Microsoft Windows Recovery Console

pete · January 22, 2009, 06:24:18 AM

Hi

I decided today to install Microsoft Windows Recovery Console, as i have seen it mentioned quite a few times in the Hijack log forum.

I inserted my Windows cd into cdrom drive.
Clicked on "RUN" in the start menu,
Pasted d:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons into the run box.
clicked okay.

Then i got this warning: :thud:

Setup cannot continue because the version on your computer is newer than the version on the cd.
To erase the newer version and install the older version, restart the computer, boot from this cd, and follow the instructions for a new installation.

Click okay to remove the above warning , and i then get the option to install Windows Recovery Console,

I clicked cancel at this stage as i chickened out, not sure if i would stuff up the computer.

I assumed i got this warning as i have SP3 installed.

I am using Windows XP Home Edition with SP3

On my Microsoft cd i have XP Home Edition with SP2

So is it okay to continue on and install the Windows Recovery Console, any assistance will be very much appreciated

Cheers Pete :Hammys pint:
PS note my Signature it is there for a reason :tease:

Aaron Hulett · January 22, 2009, 08:38:01 AM

Yes, you're getting this because you are running Windows XP Service Pack 3 and the CD media has Service Pack 2 on it.

I'm not sure if installing from SP2 will be ok or not - I've never tried it. Usually, I slipstream the service pack into the CD's contents and then go from there. Has anyone else attempted installing the Recovery Console on SP3 using SP2 media, and how did it turn out?

If you want to try slipstreaming, it's not too difficult, assuming you have a retail Windows XP CD or an OEM CD that isn't too different from what we ship retail, which appears to be the case given you have an i386 folder on it. It's been a while since I've slipstreamed a service pack in, and I don't have a Windows XP SP2 CD to try this with, but I think this is the right set of steps.

Copy the contents of the CD to your hard drive, such as to C:\WinXPCD and then you'll need to download SP3's network installatin package:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5b33b5a8-5e76-401f-be08-1e1555d4f3d4&displaylang=en

Download that 316 MB file to wherever. For my example here, I'll use C:\SP3. Then, once you have that, click Start | Run and put in

C:\SP3\WindowsXP-KB936929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe /integrate:C:\WinXPCD

and click OK. This will integrate the service pack into the CD folder's contents (essentially upgrading the install data to SP3 rather than SP2).

Now that you have this, run the Recovery Console installer from the hard drive. Start | Run, and it should be

C:\WinXPCD\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons

And I think with that, the install will go successfully.

Hope this helps,

-Aaron

This information is provided "AS IS" without warranty, and confers no rights.

pete · January 22, 2009, 08:52:29 AM

Hi Aaron Hulett - MSFT

You have certainly put a lot of useful information in your reply, very much appreciated.

I will do some research on slipstreaming SP3 on the web, as you have given me a good foundation.
Not sure if i will do it as if anyone can stuff something up it will be me. :tech: As computers do not like me.

Once again thank you

Cheers pete

winchester73 · January 22, 2009, 01:44:51 PM

Aaron may say this is the craziest idea he has ever heard ...

This site has an image of the actual SP3 CD that can be downloaded and burned directly to CD: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2fcde6ce-b5fb-4488-8c50-fe22559d164e&displaylang=en

In addition to being a backup copy for possible future use (or to use as a coaster), couldn't you get the Recovery Console off of it?

Aaron Hulett · January 22, 2009, 07:48:49 PM

It's a good idea, but you'll still need to slipstream the service pack in with your current media. That ISO has the service pack EXE file I linked to above, along with debugging symbols and a few other things.

-A

This information is provided "AS IS" without warranty, and confers no rights.

pete · January 23, 2009, 08:30:29 AM

Quote from: winchester73 on January 22, 2009, 01:44:51 PM
Aaron may say this is the craziest idea he has ever heard ...

This site has an image of the actual SP3 CD that can be downloaded and burned directly to CD: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2fcde6ce-b5fb-4488-8c50-fe22559d164e&displaylang=en

In addition to being a backup copy for possible future use (or to use as a coaster), couldn't you get the Recovery Console off of it?

Thank you winchester73

I will most likely download this straight to a cd, from your link.
I have 1 copy of SP3 saved to disc, usb and one on the hard drive.
These ones are not the Windows XP Service Pack 3 - ISO-9660 CD Image File.

Cheers pete

Quote from: Aaron Hulett - MSFT on January 22, 2009, 07:48:49 PM
It's a good idea, but you'll still need to slipstream the service pack in with your current media. That ISO has the service pack EXE file I linked to above, along with debugging symbols and a few other things.

-A

This information is provided "AS IS" without warranty, and confers no rights.

Thanks once again Aaron Hulett - MSFT
I have been reading about slipstreaming, and i may give it a go and see what happens. Just building up my courage at the moment.

Cheers pete

pete · January 23, 2009, 09:07:01 AM

Just a after thought (very dangerous for me)

When you are instructed to download ComboFix., you are encouraged to install the Microsoft Windows Recovery Console.
See attachment.

My question is if you have SP3 installed are you to ignore this part about installing Microsoft Windows Recovery Console.

Cheers pete

Aaron Hulett · January 23, 2009, 10:22:45 AM

That one I don't know - I don't know how they're going about installing it. Anyone happen to know?

