XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
X 44/1
Solve Serious Windows Crashes with an Entire Operating
System Running from a CD!
With the information in this article you can:
• Recover important files from a Windows PC which refuses to start
• Remove adware and spyware without launching Windows XP
• Create the ultimate emergency CD for solving serious Windows
system crashes
BartPE is a complete Windows environment that runs from a CD, and includes
networking support, a graphical user interface and the ability to access NTFS
(New Technology File System) hard drives. This is one of the most useful tools
that you can have to resolve problems with Windows XP. It is important to
remember that Windows XP’s NTFS files cannot be recovered from your hard
drive using an MS-DOS floppy disk, but BartPE allows you to handle NTFS
files in an interface that is similar to Windows Explorer. BartPE also provides
a way to remove adware or spyware without booting your installation of
Windows. This can be vital when Windows has either become very damaged,
or where the malware is capable of reinstating itself when Windows is active.
This article will show you how to build a BartPE troubleshooting CD.
Dr Steve North:
“BartPE is a wonderful piece of free software. It is very reassuring to know that however
badly damaged your Windows installation becomes, a BartPE boot disk will provide an
instant, graphical environment from which to fix your problem.”
• Setting up a preinstalled troubleshooting environment.. X 44/2
• Configuring your troubleshooting installation ............... X 44/3
• Launching the BartPE troubleshooting system ............. X 44/8
• Adding the Firefox web browser to BartPE .................... X 44/9
• Removing adware and spyware with BartPE .................. X 44/12
The Windows Advisor June/July 06
1
X 44/2
!?
A preinstalled
environment may
be located on a CD
or USB flash drive.
You don’t even
need a hard drive
installed!
XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
Setting Up a Preinstalled Troubleshooting
Environment
Windows XP is normally set up on the hard drive of your PC.
However, there is no reason that you can’t run a small
operating system from a read-only CD, or even a USB flash
drive. As no machine-specific settings need to be saved to
the originating drive, the same CD will be portable between
different PCs. In fact, your PC does not even need a working
hard drive to run a preinstalled environment.
Most Windows based preinstalled environments consist of a
CD building program and some files from your existing
Windows XP CD. In fact, you must not build a Windows
preinstalled environment, unless you have a standard licence
from Microsoft.
Limitations of Microsoft’s Preinstalled Environment
WindowsPE is
only available
to customers
from larger
organisations.
WindowsPE does
not provide a
graphical user
interface.
In further sections of this article, you will learn how to
install and use the preinstalled environment BartPE. Before
getting started with BartPE, it is useful to understand the
Microsoft product on which it is based.
WindowsPE is Microsoft’s own Preinstalled Environment.
Unfortunately, it is only available to Microsoft customers
with an Enterprise License Agreement. It was developed
primarily as a tool for administrators to install Windows
XP/2003 on new machines. It has the following limitations:
• Continuous operation – WindowsPE is not intended to
run continuously for more than 24 hours. After this it
will automatically restart.
• Graphic user interface – WindowsPE only has a
command line (similar to XP’s Command Prompt).
• Adding new programs – this is not possible in
WindowsPE but the default settings can be changed.
The benefits of using BartPE
BartPE is a free tool developed by an independent
2
The Windows Advisor June/July 06
XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
programmer. It has no connection with Microsoft other than
its legitimate use of files from a licensed copy of Windows.
To build BartPE, you will need one of the following versions
of Windows: Server 2003 Web Edition/Server 2003 Standard
Edition/Server 2003 Enterprise Edition/XP Home Edition SP1
or higher/XP Professional SP1.
The program for building the BartPE CD is called PE Builder.
You will find PE Builder on the CD that accompanies this
update. This will run on Windows 2003/XP and can also be
run from a booted BartPE environment. By running PE
Builder from inside a booted copy of BartPE, you can add or
modify your BartPE setup, without needing a working copy
of Windows. Whereas WindowsPE is intended for
deployment of Windows, BartPE is a troubleshooting and
recovery tool. Its primary advantages are:
• Continuous operation – unlike WindowsPE, BartPE has
no time limit on its continuous operation.
