Comments on: How to recover a non-bootable Windows installation – The Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset

By: Naoto

Naoto — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:59:04 +0000

Here’s MSDaRT (trial?) download link:

http://www.brothersoft.com/microsoft-diagnostics-and-recovery-tools-187176.html

By: Trevor

Trevor — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:10:56 +0000

It looks like the MSDaRT trial download link is no longer working. Is it still available somewhere?

By: asd

asd — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:27:40 +0000

Most computers have a manual BIOS reset…It is on the mother board, and involves switching a jumper. Google “jumper reset Bios password” Then take your box apart and follow the directions.

By: Ken

Ken — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:12:27 +0000

Yea it didn’t help, had to remove some pin and the battery in order for it to allow me to update the bios haha

By: Saf

Saf — Tue, 26 May 2009 16:18:28 +0000

Guys I think the reason the MS toolkit is not available to the public, is if people knew there was a easy way to rest a password and keep the files on that laptop intact, a lot more stolen laptops would begin to flood the market disguised as a legitimate laptop etc (not to mention laptop crime would probly jump up a bit).

But your info has been helpful in resetting my xp password :S, I would prefer not to have to download all my videos again rofl.

By: WPC

WPC — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:08:32 +0000

Ken: as you’ve probably found out by now, this won’t help in that situation. You won’t be able to reset BIOS passwords with this tool – they are independent of the operating system.

By: Ken

Ken — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:47:53 +0000

Much thanks for this. I can’t update my bios
because it’s asks me for a Admin pass and I don’t remember it ,so hopefully this will help!

By: dev101

dev101 — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:24:21 +0000

It appears there is no server 2003 64-bit version, my oversight or Microsoft’s….?

By: Dmitri Minaev

Dmitri Minaev — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 19:46:21 +0000

It seems that the trick I wrote about doesn’t always work. I don’t know what’s the problem, but if it doesn’t, you can always mount the image and edit one line in I386/system32/Winpeshl.ini. The EOT parameter defines the expiration date. Replace it with something like EOT=fffffffffffffff, et voila!

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 19:32:28 +0000

Dmitri, thanks for the tip!
Szabcsi, that is really odd. I only tried it with SP2.

Michael, thanks!

Christoph, I think the problem with other solutions is that it costs you usually quite some time to get them working. I really don’t want to search for drivers just to reset an admin password. The good thing with MSDaRT that already comes with everything you need. All you to have to do, is to boot it up.

Casey, you will also find it on Technet under Servers.

By: Michael

Michael — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 06:20:38 +0000

Casey, if you login to MSDN and go to downloads it’s located under Servers>desktop Optimization Pack.

By: Casey

Casey — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 23:47:30 +0000

Your article states that Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) is available for Technet subscribers, but I’ve yet to locate it. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

By: Christoph

Christoph — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 07:51:25 +0000

There are tons of better solutions to fix nonworking MS OS out there, e.g. make a BartPE CD or USB stick and add all the tools and drivers you need. Or if you are too lazy and a bit Linux savvy get a current Knoppix DVD.
They shouldn’t have killed the old ERD concept after usurping the sysinternals crew imho.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 03:54:11 +0000

Man, what a find! Thanks for shedding light on this very useful tool. Keep up the good work.

By: Szabcsi

Szabcsi — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:32:26 +0000

Unfortunately MSDaRT 5.0 is not working with Windows XP SP3.

By: Dmitri Minaev

Dmitri Minaev — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 07:24:56 +0000

> I am not sure what happens after 30 days. I’ve never tried it, but I somehow think that it will still work after that period.

The expiration date is stored in I386/system32/winpeshl.ini on the CD image. So, if you set the system date to some date far in the future before you run the .msi file, which prepares the .iso image, the resulting CD will work for long enough to really try it. Say, 20 years.