How to Enter the Windows XP Recovery Console

by Margaret Worthington

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Windows XP has a command-line utility you can boot from the Windows XP installation CD. This command-line utility, called the Recovery Console, gives you access to a limited set of commands you can use to fix and modify the operating system. Accessing the Recovery Console is simple, even for a basic user, as long as you have the XP installation CD.

Step 1

Insert your Windows XP installation CD into your computer and restart it. As the computer boots up, press the key displayed on the screen that is labeled as the "Boot Menu." Once in the boot menu, choose the option to boot from the CD or DVD drive.

Step 2

Press the "R" key once you reach the initial setup screen to open the Recovery Console.

Step 3

Log in to the Recovery Console by selecting your desired operating system and entering the administrator password for that account. You can exit the Recovery Console by typing "Exit" and hitting the "Enter" key once you have finished making changes through the Recovery Console.

About the Author

Margaret Worthington has been writing and editing since 2001. Her work includes editorials and articles for a college newspaper, toy articles for Hasbro, copy-editing a romance novel and rewriting a publication for "GreenBlue." Worthington holds an Associate of Arts in English and journalism from Piedmont Virginia Community College and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English and journalism from the University of Virginia.

Photo Credits

  • Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images