• Graphical interface – BartPE has an interface that will
be familiar to Windows users. It provides simple
accessories and file management tools.
• Adding new programs – BartPE can be expanded using
‘plug-ins’. These are small applications that are added
during the build process and are then available inside
BartPE. The adventurous programmer can write their
own plug-ins, including the conversion of their
favourite Windows applications. There are hundreds of
BartPE plug-ins available on the Internet.
Configuring Your Troubleshooting
Installation
BartPE does not come ready for use. As it makes use of
licensed components from Windows XP, the user must have
a valid copy of the Microsoft operating system on CD.
Therefore, you will need your Windows XP CD. Of course,
The Windows Advisor June/July 06
X 44/3
To use BartPE, you
must have a
suitable licensed
copy of
Windows XP
BartPE provides an
environment for
troubleshooting
and data recovery.
Yes No Test
✔
✔
✔
✔
BartPE can be
expanded using
application
‘plug-ins’.
!?
You will need: your
Windows XP CD and
the latest version of
PE Builder.
3
X 44/4

Copy the contents
of your Windows
XP CD to your
hard drive.
You will need at
least Window XP
SP1 to build
BartPE.
4
XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
your PC will need a CD writer in order to burn a bootable
BartPE disk.
You will find the latest version of PE Builder on the CD that
accompanies this update. Please note that Windows 2000 is
not suitable for building a BartPE environment, because
Windows 2000 does not support the /minint switch and
cannot boot from a read-only CD. Start by copying the
Windows XP installation files to your hard drive as follows:
1. Insert your Windows XP CD into your CD drive. If
Windows Setup automatically starts, click Exit.
2. Right-click Start and then click Explore.
3. Navigate to your CD drive and leave Windows
Explorer open, displaying the contents.
4. Right-click Start and then click Explore (to open a
second copy of Windows Explorer).
5. Navigate to the drive letter for your hard drive. This
is likely to be C:.
6. Right-click anywhere in the right-hand pane showing
the contents of C:.
7. Click New > Folder.
8. Type the folder name as WINXP and press Enter .
9. Double-click the folder called WINXP.
10. In the copy of Windows Explorer that is still
displaying the CD contents, click Edit > Select All.
11. Click Edit > Copy.
12. In the copy of Windows Explorer that is showing the
empty contents of the WINXP folder, click Edit >
Paste. You should now see the files copying from
your Windows XP CD to the WINXP folder. This may
take several minutes.
In order to install BartPE, you will need the very latest
version of Windows XP. If your Windows XP CD includes
Service Pack 1 or 2 (a recently purchased PC is likely to
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XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
X 44/5
already have this), then you can go directly to the section on
building a BartPE environment on page X 44/6. If the root
directory of your Windows XP CD (usually D:\) contains the
file WIN51IP.SP1 then it has Service Pack 1. If you have the
file WIN51IP.SP2 then it is Windows XP Service Pack 2.
If your CD does not include Service Pack 1 or 2, you will
need to ‘slipstream’ your original Windows CD files with the
latest updates, that is combine the files from the latest
Windows update with those on your CD. Please note that
Windows XP Service Pack 1 cannot be slipstreamed to
Service Pack 2. You can only slipstream a CD without any
Service Packs.
Slipstreaming Windows XP with Service Pack 2
Although BartPE does provide its own slipstream option
(click Source > Slipstream) it is not always reliable and it is
advisable to perform the slipstream operation manually.
Windows XP Service Pack 2 is free and can be downloaded
from Microsoft from the link on the CD accompanying this
update. The full name for this update is Windows XP Service
Pack 2 Network Installation Package for IT Professionals and
Developers. The file that you will require is called
XPSP2.EXE.
Create a folder for the SP2 installer file:
1. In the copy of Windows Explorer that is displaying
C: right-click anywhere in the right-hand pane
showing the contents of C:
2. Click New > Folder.
3. Type the folder name as SLIPSTREAM-SP2 and press
Enter .
