In the time it took you to read this you could have UPDATED/CREATED your Emergency Repair Disk

[Anibus]

For Win2000 and NT users.

It only takes a few seconds to make/update your Emergency Repair Disk and it can save you Hours of fustration down the road if you encounter a problem.

The ERD can often help you recover a system that wont boot.

This disk stores the essential System Files, Partition Boot Sector, and Startup Environment

Win2000 directions:
Go to Start--Programs--Accessories--System tools--Backup
click Emergency Repair Disk--Check the Regestry Repair Box--Insert a Floppy--Click OK

NT directions:
Format a blank floppy--Copy the following files from your base directory
BOOT.INI, NTDETECT.COM, NTLDR, BOOTSECT.DOS (FOR DUAL BOOT SYSTEMS, AND NTBOOTDD.SYS (IF SCSI)
Choose
Start--Run--(type) RDISK.EXE--click Update or Repair Disk

 

[TomBilliodeaux]

Thanks for the reminder, its time for me to update my registry repair backup.
Also i created a good method to backup a W2K os that has all the drivers,SP1 etc.
See the post"W2K system backup via free PowerArchiver"

 

[zuffy]

In Windows NT, make sure you run rdisk /s or rdisk /s-

This will backup your SAM database that contains the accounts. rdisk /s- will update the repair folder only, will not update to diskette. I normally backup my %\winnt\repair folder another drive and another computer... I don't trust those diskettes.

Same for Windows 2000 except the command is ntbackup

When you check the option to backup the registry, the hard drive copy is located in %\winnt\repair\regback. The files in %\winnt\repair are the backup files when you install Windows 2000, not the recent ERD files.