Good day.
Despite the fact that many computer users have long switched to new versions of the operating system from Microsoft, there are still customers who prefer the old versions. Like any mechanism that has worked for a long time, the OS can also fail. There are several ways to return your device to its previous state. Today I will tell you how to perform a disk recovery in Windows XP. This will help to revive your computer as soon as possible.
If you are not using the latest versions of Microsoft operating systems, it is advisable to always have a backup option in case of any malfunctions. And in general, you should always have a tool that allows you to return everything to its place at any moment if problems arise.
And one of the most effective is the emergency recovery disk. It's actually just an installation image. It is desirable that this be the one from which the current operating system was installed. If it is impossible to find it, you need to look for the same version. The main thing is assembly and bit depth.
In the absence of a distribution kit, we download and record it on any convenient medium. Which one exactly depends on the motherboard. If it was released a long time ago, it is likely that it does not have the ability to run from a flash drive. In this case, you need to use a plastic disk. To create the desired image, you need to use special programs, which I wrote about earlier.
Recovery( )
This procedure must go through the BIOS, since system areas are affected. The procedure can be called practically the only one that will help with non-working recovery in an already loaded operating system.
So, to launch the tool from a boot disk, we perform several steps:
We insert the appropriate USB flash drive or CD into a suitable drive into the port. Let's reboot.
Immediately after the first characters appear on the screen, you need to enter the BIOS. To do this, in most cases, use the " Del", although depending on the manufacturer they may be " F2, F11, F12" or other. Which button is suitable is written on the screen.
In the BIOS menu we go to boot - “ Boot" We select the desired device to be the first to start the system.
Click " F10", save and restart the computer.
Then the following message will appear on the dark screen: “ Press key to boot..." You need to press any button and the disc will start. If this is not done, the system will try to operate in standard mode.
We are waiting for the program to load the necessary drivers and offer options to choose from.
A list will then appear from which you can select a new installation or recovery. Don’t rush right away - select the first item by clicking on “ Enter" And don't worry - the process will go through without losing data.
The license agreement will appear. We indicate that we have read and understood it in detail by clicking “ F8».
But now a window will appear in which the running program will find an already installed solution. Select our operating system and click “ R", which will run the command " Recovery».
Situations when the operating system begins to work with glitches and errors, or refuses to start at all, happen quite often. This happens for various reasons - from virus attacks and software conflicts to incorrect user actions. In Windows XP, there are several tools for restoring system functionality, which we will discuss in this article.
Let's consider two scenarios.
- The operating system boots, but works with errors. This also includes file corruption and software conflicts. In this case, you can roll back to the previous state directly from a running system.
- Windows refuses to start. Reinstalling the system while saving user data will help us here. There is also another method, but it only works if there are no serious problems - loading the last known good configuration.
Method 1: System Restore Utility
Windows XP contains a system utility designed to track changes in the OS, such as installing software and updates, and reconfiguring key parameters. The program automatically creates a restore point if the above conditions are met. In addition, there is a function for creating custom points. Let's start with them.
- First of all, we check whether the recovery function is enabled, for which we click RMB by icon "My computer" on the desktop and select "Properties".
- Next, open the tab "System Restore". Here you need to pay attention to whether the checkbox is unchecked "Disable System Restore". If it is standing, then remove it and press "Apply", and then close the window.
- Now you need to run the utility. Go to the start menu and open the list of programs. In it we find the catalog "Standard" and then the folder "Service". We look for our utility and click on the name.
- Select a parameter "Create a restore point" and press "Further".
- Enter a description of the control point, for example "Driver Installation", and press the button "Create".
- The next window informs us that a new point has been created. The program can be closed.
It is advisable to perform these actions before installing any software, especially that which interferes with the operation of the operating system (drivers, design packages, etc.). As we know, everything automatic may not work correctly, so it’s better to play it safe and do everything yourself, manually.
Restoring from points occurs as follows:
You may have noticed that the window contains information that you can select a different restore point or cancel the previous procedure. We've already talked about dots, now let's deal with cancellation.
