Why eight when you can do it in one?
From the prompt echo Y | format c: > nul

Reply

Actually, unhiding hidden files is a security issue, not a maitenance issue. You should NOT know how to do this nor should you want to do this if you're just a regular user. Most of the reasons why WindowsXP needs to be repaied, is because people are doing stuff that they shouldn't (like deleting "hidden" system files).

Its highly unlikely for the need to repair WindowsXP like this. Good article, but will be rarely used.

Reply

@Timon: You're actually very wrong, I've used this technique (or similar) more than once. It's really useful way to recover any demage to the boot sector.
Also, all those "hidden" files lying around your hard drive, are inaccessible only by attribute if the designers of the operating system wanted to stop users from accessing them, way not make them truly inaccessible?

Reply

You are correct sir, you sound like every other Administrator I know as well :). This is also a physical security issue and should be in the IT policy at your office/company. Things like this can be best left up to ERD Commander, however, repairing a registry hive is nearly impossible. Good article for the DIY's for home users though.

Reply

Actually, I run into this a lot more than you'd think. A lot of times XP crashes inexplicably for people who wouldn't know the first thing about what a hidden file is. For anyone in IT administration, this is a very helpful tidbit to have. I have actually done this before without an article like this, but I this will help me teach more people to do it themselves. Thanks!

Reply

I'm an IT Tech for a big company and I also own my own company doing computer repair for small business and personal computers and I think a reference like this is awesome. I never can seem to commit the line commands to memory so thank you for relieving me of that burden. As for the showing hidden files, I agree in part but the theres a thing called the Windows File Protection service with XP that prevents the deletion/overwriting of formerly unprotected system files with previous OS's. So it's really not a big issue, unles the user knows how to open Services and stop/disable it and the delete the %SYSTEMROOT%system32dllcache directory before intentionally wreaking all kinds if havoc on the system. But if they can do that then uncheck Hide System Files is already a no-brainer to them. Great article! Thanks for pointing it out.

Reply

I can fix Windows with only one command:
format C:

Reply

What I would like to read about is not "...how to repair Windows with eight commands." but rather "...how to remove Windows with eight commands :)"

Reply

One other thing not mentioned: if you have a Corporate IT-maintained machine, as I do, frequently you don't control your local Administrator account password. While I'm a local Administrator on my own machine, if I don't know the "Administrator" password, I ain't gettin' Recovery Console access.

So you may need one additional step to recover the Administrator password first. Download and burn the Emergency Boot CD (http://ebcd.pcministry.com/) and use it to blank the Administrator password. Then you can access the Recovery Console (and follow the other eight steps).

EBCD has several other great tools included on it, but I find I use the password editor more than anything.

Reply