Windows XP console command utility tips

Computer Store Bootcfg

The bootcfg command initiates configuration and failback (for most computers, the boot.ini file).

The bootcfg command with the following parameters is only available when using the Recovery Console. A bootcfg command with different parameters can be used at the command prompt.

Usage:

bootcfg /default Sets the default boot entry.

bootcfg /add Adds a Windows installation to the boot list.

bootcfg /rebuild Repeats the entire Windows installation process and allows the user to select what to add.

Note: Before using bootcfg /rebuild, back up the boot.ini file with the bootcfg /copy command.

bootcfg /scan Scans all disks used for Windows installation and displays the results.

Note: These results are stored statically and used for this session. If the disk configuration changes during this session, to get an updated scan, you must first restart your computer and then scan the disk again.

bootcfg /list Lists the entries already in the boot list.

bootcfg /disableredirect Disables redirection in the boot loader.

bootcfg /redirect [ PortBaudRrate] [ useBiosSettings]

Enable redirection by specifying the configuration in the boot loader.

Example:

bootcfg /redirect com1 115200

bootcfg /redirect useBiosSettings

hkdsk

Create and display a status report for the disk. The Chkdsk command also lists and corrects errors on the disk.

The chkdsk command with the following parameters is only available when using the Recovery Console. The chkdsk command with different parameters can be used at the command prompt.

vol [drive:] [ chkdsk [drive:]

[/r]

Parameter None

If you do not take any parameters, chkdsk will display The state of the disk in the current drive.

drive: Specify the drive to be checked by chkdsk.

/p Performs a thorough check even if the drive is not in the check range of chkdsk. This parameter does not make any changes to the drive.

/r Find bad sectors and recover readable information. Implicit the /p parameter.

Note

The Chkdsk command requires the Autochk.exe file. If the file cannot be found in the boot directory (default is \\%systemroot%\\System32), try to find it on the Windows installation CD. If you have multiple machines that boot your system, you must ensure that you use this command on a drive that contains Windows.

Diskpart

Create and delete partitions on your hard drive. The diskpart command is only available when using the Recovery Console.

diskpart [ /add /delete] [device_name drive_name partition_name] [size]

Parameter None

Without any arguments, the diskpart command will start the Windows character mode of diskpart version.

/add

Create a new partition.

/delete

Delete an existing partition.

device_name

The device to be created or deleted. The device name is available from the output of the map command. For example, the device name:

\\Device\\HardDisk0 drive_name

The partition to be deleted represented by the drive letter. Only used with /delete. The following is an example of a drive name:

D:

partition_name

The partition to be deleted, represented by the partition name. Can be used instead of drive_name. Only used with /delete. The following is an example of a partition name:

\\Device\\HardDisk0\\Partition1

Size

The size of the partition to be created, expressed in megabytes (MB). Used only with /add.

Examples

The following example will delete the partition:

diskpart /delete \\ Device\\ HardDisk0\\ Partition3

diskpart /delete F:

The following example will add a 20 MB partition to the hard disk:

diskpart /add \\ Device\\ HardDisk0 20

Fixboot

Write a new partition boot to the system partition Sector. The fixboot command can only be used when using the Recovery Console.

fixboot [drive]

Parameter Drive

The drive to be written to the boot sector. It will replace the default drive (that is, the system partition where the user logs in). For example, drive: D:

Example

The following command example writes a new partition boot sector to the system partition of drive D:

fixboot d:

Note: If you do not take any parameters, the fixboot command will write the new partition boot sector to the system partition where the user is logged in.

Fixmbr

Fix the master boot record of the boot disk. The fixmbr command is only available when using the Recovery Console.

fixmbr [ device_name]

Parameters

device_name

The device (drive) to write the new master boot record. The device name is available from the output of the map command. For example, device name:

\\Device\\HardDisk0

Example

The following command example writes a new master boot record to the specified device:

fixmbr \\Device\\HardDisk0

Note

If you do not specify device_name, the new master boot record will be written to the boot device, which is the drive that mounts the primary system.

If the system detects an invalid or non-standard partition table tag, the user will be prompted to continue with the command. Do not proceed unless you have problems accessing the drive. Writing a new master boot record to the system partition can corrupt the partition table and cause the partition to become inaccessible. Format

Formats the specified drive as the specified file system. The format command with the following parameters is only available when using the Recovery Console. The format command with different parameters can be used at the command prompt.

format [ drive:] [ /fs:file-system]

Parameters

drive:

Specifies the drive to be formatted. You cannot format a floppy disk from the Recovery Console.

/q

Quickly format the drive. Do not scan the drive for bad areas, so only use this parameter for previously formatted drives.

/fs:file-system

Specifies the file system to use: FAT, FAT32, or NTFS. If a file system is not specified, the existing file system format will be used.

Map

Shows the mapping of drive letters to physical device names. This information is very useful when running the fixboot and fixmbr commands.

The map command is only available when using the Recovery Console.

Map [ arc]

Parameters

arc

Indication The map command displays advanced RISC calculation (ARC) device names instead of device names. The following is an example of the ARC device name:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)

The equivalent device name is:

\\ Device\\HardDisk0\\Partition1

Example

The following example maps a physical device name to a drive letter using the ARC device name:

map arc