Backup in Windows 2000 Server is
the first and the strongest line of defense against data loss. But server
crashes happen anyway, and when they do, you don’t want to spend hours
restoring your server for an error that could be fixed in five minutes. Here
are some tools and methods you can use to restore a crashed server as quickly
as possible.

If the
computer won’t boot, try to start it in Safe Mode. With Safe Mode, the
operating system loads only the basic set of drivers and services needed to
boot. Once you’re in Safe Mode, you can check the logs to get an idea about
what’s preventing a normal boot.

If Safe
Mode isn’t working, you can use Last Known Good configuration. When Windows
2000 boots successfully, the operating system creates a copy of the
registry keys under HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet, which are involved in that boot
process.

If neither
of these methods work, take a look at the Recovery
Console. Recovery Console is a command prompt mode from where you can copy and
replace missing or corrupted files. The Recovery Console mode can also help you
fix master boot record problems.

Before you
return to the backup method, try the Emergency Repair Disk, which stores a
backup copy of the Boot.ini file and some critical registry keys. This may be
very useful if administrators have made regular updates.

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