Method 2: Recover without logging in
The previous method is applicable if we can boot the system and log into our “account”. If the download does not occur, you will have to use other recovery options. This is loading the last working configuration and reinstalling the system, saving all files and settings.
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.
We can look at the second option using a simple example: editing the BOOT.INI file from the recovery console. The Master Boot Record is the first sector of the boot partition on the hard drive. The sector contains a partition table and a program tasked with loading the operating system. If the master boot record is damaged or missing, you and I will never boot the operating system. And sometimes this damage or absence still occurs at the most inopportune moment.
For example, one user decided to install 20 operating systems on his computer, and set about creating the corresponding partitions on his hard drive (and sometimes they even create them), and then installing them accordingly. Naturally, all this stops loading at some point and we need to get out of the situation with dignity.
Restoring Windows XP via the console
We insert the Windows XP installation disk into the drive and reboot, in the BIOS we set the disk drive as the first boot device, if you don’t know how, read with us. Next, the Windows XP installation program is loaded and after loading a menu appears, in it you need to select item No. 2. To restore Windows XP using the Recovery Console, click R.
Click R and enter the Recovery Console, by the way you can read
We have one operating system installed on the disk WITH and when asked which copy of Windows should you log in to, put the number 1 and press Enter.
If you did not have an administrator password, simply press Enter; if you did, enter a password.
A message will appear:
That's all Restoring Windows XP via the console should complete successfully, enter exit and reboot.
What may not work for us, when entering the FIXMBR command, an error message appears, this means that writing to the partition table (MBR) is blocked by settings in the BIOS, you need to go into the BIOS and find the Boot Virus Detection parameter there (the Enabled value) this option blocks overwriting the boot sector of the hard drive, which is what happens in our case.
Next, the following error may occur: “Windows cannot start due to hardware disk configuration errors”, in this case the BOOT.INI file is to blame, to fix it, boot into the recovery console again and enter the command bootcfg /rebuild and press ENTER
The Windows XP operating system is equipped with a convenient recovery tool that allows you to roll back changes that led to unstable operation. In most cases, this tool allows you to perform a complete system restore of Windows XP without reinstallation, preserving all user files.
Enable recovery
To be sure that you can roll back XP back to the key date, make sure that the restore feature is working. If it is deactivated, you must enable it:
You can configure recovery settings by specifying how much space should be allocated for Windows rollback points. The default is 12% of the total volume, but you can make this setting a little smaller to save space on your hard drive.
Rollback to key date
System Restore is enabled, let's see how it works:
If you are unable to return your system to a working state, you can restore your computer again by selecting a different day. You can also run a rollback if XP does not boot normally. What should be done:
The operating system recovery program will appear. Through it, you can rollback Windows back by selecting a day when XP was running smoothly. The disadvantage of this method is that you will not be able to use the recovery tool to roll back the system to factory settings, since the old points will be overwritten by the new control marks.
Last Known Good Configuration
The first thing to do if Windows won't boot is to run the Last Known Good Configuration.
You can perform such a rollback and return XP back to a working state due to the fact that the last successful startup of the system is constantly recorded in the registry. By using the function described above, you apply this saved configuration, fixing all Windows errors. The advantages of the described method are that you do not need any flash drives with system distributions, special recovery programs, or changes to the BIOS settings.
Reinstallation with saving files via BIOS
If rolling back XP does not fix the problem, you can update the system - return it to its original state by resetting it to factory settings. On XP, a factory reset works slightly differently than in later versions. On Windows 7/8.1/10, when installing the system, a partition is created on which the recovery image is located. A special program allows you to run a rollback to factory settings through the BIOS or in Windows. On XP there is no such program (there is no section either), but you can return the operating system to factory settings.
Restart your computer; go into the BIOS and set to boot from the flash drive. You can do this in the BIOS like this:
Note: you can not change the BIOS configuration, but use the menu that is called up by pressing the F11 key when starting the computer. 
After launching the system installer, press Enter to begin installation. Accept the terms of the license agreement. The installer will inform you that a copy of Windows has been detected - press “R” to restore it. 
