Recovering Recovery Console Password In XP?

I'm having problems with XP after installing a second hard
drive and doing a disk copy of everything from boot drive
to new drive. The copy froze for unknown reasons about
halfway through. Now XP has problems booting, but does
eventualy come up. Seems like pointers to certain program
files are all over the place. System restore will not open
and gives an error message that a .dll file is missing. In
attempt to use the recovery console, it is asking for a
password which I do not have. Is there any way to recover
or reset the recovery console password? Oh yea, just
hitting return when asked for the password does not work.
Thanks in advance for any assistance...

If you tried leaving the password blank and pressing enter, did you
administrator for user ID. NOT administrator user account, but the word
administrator?

Assuming you have an actual XP CD as opposed to a recovery CD, try a Repair
install as follows:
NOTE, while a repair install should leave your data files intact, if
something goes wrong during the repair install, you may be forced to start
over and do a clean install of XP. If you don't have your data backed up,
you would lose your data should that eventuality occur.

Boot from the CD. If your system is set to be able to boot from the CD, it
should detect the disk and give a brief message, during the boot up, if you
wish to boot from the CD press any key.

Once you have pressed a key, setup should begin. You will see a reference
asking if you need to load special drivers and another notice that if you
wish to begin the ASR (Automatic Recovery Console) depress F2. Just let
setup run past all of that. It will continue to load files and drivers.

Then it will bring you to a screen. Eventually, you will come to a screen
with the option to (1) setup Windows or (2) Repair Windows Installation
using the Recovery console.

The first option, to setup Windows is the one you want and requires you to
press enter. When asked, press F8 to accept the end user agreement. Setup
will then search for previous versions of Windows. Upon finding your
version, it will ask if you wish to Repair your current installation or
install fresh. Press R, that will run a repair installation. From there
on, follow the screens.

If you only have a recovery CD, your options are quite limited. You can
either purchase a retail version of XP will allow you to perform the above
among other tools and options it has or you can run your system recovery
routine with the Recovery CD which will likely wipe your drive, deleting all
files but will restore your setup to factory fresh condition.


--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"dhkr" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:024401c3ae0d$59aec660$a401280a@phx.gbl...

> I'm having problems with XP after installing a second hard
> drive and doing a disk copy of everything from boot drive
> to new drive. The copy froze for unknown reasons about
> halfway through. Now XP has problems booting, but does
> eventualy come up. Seems like pointers to certain program
> files are all over the place. System restore will not open
> and gives an error message that a .dll file is missing. In
> attempt to use the recovery console, it is asking for a
> password which I do not have. Is there any way to recover
> or reset the recovery console password? Oh yea, just
> hitting return when asked for the password does not work.
> Thanks in advance for any assistance...

I tried <enter> several times, also tried "administrator"
also, after three attempts on each, I'm forced to reboot.
I have an OEM version of XP, Dell purchase. I'm wondering
if they set a recovery password that may be standard to
thier PC's. I did do an XP install with repair option and,
no change in how XP runs, slow, many misplaced and
redirected files. Question: If I were to take the all that
was copied from the original drive to the new drive,
reverse the copy back from new drive back to original
drive would that work? Or am I asking for trouble here??

>-----Original Message-----
>If you tried leaving the password blank and pressing

enter, did you

>administrator for user ID. NOT administrator user

account, but the word

>administrator?
>
>Assuming you have an actual XP CD as opposed to a

recovery CD, try a Repair

>install as follows:
>NOTE, while a repair install should leave your data files

intact, if

>something goes wrong during the repair install, you may

be forced to start

>over and do a clean install of XP. If you don't have

your data backed up,

>you would lose your data should that eventuality occur.
>
>Boot from the CD. If your system is set to be able to

boot from the CD, it

>should detect the disk and give a brief message, during

the boot up, if you

>wish to boot from the CD press any key.
>
>Once you have pressed a key, setup should begin. You

will see a reference

>asking if you need to load special drivers and another

notice that if you

>wish to begin the ASR (Automatic Recovery Console)

depress F2. Just let

>setup run past all of that. It will continue to load

files and drivers.

>
>Then it will bring you to a screen. Eventually, you will

come to a screen

>with the option to (1) setup Windows or (2) Repair

Windows Installation

>using the Recovery console.
>
>The first option, to setup Windows is the one you want

and requires you to

>press enter. When asked, press F8 to accept the end user

agreement. Setup

>will then search for previous versions of Windows. Upon

finding your

>version, it will ask if you wish to Repair your current

installation or

>install fresh. Press R, that will run a repair

installation. From there

>on, follow the screens.
>
>If you only have a recovery CD, your options are quite

limited. You can

>either purchase a retail version of XP will allow you to

perform the above

>among other tools and options it has or you can run your

system recovery

>routine with the Recovery CD which will likely wipe your

drive, deleting all

>files but will restore your setup to factory fresh

condition.

>
>
>--
>Michael Solomon MS-MVP
>Windows Shell/User
>Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
>DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/
>
>"dhkr" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in

message

>news:024401c3ae0d$59aec660$a401280a@phx.gbl...

hard

drive

program

open

In

recover

work.

>
>
>.
>

I don't know if that would work or not. Whatever you do, I'd suggest
getting yourself backed up and prepared in case any such resolution trashes
what remains of your setup or if you feel compelled to do a new, fresh,
clean install, first wiping the drive and then reinstalling XP.

There'd be no point in Dell setting a password at the factory and not
alerting customers. My guess is, you have a proprietary OEM in which some
items are either not available or have been crippled. You'd need to check
your documentation to see if the recovery console is even available assuming
you used instructions from this or some other board for accessing it.

--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

<anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:01a801c3ae11$f1ecf060$a501280a@phx.gbl...

> I tried <enter> several times, also tried "administrator"
> also, after three attempts on each, I'm forced to reboot.
> I have an OEM version of XP, Dell purchase. I'm wondering
> if they set a recovery password that may be standard to
> thier PC's. I did do an XP install with repair option and,
> no change in how XP runs, slow, many misplaced and
> redirected files. Question: If I were to take the all that
> was copied from the original drive to the new drive,
> reverse the copy back from new drive back to original
> drive would that work? Or am I asking for trouble here??
>
>

> enter, did you

> account, but the word

> recovery CD, try a Repair

> intact, if

> be forced to start

> your data backed up,

> boot from the CD, it

> the boot up, if you

> will see a reference

> notice that if you

> depress F2. Just let

> files and drivers.

> come to a screen

> Windows Installation

> and requires you to

> agreement. Setup

> finding your

> installation or

> installation. From there

> limited. You can

> perform the above

> system recovery

> drive, deleting all

> condition.

> message

> hard

> drive

> program

> open

> In

> recover

> work.