If you have a dual boot system using XP Pro and W2K Pro and want the Recovery Console showing in the startup options.

Is it correct that the proper way to install the recovery console to the HDD is by using the XP Pro c.d. ?

I can find nothing in MS Technet regarding this but I am sure that I read this somewhere.

I am under the understanding that if you have such a dual boot system then the recovery console should be installed from the XP c.d. rather than using the W2K Pro c.d.

A link would be greatly appreciated if this is documented on MS website.

Thanks for the help.

I've been going to ask the same thing.

I don't know anything about the Recovery Console - Microsoft Management Console (MMC) - but here are some links to Microsoft Knowledge Base articles on the subject.

the Windows XP Recovery Console (Q314058)

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...b;en-us;Q314058

the Windows 2000 Recovery Console (Q229716)

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...b;en-us;Q229716

How to Install and Use the Recovery Console in Windows XP ( MS Knowledge Base article - Q307654)

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...b;en-us;Q307654

how to add More Power to Recovery Console By Using Group Policy in Windows XP (Q310497)

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...b;en-us;Q310497

I am positive I read somewhere that if you have a dual boot like this and you use the W2K c.d. to install the R.C. then you will have troubles... but for the life of me I can not remember where I read this.

At least I know that I am not the only one that is searching for an answer to this

Ironbender - Thanks for the links ... I will give this another go at searching through M.S. pages.

I'm not familiar enough with the Recovery Console (in fact, have never had to use it) to be sure of its priorities. Since it's mostly a source of an NTFS command prompt for repair purposes, I would think that the XP one should work fine for both. I have the Recovery Console in my start up list. Depending on what the MS articles say, perhaps you could install it for both OSes. However, I've never needed it because I, too, have two NTFS operating systems installed. If one messes up, I just boot to the other and make repairs from there. You can do the quickest and easiest backups this way, by copying the entire drive to another partition if you have plenty of space. Boot into W2K to make the XP copy, and then XP to make the W2K copy. If one messes up, just totally replace the contents of it's partition with the backup and you're back in business. I can do a full OS restore in less than 10 minutes.

What do you use to create your Image with Jim ... Norton Ghost ?

And have you had any troubles with the X.P. image using Ghost. (if that is what you have been using)

I use Ghost 2003 and have not had any issues with recovery with any Windows installation or any FAT/NTFS data disk. There's a new version of Ghost which is almost a clone of Power Quests last version of Drive Image - I haven't done much with this version, so I can't comment on it's issues.

Thanks Alfons,

I have this Acronis Disk Imaging and Partitioning suite that I have been hankering to give a try.

The Imaging and Partitioning software will run on Server platforms which is quite a bonus.

I will let you know just how well this Acronis software works.

Regarding this Recovery Console question:

I am just waiting on a reply from one of the instructors that led one of my online courses.

I will post what she has to say.

I use true image, and I like it, but it doesn't work in 10 minutes. That's making a backup of 6 partitions to a usb drive. Which I need to do , like tomorrow. I also have more time than anything else.

With two OSes, no program is needed at all as long as the copy is of the non-running OS. I simply copy the entire partition to another location, preferably on a different drive. Since I have three drives running internal (totalling 440 gigs) that's no problem. A USB or Firewire drive would work just as well. XCopy works well. As an example, say we're booted into an XP on D: and want to copy the W2K on C: to a folder on E:. We'll create the folder, naming it W2KBU. Open a Command Prompt and enter:

D:\>xcopy c: e:\w2kbu /s /c /h /e /r /k

Hit enter, and the copy will proceed. When completed, the entire C: drive will be copied to the folder on E:, a true image. If the C: install is ever infected or otherwise messed up, simply boot into D:, format C:, and then repeat the above command reversing the locations:

D:\>xcopy e:\w2kbu c: /s /c /h /e /r /k

Boot into W2K and repeat the procedure to creat a backup of the XP partition. The included 'switches' in the command line insure that all files and folders are copied, including hidden, read-only and system files. It's also possible to copy everything by drag-n-drop or copy and paste.

This is simple DOS, but sometimes simple is still the best way to go. It has worked for me without fail for years. This only works with two OSes installed, but then 2 OSes gives real peace of mind in that you can almost always be certain of booting into something and making repairs or retrieving data, especially if the two OSes are on separate hard drives. This will give you access if one of the drives fail, although you may have to use boot discs to access an OS if the boot drive is the one that fails.

Thanks Jim for taking the time to lay this out the way you have.... very nicely done ... and yes simple DOS for me is the only way to go.

It makes perfect sense what you have explained.

Thank you.