Discussion on:

Launch System Restore from a command prompt in Windows XP

This could not have come at a better time.
I am working tonight on a dinosaur before I toss it out and have tried all I can remember about command prompts.
Last resort and will try.
Actually don't need the old box but am trying to make my daughter think she's getting the monster for Christmas when actually the new system is already in the closet.
I just wanted to see if I knew what I was doing.
(It's running Millenium)

It does you know good to use the command line for system restore if you can't start in safe mode. Are they're other ways to start pc if you can't start in safe mode?

If you can't boot in safe mode, try using a "PE" disk from http://www.nu2.nu/
It boots and runs entirly from the CD, but lets you access your hard drive, network, etc.

Is the PE disk part of PE builder? I didn't easily see it on the site.

You could try the UBCD (Ultimate Boot CD) based on the BART PE. You will need your cd of Windows as the UBCD Setup will need Windows for booting and recovery. Once you setup the UBCD, you will have a host of utilities that you can use to recover your computer. I especially like the Registry Restore Point.

I just bought a new computer with no install disk. It is all on a partition. And I did make a recovery disk. Can you use that? It has the XP Pro Pro on it.

You can use it, but I think if I'm not mistaken, it will restore your OS. The partition will reload your OS as it was shipped to you. If you install something that makes your computer act up, you use system restore to restore your computer back to a time and date when it was working. It is always a good idea though to create a restore point before installing anything that you are not sure of.

Good luck with ME. What problem are you having?

I have never had a successful system restore from the normal XP window. I went and modified my BOOT.INI file to include the following line and just use the RECOVERY CONSOLE. "C:\CMDCONS\BOOTSECT.DAT="Microsoft Windows Recovery Console" /cmdcons" This has always worked for me though I have had to re-activate more times than I can remember.

There's always the good ol method.

Involved recovery console - renaming the current registry files, restoring the default registry files, reboot into safe mode, pull the newer registry files from the "restore_" folder. go back to recovery console and pop those registry files back in to the system32\config folder and tada... manual system restore.. there's an actual technet article on this, but I have the silly thing memorized. The technet article is titled something about restoring froma corrupt registry.

Take a look at this article, it may help you guys out.

http://www.williamleggett.co.uk/tech-blogg/2009/9/7/how-to-use-system-restore-in-windows-xp.html