Booting into DOS Prompt with XP?

Buddy_M · August 19, 2009

OK, I figure there should be someone here who may have some good ideas or know of a program to do this. Without getting into too much detail, I have a computer running Windows XP, that on Windows startup asks for a login username and password, and running F8 at startup and trying the options through there I cannot get to a DOS prompt. I am looking for some kind of boot CD or other command that will boot straight to a command prompt so i can view and copy files off. I have tried our IT department to get me the previous employees user id and password, but there is currently a big upset in the corporate side of the company so they are of no help at the moment so I'm trying to find a way around it if possible.

Thanks, Buddy

Keith Browning · August 19, 2009

Windows XP is not DOS based. What you are looking for is the Command Prompt in Windows XP. You can still use many of the old DOS commands. You only have two choices that I know of:

[*]Click on: The Start button --> All Programs --> Accessories --> System Tools --> Command Prompt

.

[*]Boot your computer then press the F8 key BEFORE the windows splash screen then click on "Start Windows in safe mode with command prompt" and follow the screen prompts and boot process until the command prompt screen appears.

I also read somewhere that you can take an old DOS start up disk and boot from it but I have not tried that so...

Good Luck!

Buddy_M · August 19, 2009

I can't access the command prompt through the start menu due to not even being able to login and have that option, I can get in similar to a guest account, but that option is not available. And I have done the F8 Safe mode with command prompt, and it just starts windows normally and brings me to the login screen again.

This is a HP Compaq computer that is used by Peak USA, which is owned by Nabors Drilling, and Peak is undergoing some major changes, so IT is not available until our terminal can figure out what is going on. It belonged to a previous mechanic who stored all truck maintainance files on this computer, and I need to get them to get files up to date for DOT compliance purposes.

Buddy

GregH · August 19, 2009

I've got a little program on my flash drive for things like that. It's a group of tools collectively known as Hiren's Tools. Latest version is around 9.8 or so. Find this package off google, follow the install directions to a flash drive or a CD-ROM, and boot to that.

Buddy_M · August 24, 2009

Greg, you are awesome! Posted Image I found the source to download, there is one newer version out I might add now, made a CD, and created a new back door administrator account. The bad news was all the data was backed up to the corporate server and nothing was on the computer that was of any use. However I now know who I have to go to in corporate IT to get data retrieved, if even possible at this point, so I gotta try and do that on Monday.