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How to get command prompt before windows loading
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UDcc123
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O.P. RE: RE: How to get command prompt before windows loading
quote:
Originally posted by pollolibredegrasa
If you have a Windows XP CD, you can boot from that and when it prompts you, press R to enter recovery mode, this should let you rename the file back (you might need the administrator password to do this).

Alternatively, if you have access to another XP computer, boot into windows on that and insert a blank floppy disk. Then in My Computer, right click the floppy drive, click format and make sure you select "Create an MS-DOS startup disk". You should then be able to boot into DOS mode from that and rename the files.

The floppy option would probably be easiest.  Would it work burning a CD for an MS-DOS startup disk too, or just with a floppy?  If only a floppy works, does Circuit City sell floppys?

If that option doesn't work, I assume since it's a personal PC we use at home, there wouldn't be an administrator password.  Is this correct?

Thanks!
03-06-2008 02:07 PM
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RE: How to get command prompt before windows loading
I would recommend this tool to you, and anyone else that needs any kind of alternative for boot options, and doesn't want to use a Linux live cd:
http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

Called BartPE, it basically makes a version of Windows bootable from CD using the original files from a Windows install CD.
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03-06-2008 02:37 PM
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UDcc123
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O.P. RE: RE: How to get command prompt before windows loading
quote:
Originally posted by pollolibredegrasa
Alternatively, if you have access to another XP computer, boot into windows on that and insert a blank floppy disk. Then in My Computer, right click the floppy drive, click format and make sure you select "Create an MS-DOS startup disk". You should then be able to boot into DOS mode from that and rename the files.

Okay.  I'm slowly getting there.  I made the backup DOS boot disk two nights ago, but when I got home and tried to load it I got the following error: 

Disk I/O error
Replace the disk, and then press any key

I figured the DOS program wasn't being recognized on my Dell for some reason, so I went back to my work PC today and recreated the boot disk.  Afterwards, I renamed mode.com to mode.exe.

I tried loading that new boot disk and I had success...the PC gave me a A:\> prompt.  I thought I was in the clear.  I typed "cd C:/windows/system32" and received "Invalid drive specification".  I tried "cd C:" and received the same error.

How can I get my PC to recognize my C drive through the MS-DOS floppy backup?
03-08-2008 12:05 AM
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RE: How to get command prompt before windows loading
wtf not "cd c:"
code:
c:
cd windows
cd system32


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03-08-2008 12:41 PM
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UDcc123
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O.P. RE: How to get command prompt before windows loading
I got it to work!  I used the windows boot disc to get to the recovery console and it worked perfectly.  Thanks for everyone's help.
03-08-2008 02:34 PM
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RE: How to get command prompt before windows loading
quote:
Originally posted by xen0h
wtf not "cd c:"
code:
c:
cd windows
cd system32


"cd c:" can be used to check the current path on the C: drive. If he got an error earlier while he wanted to change the path, it is not inlogic that he tries "cd c:" to see the current path on that drive.

in that same aspect, doing "cd c:\whatever" wouldn't have switched drives either, only the current path on that drive.
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03-08-2008 03:05 PM
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