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Automate Windows 2003 Disaster Recovery Process


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Does anyone know if it is possible to perform the WIndows 2003 (F2) disaster recovery process unattended, I am not sure if you can modify the txtsetup portion to select F2 and look for the DR diskette prehaps on a network resource?

Thanks

Nigel

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uhm,

i dunno eheh

but i got two ipotetic ideas (for doing nothig :P):

1) you make a file to execute when you enter in the dos mode (so in the properly coding language), who read the bios's time and give the F2 key's imput when is request. for to be sure that the imput key will be gived when is necessary to keep in the recovery "console", you can watch it before (it must be the same always because it doesnt change second the hardware who someone gots, but it depends only by the speed of the cd-rom drive, now all of them are reading at 52x, this because in that moments there is the reading of files from the drive)

2) if you will be able to find the file in the win-cd that is doing all this operation, i think that you can modify it, deleting all the operation of reading and getting soon in the recovery "console"

Anyway, in case (xD) this will work, you have not resolved your problem, because you were only able to get automatically in the recovery "console" but you can not recover your os because you dunno what must be recovered (maybe is the partition table, ecc) and there are so many commands in the recovery "console".

So you can't do this because it will never be able to understand the problem, and so it will never recover nothing.

For example, if the computer in a certain moment crashes, for the current's fault, and the partion table has gone, then there will be no log file to read what it is just happended, so you will must check if the partition table has gone or not. And that for all the possibily cause o.o.

Maybe that's why there is not something like that :D

Anyway, forgive me xD this are only ipotetic things xD

:unsure:

yeah i am ok :P

Edited by darafat
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but that depends from the problem that you re gonna fix

what do you mean for: WIndows 2003 (F2) disaster ?

I mean when the is not possible to load windows when you turn on the pc (or if it run and then got an error , the classical blue screen). Now that happens when vital files (of windows) are lost or "broked". Thats happens when the currents has gone (for anycause, the 1° cause is when we turn off the pc by the power supplie button...) while a process is reading/using/... those files.

@Anothere one is when you install drivers that are not right for your hardware, so you are in front of the pc......

(so via internet there is no point imho)

now the recovery "console" it is not in the windows sorce (windows installed on the HDD), that why you need to put a drive that contains the recovery "console" 's files. so you can not use any file on the file system (windows installed on the HDD). That files are loaded somewhere (probably in the ram) beacause they will be modifyed by the user. For exaple, for to store in memory the user's imputs.

imho

p.s: i dunno what contains the setupreg.hiv, but at 99% you can make the F2 imput using the assembly lang. (maybe you can make this imput in DOS lang too, but if you cant you must write your prog in assembler)

good luck :rolleyes:

Edited by darafat
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2003 F2 option is the automated system recovery option (ASR) that can be used if yuor run a full backup of the system and generate a floppy containing the partion information and backup session tape etc. Its available if you insert the 2k3 OS cd and boot up and select F2 when prompted during the txtsetup portion

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2003 F2 option is the automated system recovery option (ASR) that can be used if yuor run a full backup of the system and generate a floppy containing the partion information and backup session tape etc. Its available if you insert the 2k3 OS cd and boot up and select F2 when prompted during the txtsetup portion

eheh

sorry but i m xp user :)

so it will restore anything, and you dont have to check wich one is the cause. good thing

but...

what i saw is that you need first to put the wincd, then get in the dos-mode, then press F2 an insert the floppy that the ASR has created when the file system was ok.

So the ASR floppy, need the wincd, because it loads some files who the ASR is gonna use.

So the thing are getting worst..... but nothing is impossible

To automate all this stuff must be really complex, because for to get in the recovery "console" (to press F2), you must do something as i said before. Now it expect files lanched from the floppy, and to automate this you must find a way to make the windows dos-mode expect files from another drive (maybe the same cd). So you must check and modify the file in the wincd who expect the files created by ASR from the floppy (that must be stored in the wincd, while is the recovery console that expect those files).

But if i was in you i was checking for another way... :

1) check all the files who the ASR is going to replace (ALL)

2) make a program who search this file and gives to you (maybe saving in a file) all the path of this files in the HDD,

not the windows path, but in wich fisically part of the HDD are stored.

3) if you have this info, now you can make something without use the wincd and the floppy disk, making a prog in assembly who replace all this files before that windows is loaded. if windows is loaded your not able to replace those files. Than you have to possibility to do this even from the web, if the pc is connected on internet, using a usb pendrive.

good luck again :P

Edited by darafat
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