4. Double-click the folder called SLIPSTREAM-SP2.
5. In the copy of Windows Explorer that is still
displaying the CD contents, browse to the location
for the SP2 file XPSP2.EXE. The location for this will
The Windows Advisor June/July 06
The BartPE
slipstream option
can be unreliable.
It is recommended
that you use
manual slipstream.

You need the file
XPSP2.EXE.
5
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
You now have a
version of XP
Service Pack 2.
!
Avoid installing
PE Builder in a
location with a
long path name.
6
XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
depend on whether you downloaded (and renamed it)
or obtained it from a CD.
6. Right-click on XPSP2.EXE and click Copy.
7. In the copy of Windows Explorer that is showing the
empty contents of the SLIPSTREAM-SP2 folder, click
Edit > Paste. You should now see the file XPSP2.EXE
in the SLIPSTREAM-SP2 folder.
Start the slipstreaming process:
1. Click Start > Run.
2. Type: C:\SLIPSTREAM-SP2\XPSP2.EXE S:C:\WINXP and press Enter . You will need to use
the appropriate drive letter if your hard drive is not
C: You should now see an extraction dialogue,
followed by a progress bar.
When this procedure completes successfully, then the copy of
XP in C:\WINXP will now include Service Pack 2.
Generating the BartPE system
You now have the required Windows XP files and are ready
to start building your bootable CD. Please note that it is
highly recommended that you use the suggested folder
C:\pebuilder319 for PE Builder. If you set it up somewhere
that has a longer path name (C:\Documents and
Settings\<username>\Desktop, for example), PE Builder may
generate errors during the build process.
Many Windows programs assume that the maximum length
for a path and filename will be 255 characters. It is quite
possible when building BartPE to end up with paths very
close to this limit, such as:
C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Desktop\
pebuilder319\BARTPE\I386\WINSXS\x86_Microsoft.Tools.
VisualCPlusPlus.Runtime-Libraries_
6595b64144ccf1df_6.0.0.0_x-ww_ff9986d7\
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XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
X 44/7
Click here to
navigate to the
location of your
Windows
XP files.
The main interface for PE Builder
To build BartPE:
1. Insert a blank CD into your CD writer.
2. Double-click on the PE Builder installer that you
copied from the Update CD earlier.
3. Install PE Builder to the location C:\pebuilder319.
4. Double-click Start and then click Explore.
5. In Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder
C:\pebuilder319.
6. Double-click the file PEBUILDER.EXE.
7. In the main PE Builder dialogue, under Source, click
... and navigate to the folder C:\WINXP. Note: if you
have previously run PE Builder, this will already be
set.
8. At the main PE Builder dialogue, click Burn to
CD/DVD.
9. The drop-down menu Burn using should be set to
StarBurn.
10. Select your CD writer from the drop-down menu
Device.
11. Click Build.
12. You will now be asked if want to create a directory
(or to overwrite the existing directory), click Yes.
13. The license for your Windows XP product is shown.
The Windows Advisor June/July 06

You will need a
blank CD and the
PE Builder
installation file.
You will see the
user license
agreement from
Windows XP.
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XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
Read and agree it to continue. Note: this will only
appear the first time that you build. PE Builder will
now start building BartPE. If it successfully builds
the files, then it will go on to burn the CD. Do not
eject the CD until instructed. Note: if there are errors
in the build, you can click on the on-screen arrows
(<< or >>) to navigate from error to error. The
completed, bootable CD is now ready for use.
14. Click Exit to leave PE Builder.
!?
You need your PC
to boot from the
CD drive before the
hard drive.

Remember to put
your hard drive
back at the top of
the boot sequence.
