The Recovery Console is a text-mode command interpreter for Windows® 2000/XP/2003 that allows to gain access to files, folders and system services for system troubleshooting.
In Windows® Vista and Seven Microsoft instead offers to use System Recovery Options menu on the Windows installation disc. Link for more help.
Installing Recovery Console.
To install the Recovery Console to existing (and working) Windows® installation, insert Windows® installation CD, click on the Start menu, Run, and type "X:\I386\Winnt32.exe /cmdcons" where X: is the CD-ROM drive letter. This command will install Recovery Console into CmdCons folder on your boot drive.
Once the Recovery Console is installed on the local hard disk, it can be accessed from the Windows® startup menu.
Recovery Console can also be started from the Windows® setup CD or the Windows® setup floppy disks.
Insert Windows® CD and start the computer. Enter Windows® setup. Press ENTER at the "Setup Notification" screen. Then press R to repair a Windows® installation, and then press C to enter into the Recovery Console screen.
To use the Recovery Console, you must know the password for the local Administrator account. If you do not have the correct password, Recovery Console does not allow access to the computer.
At the Recovery Console screen you can use the following commands:
dir list folders/files;
copy copy files;
del delete files;
cd switch to another directory;
attrib change file attributes;
chkdsk check a disk for errors;
diskpart manage the partitions of a hard disk;
expand expand a compressed file;
fixboot write a new boot sector onto the system partition;
fixmbr repair the master boot record of the boot partition;
format format a disk;
md create a directory;
rd delete a directory;
ren rename a file.
Enter help [command] for detailed description of a command.
More information on using Recovery Console can be found searching the build-in Windows® Help for "Recovery Console" words.