Temmu · January 23, 2009, 06:53:51 PM

i think aaron's original post is the best, quickest, easiest.

dp · January 25, 2009, 09:17:59 AM

Another option is you can run the Recovery Console directly from your original Windows XP installation disc. See Option 2: Starting the Windows Recovery Console from the Windows XP CD-ROM - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058

pete · January 25, 2009, 10:47:05 AM

Quote from: dp on January 25, 2009, 09:17:59 AM
Another option is you can run the Recovery Console directly from your original Windows XP installation disc. See Option 2: Starting the Windows Recovery Console from the Windows XP CD-ROM - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314058

Hi dp Thanks very much for your reply.

Yes i am aware about running the Recovery Console Console directly from your original Windows XP installation disc.
At this stage if i had to run the Recovery Console Console, that is how i would do it, and hopefully it will work okay.

But i want to install it like in option3.
If i try, that is when i receive the warning .

As i have SP3 installed, so i do not know if i went ahead whether it would create a problem or not.

On computer Windows XP Home Edition SP3
On Windows cd Windows XP Home Edtion SP2

Cheers pete

E A S T E R · February 22, 2009, 04:14:56 AM

Quote from: winchester73 on January 22, 2009, 01:44:51 PM
Aaron may say this is the craziest idea he has ever heard ...

This site has an image of the actual SP3 CD that can be downloaded and burned directly to CD: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2fcde6ce-b5fb-4488-8c50-fe22559d164e&displaylang=en

In addition to being a backup copy for possible future use (or to use as a coaster), couldn't you get the Recovery Console off of it?

Thanks for the page to the ISO SP3. Although i still am quite content with SP2 from a personal standpoint, chiefly my security arsenals, this will come in handy to slipstream into some units so i can research more thoroughly why malware seems to be running roughshod over this SP lately. Is it specifically targetted you think? I know SP2 can suffer equal disruptions but i don't find a distinctive difference yet from viewing all the hijackthis and security forums around the web.

I am not at all up on what SP3 is supposed to cover as far as security but maybe someone can link to me the benefits or better explain the importance of SP3 on XP right now.

BTW, i've opted to skip Longhorn/Vista for Windows7, anyone think that was a worthy choice, because i rather not upgrade Vista as much as straight install either from disk or an OEM Machine.

Regards EASTER

Aaron Hulett · February 22, 2009, 01:15:03 PM

With regards to slipstreaming, both the ISO and the EXE provide the same method of slipstreaming, but with the ISO, you have to either extract the EXE out of it or burn it to CD to access the EXE. The ISO contains a few extras, such as debugging symbols and if those things aren't needed, then the EXE is all that's really needed here.

Quote... so i can research more thoroughly why malware seems to be running roughshod over this SP lately. Is it specifically targetted you think?

The latest Security Intelligence Report (microsoft.com/sir) shows that Service Pack 3 had fewer machines cleaned by the Malicious Software Removal Tool than Service Pack 2 for the first half of 2008, with even fewer for Windows Vista (data is normalized, showing number of computers cleaned for every 1,000 MSRT executions by operating system and patch level). This might be different for 2H08 given SP3 shipped in April I believe, so it'll be interesting to see the data in the next report. Of course, this could be as simple as perhaps there are more systems with Service Pack 3 than there are with Service Pack 2 in the ecosystem which leads to a greater number of infected SP3 systems.

Here's the list of fixes Service Pack 3 contains. I find being fully patched personally 'important'. Up to you what you personally find 'important'.

Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 946480
List of fixes that are included in Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946480/

-A

E A S T E R · February 22, 2009, 10:28:31 PM

Quote from: Aaron Hulett - MSFT on February 22, 2009, 01:15:03 PM
With regards to slipstreaming, both the ISO and the EXE provide the same method of slipstreaming, but with the ISO, you have to either extract the EXE out of it or burn it to CD to access the EXE. The ISO contains a few extras, such as debugging symbols and if those things aren't needed, then the EXE is all that's really needed here.

Quote... so i can research more thoroughly why malware seems to be running roughshod over this SP lately. Is it specifically targetted you think?
The latest Security Intelligence Report (microsoft.com/sir) shows that Service Pack 3 had fewer machines cleaned by the Malicious Software Removal Tool than Service Pack 2 for the first half of 2008, with even fewer for Windows Vista (data is normalized, showing number of computers cleaned for every 1,000 MSRT executions by operating system and patch level). This might be different for 2H08 given SP3 shipped in April I believe, so it'll be interesting to see the data in the next report. Of course, this could be as simple as perhaps there are more systems with Service Pack 3 than there are with Service Pack 2 in the ecosystem which leads to a greater number of infected SP3 systems.

Here's the list of fixes Service Pack 3 contains. I find being fully patched personally 'important'. Up to you what you personally find 'important'.

Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 946480
List of fixes that are included in Windows XP Service Pack 3
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/946480/

-A

Thanks Aaron for the (fixes) info contained in SP3. Also am curious what the data from the next report will measure out to be.
The first two quarters of 2008 probably doesn't take into account the later half leading up to this first quarter of '09, so yes those statistics should hopefully provide an indicator as to how well SP3 is fairing per regards to security, although i realize SP3 itself is certainly no mechanism for malware removal itself.

Again My Thanks

And Keep Up The Charge

EASTER