8
Launching the BartPE Troubleshooting
System
To boot from your new BartPE CD, it is necessary to modify
your computer’s BIOS settings, so that it attempts to boot
from the CD drive before the hard drive. This will make sure
that your PC loads BartPE, rather than Windows XP. To
change the boot sequence:
1. Start your PC.
2. To enter the BIOS press Delete as soon as your
computer starts loading. You may have to press it
several times, but don’t hold it down. Note: not all
PCs use the same key for this. If Delete doesn’t
work, other possible keys are: F1 , F2 , F8 , F10 ,
F12 , Esc or Ctrl + Esc .
Tip: you may get a message on screen similar to:
‘Press Delete for setup’ or if you are still unable to
access the BIOS, refer to the manual for your PC’s
motherboard (the main circuit board containing the
central processor).
3. When the BIOS/CMOS screen opens, look for a
section called something like Boot Sequence. The
exact name varies from PC to PC.
4. Move the entry for your CD drive before the C: drive
in the boot sequence. Note: after you have used
The Windows Advisor June/July 06
XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
BartPE, remember to go back into the BIOS and put
drive C: back at the top of the boot sequence.
5. Save all changes to the BIOS settings and Windows
will continue trying to load. Without waiting for it to
complete, insert the BartPE boot CD and restart your
PC.
6. When BartPE loads, click Go to get started.
Now, you can explore BartPE and get familiar with its
built-in programs and utilities. Please note that you can also
run BartPE at the same time as Windows XP. With Windows
XP running, you can insert the BartPE boot CD. You will see
the Go menu appear over the Start menu. If you lose the Go
menu at any time, click on the upper edge of the Windows
XP taskbar and drag it towards the bottom of the screen. You
should now see that BartPE is operational underneath. This
can be very useful if you have a damaged copy of Windows
XP that is still partially functional. You can use BartPE to
tackle adware/spyware and to recover files from the hard
drive.
Adding the Firefox Web Browser to BartPE
Now that you have built a copy of BartPE and experienced
its various possibilities, you can enhance the basic setup by
adding troubleshooting plug-ins. Remember that you will
need to burn a new BartPE CD each time that you modify the
setup. The Firefox plug-in for BartPE will allow you to
browse the world wide web. To get started:
1. Download the latest version of the Firefox plug-in for
BartPE from the CD that accompanies this update.
Save it to the folder C:\pebuilder319\. You should end
up with the file FIREFOX-1.5-EN-GB.CAB.
2. Right-click on Start and then click Explore. This will
open Windows Explorer.
3. Navigate to: C:\pebuilder319\.
The Windows Advisor June/July 06
X 44/9
You can even run
BartPE at the
same time as
Windows XP!
!?
Add new
functionality
with a plug-in.

The name of the
folder will depend
on the version of
PE Builder that you
have downloaded.
9
X 44/10
Set the build
source to:
C:\WINXP.
Create a directory.
10
XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
4. Double-click on the file PEBUILDER.EXE and PE
Builder should start.
5. Click Plugins on the bottom left of the PE Builder
interface.
6. Click Add.
7. Navigate to the folder C:\pebuilder319\ and then
select FIREFOX-1.5-EN-GB.CAB.
8. Click Open > OK > Close.
9. Insert a blank CD into your CD writer.
10. Double-click on the PE Builder installer that you
downloaded earlier.
11. Install PE Builder to the location C:\pebuilder319.
12. Double-click Start and then click Explore.
13. In Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder
C:\pebuilder319.
14. Double-click the file PEBUILDER.EXE.
15. In the main PE Builder dialogue, under Source, click
... and navigate to the folder C:\WINXP. Note: if you
have previously run PE Builder, this will already be
set.
16. At the main PE Builder dialogue, click Burn to
CD/DVD.
17. The drop-down menu Burn using should be set to
StarBurn.
18. Select your CD writer from the drop-down menu
Device.
19. Click Build.
20. You will now be asked if you want to create a directory
(or to overwrite the existing directory), click Yes.
21. The license for your Windows XP product is shown.
Read and agree it to continue. Note: this will only
appear the first time that you build. PE Builder will
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XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
now start building BartPE. If it successfully builds
the files, then it will go on to burn the CD. Do not
eject the CD until instructed.
