Microsoft KB Archive/238836

= Recovery Console Starts Without Prompting for a Password =

Article ID: 238836

Article Last Modified on 2/28/2007

-

APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server

-



This article was previously published under Q238836



SYMPTOMS
When you start your computer using either the Windows 2000 CD-ROM or the Windows 2000 Setup floppy disks and you choose to start Recovery Console, you may not be prompted for the administrator password. Your computer may start Recovery Console and display a command prompt.



CAUSE
This behavior can occur if a valid Windows 2000 installation cannot be located. If a valid installation is not located, you can still start Recovery Console to perform a Repair operation (such as Fixmbr or Fixboot) on the drive. You can also partition and format hard disks without logging on.

You have access to the root folders of the hard disks but not to any subfolders. This means that you do not have access to the %SystemRoot% folder to replace files. Because you are not logged on to Windows 2000, access to the drive is limited for security reasons.



RESOLUTION
You need a valid installation of Windows 2000 to log on to Recovery Console, and to have access to the %SystemRoot% folder. If a valid installation does not exist, or there is disk corruption (such as a corrupted Master Boot Record [MBR]), you cannot gain access to the %SystemRoot% folder because Recovery Console is unable to verify security for the Windows 2000 installation.



STATUS
This behavior is by design.

Keywords: kbprb KB238836

-

[mailto:TECHNET@MICROSOFT.COM Send feedback to Microsoft]

© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.