing the R key.
In rare cases, you may encounter that this menu item is missing in the system. This is usually due to the fact that the copy of Windows XP you are using is not the original one. In this case, the only way out is to start restoring the system again, using the original Windows disk.
The duration of Windows XP recovery is almost the same as the time it takes to install the system from scratch. The system needs time to replace old system files with new ones.
In some cases, you can avoid lengthy replacement of damaged system files with new ones by carrying out all the necessary operations through the recovery console. This is especially relevant if the hard disk boot record (MBR) is damaged, which can be restored with just two commands: fixmbr and fixboot.
To open the Recovery Console in Windows XP, you must select “Restore the system using the Recovery Console” from the menu that opens when you start system installation by pressing the R key.
The program will search for installed Windows systems and display a list of them. If you have several systems installed, to select the one you need, type its serial number and press Enter.
When prompted, enter your password. If it is missing, just press Enter.
In the recovery console window that appears, you can enter all the necessary commands to check and restore the system. The most used commands are Fixmbr - fix or replace the master boot record of an HDD or SSD and Fixboot - write a new boot sector. A damaged boot sector is usually indicated by a black screen that appears when the system starts.
We begin restoring a damaged partition table by running the fixmbr command, which will rewrite the master boot record.
A warning message will appear on the screen stating that running the fixmbr command may damage the existing partition table.
Type y and press Enter to continue the recovery.
To rewrite the boot sector, enter the fixboot command.
The question “Do you want to write the new boot sector to the appropriate partition?” will appear. To answer yes, type y and press Enter.
To exit the recovery console, enter the Exit command.
After this, the computer will restart, and a working Windows XP system will appear in front of you.
In some cases, despite errors in the system, Windows XP can boot and start working without problems, but its further use will be associated with slowdowns and other inconveniences. In this case, you can perform a system restore directly from a running OS.
To do this, insert a disc with Windows XP into the drive and select Startup by right-clicking on DVD Rom.
You will see a list of actions, among which you need to select “Install Windows XP”.
Windows XP System Restore or update, and whoever uses the phrase “Put on top”, as soon as they call you names, let’s figure out what kind of action this is, and we’ll also look at other options for restoring Windows XP. Those who need a regular system recovery can go to the end of the article, or read more complete information . We also have an excellent article on what to do if it is impossible to boot Windows XP completely, you can read - Our topic is called correctlySystem Restore through the Windows XP installation menuor Restoring a damaged copy of Windows XP, by the way, sometimes it helps virus: send an SMS when your operating system is blocked from starting by a malicious program. And in cases when the operating system does not boot and nothing helps: neither the recovery console, nor loading the last known good configuration, nor the boot floppy disk, nor recovery points. It is not advisable to reinstall due to the many necessary and unnecessary programs, mail settings, Skype, Opera, and so on.
System recovery can be performed in several ways; for Windows 7, read. For each of them, the corresponding instructions are given below. Try these methods in the following order.
If Windows XP won't start, you can restore your system by returning to the last known good configuration—that is, to the settings at which the system was functional. Follow these steps:
The Windows XP Recovery Console allows you to do the following:
When you use the Recovery Console, you are prompted to enter the administrator account password. If you enter the wrong password three times in a row, the Recovery Console closes. You cannot use the Recovery Console if the database that contains computer user account information is lost or damaged.
After entering your password and launching the recovery console, enter exit to restart your computer. The Recovery Console also has a number of other limitations. For information about them, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article 314058: "Description of the Windows XP Recovery Console."
The next section discusses how to use System Restore to return your computer to a previous working state. System Restore takes a snapshot of critical system files and some program files and stores this information as restore points. You can use these restore points to return Windows XP to a previous state.
Creating a restore point can be useful when making changes that could cause your computer to become unstable.