22. Note: if there are errors in the build, you can click on
the on-screen arrows (<< or >>) to navigate from
error to error. The completed, bootable CD is now
ready for use.
23. Click Exit to leave PE Builder.
X 44/11
You can use the
<< or >> buttons
to jump straight to
any build errors.
Using the Firefox browser with BartPE
Now, you can start accessing the Web with your Firefox
browser.
Browse the web
straight from
BartPE.
Browsing the web with BartPE
First, enable BartPE’s networking capabilities:
1. If you have not done so already, set your PC’s boot
sequence so that the CD drive is accessed first (see
earlier instructions on page X 44/8).
2. Insert your BartPE boot CD into the drive.
3. Restart your PC.
4. When BartPE loads, click Go to get started.
5. When you see the message Do you want to start
network support now?, click Yes. The PE Network
Configurator - Network Profiles window will open.
The Windows Advisor June/July 06

You will need
network support to
access the Internet.
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XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
6. If you connect to the Internet using broadband and
an IP address that changes each time that you
connect, select Dynamic IP Address (DHCP). If you
have a permanent IP address, select Static IP Address
(Manual).
You can change
your network
device here.
When you see
the message
‘Applying
settings, please
wait’, you are
almost ready to
get browsing!
Applying BartPE’s network settings
7. Click OK and you will see the message Registering
networking components. Then you will see the
message Installing network adapters.
8. When the PE Network Configurator window opens,
click OK. You will see the message Applying
settings, please wait.
9. Click Go > Programs > Mozilla Firefox. You will
now be able to browse the web.
!?
12
Removing Adware and Spyware with BartPE
Ad-Aware is a great free tool for removing adware and
spyware from your computer. You will find a link to AdAdware SE Personal on the CD accompanying this update.
However, there are some times when malicious software
damages your Windows installation to the extent that it will
not start. You may also discover that some adware/spyware
cannot be uninstalled with Windows running.
The Windows Advisor June/July 06
XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
BartPE provides an ideal platform for repairing Windows. Its
ability to run from a CD without Windows and to read/write
to NTFS file systems is invaluable. PE Builder sets up the
basic folder structure required for an Ad-Aware plug-in. The
user has to copy the remaining files from the active
installation of Ad-Aware. To set up the BartPE Ad-Aware
plug-in, first you need an updated version of Ad-Aware:
1. Copy the latest version of Ad-Aware SE from the CD
that accompanies this update.
2. Install Ad-Aware normally.
3. Start Ad-Aware.
4. Click Check for updates now (this is important
because you want the latest definitions file burnt to
your CD copy of BartPE).
5. Click Connect.
6. If a new definitions file is available, click OK.
7. Click Finish.
8. Close Ad-Aware.
You now need to place the latest Ad-Aware definitions on
your BartPE CD:
9. Right-click on Start and then click Explore.
10. Navigate to the Ad-Aware installation directory. By
default this is: C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware
SE Personal.
11. Right-click on Start and then click Explore. This will
open a second copy of Windows Explorer.
12. Navigate to:
C:\pebuilder319\plugin\adawarese\files\.
13. Back in the copy of Windows Explorer displaying the
content of C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware SE
Personal, right-click on the file DEFS.REF (this
contains the definitions that you have just updated)
and then click Copy.
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X 44/13
BartPE already has
the basics to run
Ad-Aware, you just
need to add a
couple of files.

Make sure you
update Ad-Aware
with the latest
threats, before you
copy the file
DEFS.REF
into BartPE.
Copy DEFS.REF and
AD-AWARE.EXE
from C:\Program
Files\Lavasoft\
Ad-Aware SE
Personal to
C:\pebuilder319\
plugin\adawarese\
files\.
13
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Enable the new
plug-in.
Burn your BartPE
environment to CD.
