How to use Windows Recovery Console to fix my HDD after a power failure?

Question

I recently suffered a power failure to my PC which i believe has corrupted the HDD. Windows will not start normally or in safe mode, and if i attempt to reinstall XP Home it states that the drive will be formatted, which i would rather not do and lose my data.

I understand that i may be able to use the recovery console to fix the drive however i have not used this before. Is it simple or best left to an experienced user. I am competent with technology however need to know which commands will be helpful, and which i do not want to use and cause more problems.

Answer 1

Your correct, You can use Windows' recovery console to try diagnose and fix HDD errors. To access the Recovery Console



1. Start your computer with the Windows XP CD in the CD Drive

2. wait until the CD finishes loading then Press R to enter recovery console

3. Follow the onscreen instructions to enter recovery console (it will ask you to choose a installation to fix and prompt for your password)

4. Once Inside the recovery console, Type chkdsk /r



This will start scanning and automatically try to correct any file errors.



Hope this helps

Answer 2

Yes it is perfectly OK to continue with the FIXMBR command.



Windows recovery console usually reports this even with a good MBR.



Also use the FIXBOOT command after FIXMBR.



Edit quote from one of my replies given best answer I have advised a few people on this type of problem.



"Use your installation Disk and boot into recovery console



select the windows installation and enter the administrator password. (If none then just press enter)



At the command prompt type FIXMBR then press enter



Answer yes to any prompts.



Then type FIXBOOT press enter



typing either of these commands followed by /?

(space before /?) will give you a list of options you could use including which OS you would like on the startup list.



Any problems email me"

Answer 3

insert CD in the CD drive and restart the system. when the setup opening menu appears,press R to load the recovery console.

here are the commands you can use to examine the hard drive structure for errors and possibly fix them

Fixmbr and Fixboot; the fixmbr command restore the master boot program in the MBR, and the fixboot command repairs the OS boot record

Diskpart;use to view, create,and delete partitions on the drive. type Diskpart and press Enter and a full screen appears listing the partitions the console sees on the drive

Chdsk,use this command to repair the file system and recover data from bad sectors:chkdsk C:/r

Answer 4

before everything have you ever left any CD's on your computing gadget? If precedence is desperate to CD till now not common stress that is going to examine the CD and whether it fairly is bootable that's why you finally finally end up on the recorvery console. (additionally examine your floppy stress is empty in case you have one). in case you have not have been given any media on your pc then i dont know... as a final hotel, placed your XP CD in and do a residing house windows fix (*do not bypass into restoration console in residing house windows xp setup.... you will see an selection that announces press "R" to repair residing house windows.