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Windows XP - Running Checkdisk from a Boot CD

If you cannot boot into Windows (normal or safe mode), it may indicate that the file system on your hard drive, or the hard drive itself, is damaged. Microsoft provides a disk utility, checkdisk, that can help determine the state of your hard drive.

Note: Running scan disk can take several hours. It is recommended you run this scan overnight, or at a time when you won't need to access your computer.

1. Insert your Windows XP CD into your computer's CD-ROM drive and restart your computer. If your computer is not booting into Windows, you will still need to have your computer powered on to open the CD-ROM drive and insert the CD before restarting.
2. Many newer computers are set to boot CDs by default or have an option to temporarily change the boot order. Look for one of these messages as your computer starts:
   • F12 (or another key) = Boot Menu
   • ESC (or another key) to select boot device
   • Press any key to boot from CD
3. If you needed to press a key for a boot menu or to select a boot device, you should now have a menu of the devices your computer can try to boot from. Choose your CD-Rom drive and press Enter.
4. When you see the "Press any key" message, your computer is ready to boot from the Windows XP CD. Just press Enter. Your system will load files and bring you to the Windows XP Setup screen.

   

5. At the Windows Setup screen, press R to enter the Recovery Console.
   • NOTE: If you are unable to access the recovery console, your CD may be damaged, or the problem could be more severe and require professional system recovery.
6. You will enter the Recovery Console and be asked to choose which Windows installation you would like to log into. Most users will only have one choice.

   

7. You will be prompted to enter the administrator password. This is the password set for the user Administrator. You may have set this password when you first were configuring your computer. If you are uncertain what password to enter here, try leaving the line blank and just pressing ENTER.
8. You will be presented with a C: prompt. Type chkdsk /r and press ENTER.

   

9. Checkdisk will now run. The scan may run for several hours.
10. When the scan is complete, a report similar to the one below will display. If any errors appear, call the Help Desk at 608-264-HELP (4357).

    

11. To leave the Recovery Console and reboot your computer, type exit and press Enter. Remember to eject your Windows XP CD before your system tries to boot off of it.

If you have any problems during these steps, please contact the DoIT Help Desk at 608-264-HELP (4357).