A couple of small corrections, if I may:

1. If you boot off any XP CD and choose a "Repair Install", the Windows system files will be replaced by those, which are within the XP CD you have within the optical drive.

No, unfortunately it is NOT as "universal" as that.

The CD needs to be slipstreamed to the SAME Service Pack as the installed system.

2. If you just want

• to use, copy, rename, or replace operating system files and folders,
  
• to enable or disable service or device startup the next time that you start your computer,
  

Again, unfortunately it is NOT as "universal" as that.

There are Registry settings that prevent the "full" operational capabilities of the RC:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...20983&st=25

Just FYI, besides the above thread:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=20983

Here are possibly interesting things about RC:

http://commandwindows.com/recovery.htm

http://tips.vlaurie.com/2006/05/23/recover...out-an-xp-disk/

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/?showtopic=2254

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=5316

And, just for the record, wimb has added an option for it in his multiboot USB thingy:

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=121446

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showto...21446&st=24

Side note:

In my eyes the MS terms "Recovery" and "Repair" during the OS Setup are really misleading. If you want to repair (=fix) the broken MBR, you have to run the "Recovery Console", but if you want to recover the original Windows XP system files, you must choose the "Repair Install" option. That's really irritating!

Yep , wonder why on the page you linked to:

http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

writes using colours and bolding?:

3. Press Enter to start the Windows Setup. Do Not choose "To repair a Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, press R", (you Do Not want to load Recovery Console). I repeat, Do Not choose "To repair a Windows XP installation using the Recovery Console, press R".

jaclaz

@ jaclaz:

Thanks for your additional clarifications, which verify, that this topic is more complicated than many of us thought. This thread may help other users, who are unsure about it.

I personally have learnt a lot about the Recovery and Repair options of Windows XP.

Regards

Fernando

So I think I got to correct my Post #7 like this:

To get a working "Repair-XPCD" load your "Last Session" you made your XP-Install with,

choose only "Servicepck-Integration", at "Hotfixes" choose only MS-Hotfixes or HotfixPacks (delete all other Addons),

then intefrate "Drivers", at least let nLite delete "Components". Don´t choose any "Unattended" or "Tweaks", just

burn it to ISO.

The result should be a XPCD without any "winnt.sif" with full "Repair" & "Recover" functionality.

It should contain all files at the same level as your installed XP.