How to Use Windows NT 4.0 System Restore

Using a Windows NT 4.0 Emergency Repair Disk
1. Start your computer with the Disk 1 of the Windows NT 4.0 setup disks inserted in the floppy drive. If you do not have an emergency repair disk or a set of setup disks, skip to Section 2, then return to this step. After a few moments, Windows NT 4.0 prompts you to insert the second disk.
2. Insert Disk 2 of the setup disks and press \'Enter.\' The setup program finishes loading. Press \'R\' to repair your Windows NT 4.0 installation. A new screen appears asking which elements of your Windows installation to repair. Leave everything selected, highlight \'Continue\' and press \'Enter.\'
3. Insert Disk 3 of the setup disks and press \'Enter.\' Windows NT loads any additional drivers that may be necessary for the devices in your computer (such as a SCSI hard drive) to work properly, then prompts you to insert the emergency repair disk. Insert the disk and press \'Enter.\'
4. Select the areas of the registry that you want the emergency repair disk to restore from the backup using the arrow and \'Enter\' keys. The selection you should make depends on the problem you are experiencing. If Windows NT 4.0 does not boot at all, select the \'SYSTEM\' and \'SOFTWARE\' items. Highlight \'Continue\' and press \'Enter.\' If the emergency repair disk detects an error, it prompts you.
5. Press \'Enter\' when prompted to repair the file shown by the emergency repair disk. Alternatively, press \'A\' to automatically repair every damaged file detected.
6. Remove the emergency repair disk and press \'Enter\' to restart your computer when the repair process is complete.
Creating a Windows NT 4.0 Emergency Repair Disk and Setup Floppies
7. Insert a blank floppy disk into your computer. If you are attempting to repair a non-functioning computer, you can use another working Windows NT 4.0 computer instead (although it is preferable to use an emergency repair disk with the computer it was created on).
8. Click the \'Start\' button in the lower-left corner of the screen, then click \'Run.\' Type \'cmd\' without quotation marks in the \'Run\' window and press \'Enter.\' The Windows NT 4.0 command prompt appears.
9. Type \'rdisk /s\' without quotation marks and press \'Enter.\' A current backup of your computer's configuration is saved to the repair directory on your hard drive, and a prompt appears asking if you would like to create an emergency repair disk.
10. Click \'Yes,\' then click \'OK.\' A message appears reminding you to store the disk in a safe location as it contains sensitive information about your computer. Click \'OK.\' The emergency repair disk is complete. Label it \'Emergency Repair Disk\' and set it aside. Keep the command prompt open.
11. Insert the Windows NT installation CD. If the setup program loads automatically, close it and continue.
12. Insert another blank floppy disk.
13. Type \'D:\' and press \'Enter.\' If your CD or DVD drive has a letter assignment other than \'D:,\' use that letter instead.
14. Type \'cd i386\' and press \'Enter.\' The command prompt now begins with \'D:\\I386.\'
15. Type \'winnt32 /ox\' and press \'Enter.\' A new window opens. Click \'Continue,\' then click \'OK.\' Pay careful attention to how this program tells you to label the disks, as it begins by creating Disk 3 and finishes with Disk 1. Click through the prompts until each disk is created. You should now have four completed floppy disks: Disks 1-3 of the Windows NT setup utility and the emergency repair disk.