The Windows XP operating system today is outdated and does not release the necessary updates that eliminate its numerous “bugs”, freezes during loading and system failures. Therefore, users even at the most modern computers Various problems may arise. But not all Windows users XP immediately undertake to reinstall the system or completely format the existing local disks. If only because the computer may contain important information for the user that he needs for various purposes. And it’s just unlikely that anyone will want to reinstall everything after reinstalling the computer necessary programs, remember pages and tabs on the Internet and restore them in browsers. And for such a case, you can use recovery operating system. This will require either a special recovery disk or a program specifically designed for this process. Let us consider each of these two options in more detail, and let the reader choose the most suitable one for him.
Recovery using disk
If there are problems with starting the operating system or the user simply is not able to access the Desktop to use special programs (and this may be due to viruses, access blocking, lack of system file), then you need to use a recovery disk. This disk is a normal boot disk Windows option XP, with which the operating system is installed on the computer. To restore your computer's functionality, you must follow these steps:
- Inserts into CD/DVD drive boot disk with the operating system, the installation program starts. After this, you need to wait until the following screen appears:
- At the bottom you can see the inscription “Restore”. The recovery operation starts after pressing the “R” key, which is what the user needs to do. After this, you need to be a little patient - the system scans HDD for the presence of operating systems installed on the computer. As a result, the following window appears:
- Enter the number of the copy of Windows XP, which is located on one of the local drives (a common option is the “1” button). Then the Administrator password is entered, and if there is none, simply press the “Enter” key. If everything was done correctly, then direct system recovery will be available in the next step, when a special console appears in front of the user:
Such a recovery cannot be carried out because, due to some types of malfunctions, the boot disk may not detect copies of Windows XP on the computer (which happens quite often). But if such problems do not arise, then you can continue to use the recovery disk and begin the procedure using the fixmbr command, which is designed to restore the MBR. This is done as follows:
- The fixmbr command is entered, after which the action is confirmed with the “Y” key;
- After this, you must enter another boot command, fixboot, and confirm the changes in the same way. After of this action you need to reboot, for which you enter the exit command.
After all of the above steps, users are able to restore the functionality of the existing operating system, but if it was not possible to carry out all these steps (due to impossibility or complexity), then you can use standard Windows XP OS resources or use a special program.
Recovery using programs
The user has two options: you can either use system resources, or install a program that will help restore the system. First, let's look at what can be done without using programs.
“Rollback” the system to a previous state
This method is only possible for prudent users who have previously created a system restore point on their computer. This restore point allows you to return the functionality of your computer to the state it had at the time this point was created. System Restore can be found at the following location: Start menu – All Programs – Accessories – System Tools – System Restore. Next, everything is done very simply - the recovery wizard greets you, after which a calendar appears with marked system backup points. But such points must be created prematurely, since without their presence it is not possible to do anything. Users who have already worked with this component will immediately try to restore the system in this way. For others, the only option will be a program specifically designed for such situations.
System recovery programs
There is a large variety various programs, which can be used to restore the system. Most of them are “tailored” for all existing operating systems, so they are universal and can be used even if there is another OS. We will not describe all the features of working with each program - what is good for one user may not be entirely appropriate for another. All of the programs listed below have a simple and user-friendly interface and provide a very simple recovery procedure. The user can only choose which program is most convenient for him.
- File Rescue Pro. Great program, which is capable of recovering almost all existing data on a computer. Using it, you can recover both accidentally deleted files and damaged components of Windows XP or files that were damaged due to virus attacks. Can be used in file systems FAT12, FAT 16, FAT32, NTFS.
- FomSoft Disk Doctor. A program that is intended specifically for working with the restoration of components and files of operating systems. Allows you to automatically build a directory tree, checks logical and physical sectors of disks and recovers lost files. Can be used in Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 operating systems.
- Raise Data Recovery for FAT. This program specifically designed to work in file system FAT, which is most often installed on users’ computers. In addition to standard recovery functions, there is a special set of tools that can be used to restore even a severely damaged system.
- BlueScreen View. A very useful utility that allows you not only to restore data on your computer, but also provides all the information about failures in a summary table. In the table you can see information about the name of the dump file, basic information that was output to the system during the BSOD, and all the necessary information about the module or driver that caused the system failure.
- Recuva 1.49. A simple and understandable program that is designed to restore deleted files. The main advantage is ease of use and a clear, accessible interface.
In addition to the above programs, there are others that can be no less useful and functional. We have given an example of free and universal programs that can be used not only exclusively for system recovery, but also for restoring other files.
