Introduction

You have many options for recovering a system that is not functioning correctly. These range from using the System Restore utility, to using the Recovery Console and restoring a backup, to a complete recovery via the Automated System Recovery (ASR) option of the Backup utility. The correct option to use for disaster recovery depends on the severity of the problem and the success or failure of the methods that you attempt to use. In general, the preferred methods of recovery are manual repair in safe mode (possibly using driver rollback), Last Known Good, System Restore, Recovery Console, and as a last resort ASR. For simple data loss, such as an accidentally deleted file that you emptied from the Recycle Bin, the primary method of recovery is a restore from backup.

Windows XP has made great strides to ensure even greater uptime and now offers even better tools for recovering a system. In this chapter, we take an in-depth look at these tools and how to use them to ensure a well functioning and highly reliable system.

Booting in Safe Mode and Last Known Good

Safe mode is a special operating state of Windows XP that may help to diagnose problems with your systems. The first step in repairing a system that is not booting up correctly or is operating unstably should be to attempt booting in safe mode to determine if the fault lies in the base level of operating system device drivers and system services. If the system...