14
XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
14. In the copy of Windows Explorer displaying the
contents of C:\pebuilder319\plugin\adawarese\files\,
right-click somewhere in the right-pane then click
Paste.
15. Back in the copy of Windows Explorer displaying the
contents of C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware SE
Personal, right-click on the file AD-AWARE.EXE and
then click Copy.
16. In the copy of Windows Explorer displaying the
contents of C:\pebuilder319\plugin\adawarese\files\,
right-click somewhere in the right-pane then click
Paste.
17. Close the copy of Windows Explorer displaying the
contents of C:\Program Files\Lavasoft\Ad-Aware SE
Personal.
18. In the open copy of Windows Explorer, navigate to
C:\pebuilder319\.
19. Double-click on the file PEBUILDER.EXE and PE
Builder should start.
20. Click Plugins on the bottom left of the PE Builder
interface.
21. From the plug-in list, select Ad-Aware SE.
22. Click Enable/Disable and Yes should appear in the
Enabled column.
23. Click Close.
You now need to burn your BartPE environment to CD as
follows:
24. Insert a blank CD into your CD writer.
25. Double-click on the PE Builder installer that you
downloaded earlier.
26. Install PE Builder to the location C:\pebuilder319.
27. Double-click Start and then click Explore.
The Windows Advisor June/July 06
XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
28. In Windows Explorer, navigate to the folder
C:\pebuilder319.
29. Double-click the file PEBUILDER.EXE.
30. In the main PE Builder dialogue, under Source, click
... and navigate to the folder C:\WINXP. Note: if you
have previously run PE Builder, this will already be
set.
31. At the main PE Builder dialogue, click Burn to
CD/DVD.
32. The drop-down menu Burn using should be set to
StarBurn.
33. Select your CD writer from the drop-down menu
Device.
34. Click Build.
35. You will now be asked if want to create a directory
(or to overwrite the existing directory), click Yes.
36. The license for your Windows XP product is shown.
Read and agree it to continue. Note: this will only
appear the first time that you build. PE Builder will
now start building BartPE. If it successfully builds the
files, then it will go on to burn the CD. Do not eject
the CD until instructed. Note: if there are errors in
the build, you can click on the on-screen arrows
(<< or >>) to navigate from error to error. The
completed, bootable CD is now ready for use.
37. Click Exit to leave PE Builder.
X 44/15
Set PE Builder to
burn a CD after
the BartPE build.
Troubleshoot errors
in the BartPE
build using the
on-screen arrows.
Using Ad-Aware SE with BartPE
Once you have set up Ad-Aware on your BartPE CD you are
now ready to start scanning for adware and spyware.
Proceed as follows:
1. If you have not done so already, set your PC’s boot
sequence so that the CD drive is accessed first (see
earlier instructions on page X 44/8).
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
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XP: System Recovery with a Single Bootable CD
It is important that
Ad-Aware is
configured to scan
your hard drive,
not the contents
of the boot
CD itself!
2. Insert your BartPE boot CD into the drive.
3. Restart your PC.
4. When BartPE loads, click Go > Programs >
Ad-Aware SE > Ad-Aware SE.
5. Click on the cog icon to launch the configuration
window.
6. Click the ‘Scanning’ option from the left menu.
7. Click Select drives & folders to scan.
8. Tick your local hard drives (usually C:).
9. Untick the BartPE boot drive (usually D:). This is a
CD and there is no point in scanning it.
10. Click Proceed > Proceed.
11. Click Start.
12. Make sure that Use custom scanning options is
selected.
13. Click Next.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
16
It is very reassuring to know that you now have a PC
operating system that you can just slip into your pocket. The
great thing about BartPE is that once you have it functioning
on a CD, it will always work. Unlike hard drive installations
that continually save new settings and configurations which
can potentially become corrupt, BartPE is ‘read only’ and
completely self-contained. There’s nothing to go wrong!
Imagine how popular you will become with your friends and
family when you turn up with one CD, and recover vital
documents from their broken Windows installations.
The Windows Advisor June/July 06