From time to time, in the course of a wide variety of actions, failures occur in the system: this could be a virus infection of the user’s computer, or incorrect installation of drivers and utilities. This may be a failure when updating drivers and programs, when the update is unfinished, or contains some kind of error. May happen software glitch when the computer is turned off incorrectly, when the plug is pulled out of the socket, or when the power goes out unexpectedly if the computer is not connected to a source uninterruptible power supply. Inept actions by the user themselves can lead to critical OS errors when trying to optimize or configure Windows XP. And there are a lot of other options in which the operating system either stops loading altogether, or loads but does not work correctly. In these cases, restoration is required Windows systems XP.
How to do a system restore on Windows XP
If the system boots, Windows XP has a special built-in recovery tool.
- Let's go to Start.
- Opening All programs.
- Next, in the drop-down list we look for Service.
- In the next drop-down list, select System Restore.
There are two items on the right side of the window: Select a point to restore an earlier state And Create a restore point.
Here you can select one of the available points to restore your computer to an earlier working state. In this case, the state of the computer will be returned to the moment when the problem did not yet exist. All installed programs, as well as some files downloaded to your computer after this period will be deleted.
How to create an XP restore point
And here you can manually create your own recovery point by clicking on the second item. It's very easy to do.
- We mark the second point Create a restore point and click Further.
- Enter a description for our new point and click Create.
Everything is ready, now, when installing some suspicious software, we have a guaranteed rollback point if something goes wrong during installation.
We return to the window for selecting a task to restore and mark the first item. In the next window, select the day to which you want to roll back from the selected ones in bold. Not all days can be selected, but only those on which such points were created; this happens automatically when installing many programs, drivers and updates. Select a day and click Further.
The system recovery process is completely reversible and you can cancel the rollback at any time, returning to its original state.
If, for example, such manipulation did not bring the desired result.
Windows XP recovery via console
If the OS refuses to boot, in general, you can try to restore it through the console. To do this, you will need a system image recorded on a disk or USB flash drive. Only the image must be the same version and bit size as that installed on the computer.
- To execute Windows recovery XP from the installation disk, you need to boot the computer from the disk, and in the installation program window, press ( R) to load the console.
- Next, you will be asked to select the system that we will restore, if you have only one system, press the number 1 on the keyboard, if more, then 1 or 2, respectively, most often there is only one system installed on the computer, so select (1) and confirm your choice key Enter.
- If Account is protected by a password, enter it and confirm your action again with the key Enter. If there is no password, then immediately press Enter.
- will appear command line, in which you need to type the command – ( fixmbr) (in small Latin letters). And we confirm again - Enter.
- Next, a warning will appear, here you need to confirm your actions by pressing the key ( y).
- The boot record has been successfully restored, now you need to write a new boot sector.
- We are recruiting a team ( fixboot ) – confirm the action with the key ( y) and then - Enter.
- Now you need to exit the console by typing the command ( Exit ) and confirm Enter.
The computer should boot normally, provided, of course, that everything was done correctly.
It often happens that after turning on the computer, it does not load the Windows xp OS, which until recently worked “like a clock”, despite its “advanced” age. What to do in this case will be discussed in this publication.
I would like to say right away - there is no need to panic. Windows XP was developed in 2001 and during this time a lot has changed in the Internet space. The older the system, the more software errors and it is more vulnerable to modern malware.
Windows xp won't load. There are two main reasons for this:
- Problems with software. You can try to solve them by logging into safe mode and restoring the most successful configuration, “rolling back” to a checkpoint, or, as a last resort, reinstalling the system.
- Hardware failure. This problem is harder and easier to solve at the same time. First of all, you need to check the connection of the loop and hard drive.
In any case: before drawing any conclusions, you should go into the BIOS and see if the computer sees the HDD.
- To restart a computer.
- After initializing the BIOS, press F2 or Del to enter.
- Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to go to the BOOTS section.
- Opposite the HDD item there should not be NONE, but the name of the hard drive.
Loading from the Advanced Options Menu
If the computer does not see the HDD, then you have a hardware problem. First of all, you need to check the connection between the cable and the hard drive. If the cable is in order and power is supplied to the disk, but the system does not see the disk, then the specialists of the System Technologies company will be able to install the OS as soon as possible. We are located at: Chelyabinsk, st. Kyshtymskaya, 7A.
If it turns out that the problem is software, then you should enter the menu additional options boot by pressing the F8 key after initializing the BIOS and selecting “load last known known configuration”. The OS will do the rest itself.