If Windows XP starts, you can use the System Restore tool to return the system to an earlier operating point. Follow these steps:
Note. Restoring using a backup copy should be used as a last resort when restoring a system. Use this method only after all other options have been exhausted. For example, you should first try starting the computer in Safe Mode and reverting to the last known good configuration. These steps are discussed earlier in this section.
The disaster recovery (ASR) system consists of two subsystems - ASR archiving and ASR recovery. The System Disaster Recovery Wizard, which can be launched by clicking the Start button and selecting the "Accessories", "System" and "Backup" commands, creates an archive copy. The wizard backs up the system state, system services, and all disks that are associated with operating system components. The Disaster Recovery Wizard also creates a file that contains information about backup, disk configuration (including primary and dynamic volumes), and the recovery procedure.
The recovery subsystem can be accessed by pressing F2 when prompted during Setup. The disaster recovery system reads from the created disk configuration file. Recovers all disk signatures, volumes and partitions on disks required to start the computer. The disaster recovery system will attempt to restore all disk configurations, but may not be able to do so under certain circumstances. This system then performs a simple Windows installation and runs an automatic recovery using the backup copy created by the Disaster Recovery Wizard.
For more information about system recovery, see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
So, in this article I would like to explain how to do Windows XP correctly. You may already know how to restore your system in some way, but this does not mean that there is only one way. There are many options. Each is designed for different situations. It is also worth noting that each recovery method differs in time.
“ WindowsXP": system recovery.
Let's start with the fact that you need to determine what exactly is wrong with your OS, and what needs to be done to restore the data. First, try pressing the F8 key while loading the BIOS. From the suggested options, select the one that says boot with last known known configuration. If it doesn't help, then move on.
Select the boot option in If suddenly your system boots, it is because the monitor resolution is 800x600 or about this value. Because in this mode the drivers are not loaded.
You need to do the following:
If it fails to boot, then we continue restoring the Windows XP system using other methods.
Using the same F8 key, we again go to the menu we are already familiar with and select the item that says about disabling automatic reboot.
Why is this necessary? This is necessary if you were unable to determine the problem that caused such a situation to occur. As a result of disabling the reboot, you will be shown a message that tells you the real reason for everything that is happening.
System RestoreWindowsXP using the installation disk.
Having a disk with a copy of the operating system on hand, you can easily restore your data. But, if you can't restore your operating system, then at least you can install a new Windows. Of course, if you install a new copy, you may lose all the data from drive C, but you can avoid this. How? It will be said later.
System RestoreWindowsXP via console.
First, try restoring data through a special one. To do this, you will need to boot from the installation disk and select the appropriate menu.
So, the console began loading. You will be asked which OS you need to log into. If you have only one “Windows”, then enter the number 1 and press the “Enter” key. There are many commands in the management console that you don't need to know all of. Just a few are enough. But if you are interested, you can enter Help. For a more specific look at help for a specific command, you need to enter the name and /?.
There is a special function Bootcfg, with which you can restore the system boot.ini file if it has been damaged or deleted. There is nothing complicated, just enter 1 everywhere and press Enter. A slightly crooked file will be created, without the correct OS name, but it will work and the system will boot.
If there was NTLDR, then you need to use the fixboot command. This problem occurs when the boot sector or the NTLDR file, which is responsible for booting, is damaged. It is located in the root folder of drive C (if it is bootable).
If your hard drive is almost dead, and it is slowly moving from retirement to grave, then you need to use the chkdsk function. Using it, you will have the sectors on your hard drive restored (to the extent possible), and then, perhaps, your Windows will boot.
Other recovery methods.
If all else fails, then you need to tear down your OS and install a new one. But first try restoring your system (not through the console). This option will be available at the moment. There will be three options: install, restore and cancel.
During installation, drive C will be erased. If you select the recovery option, system files and the entire “Windows” folder will be replaced.
But you can also just do the installation, but without formatting. In this case, all old data will be saved and a folder named “C” will be created in the root directory and your new OS will be there. Then you will have to clean up the garbage from the old copy.