Using the distribution disk
If the OS fails to load, restoring Windows XP using a distribution disk can help. In 99% of cases, restoring the operating system is better than reinstalling it, since your programs and file folders, as well as personal information, will remain unchanged. To do this you need:
We recommend that when setting the date, time and some other parameters offered to you, select the “default” option. Afterwards, they can always be changed. After the procedure, it is recommended to check and install the missing drivers.
Recovery Console
Sometimes there are cases when the OS does not load at all: only the BIOS initialization procedure occurs. Most often, this happens due to the failure of the bootloader caused by viruses. Recovery windows boot loader xp you will need a distribution kit of any version of your OS on a disk or other media.
After all operations, the computer should reboot from your OS.
Rollback using a restore point
If the system boots, but does not work correctly and intermittently after unsuccessfully installed software or viruses, restoring Windows XP can be done quite simply by “rolling back” to a checkpoint.
This can be done like this:
The Windows XP operating system is equipped with a convenient recovery tool that allows you to roll back changes that led to unstable operation. In most cases, this tool allows you to perform a complete recovery without reinstallation. Windows systems XP with saving of all user files.
Enable recovery
To be sure that you can roll back XP back to the key date, make sure that the restore feature is working. If it is deactivated, you must enable it:
You can configure recovery settings by specifying how much space should be allocated for points for Windows rollback. The default is 12% of the total volume, but you can make this setting a little smaller to save space on your hard drive.
Rollback to key date
System Restore is enabled, let's see how it works:
If you are unable to return your system to a working state, you can restore your computer again by selecting a different day. You can also run a rollback if XP does not boot normally. What should be done:
The operating system recovery program will appear. Through it, you can rollback Windows back by selecting a day when XP was running smoothly. The disadvantage of this method is that you will not be able to use the recovery tool to roll back the system to factory settings, since the old points will be overwritten by the new control marks.
Last Known Good Configuration
The first thing to do if Windows won't boot is to run the Last Known Good Configuration.
You can perform such a rollback and return XP back to a working state due to the fact that the last successful startup of the system is constantly recorded in the registry. Using the function above, you apply this saved configuration, correcting all Windows errors. The advantages of the described method are that you do not need any flash drives with system distributions, special recovery programs, or changes to the BIOS settings.
Reinstallation with saving files via BIOS
If rolling back XP does not fix the problem, you can update the system - return it to its original state by resetting it to factory settings. On XP, a factory reset works slightly differently than in later versions. On Windows 7/8.1/10, when installing the system, a partition is created on which the recovery image is located. Special program allows you to run through the BIOS or in the environment Windows rollback to factory settings. On XP there is no such program (there is no section either), but you can return the operating system to factory settings.
Restart your computer; go into the BIOS and set to boot from the flash drive. You can do this in the BIOS like this:
Note: you can not change the BIOS configuration, but use the menu that is called up by pressing the F11 key when starting the computer. 
After launching the system installer, press Enter to begin installation. Accept the terms of the license agreement. The installer will notify you that it has been detected. copy of Windows– press “R” to restore it. 
If your computer has been locked down by ransomware, your operating system won't boot, your session has crashed, or you're experiencing other problems with Windows XP, you may be able to resolve them using System Restore. However, the built-in utility does not always help fix the problem, since sometimes it is even impossible to get into the system. Therefore, let's consider the system recovery process through installation disk.
Restoring the Windows XP operating system using the installation disc
The advantage of restoring an XP system via an installation disk is that all files, installed programs and specified settings after performing this operation they remain intact and untouched. In addition, performing this operation is simple and consists of only a few steps:
- We insert the installation disk with Windows XP into the drive (you need to use a system of the same build and bit size that is installed on your PC).
- We boot into the BIOS and set the DVD drive as boot priority.
- We are waiting for the installation to start. When a black screen appears and the message “Press any key...” appears, press any key.
- The installer menu will appear. Press the “R” button to start system recovery.
- Be sure to accept the license agreement by pressing “F8”.
- In the next window a menu will appear with the choice of assembly to restore. Press “R” to start recovery. If you don’t have such a menu, it means you are using a non-original Windows assembly XP.
- The system recovery process will begin. If the problem persists, try updating the system as follows.
- Insert the installation disk into the drive and go to “My Computer”. Click right click mouse on the DVD drive icon and select “Autorun”.
- A new window will open. In the startup type, select “Update (recommended).”
- Next, accept the license agreement and enter the product key.
- Check the “Do not receive updates from Windows Update” checkbox.
- Copying will start installation files, that is, damaged files will be replaced with new ones.
After completing all the steps and restarting the PC, Windows XP will boot in normal mode. If this method did not help solve the problem and restore the system, we recommend performing a clean installation.