Preparing for NT Server disaster recovery

The following steps must be taken before a disaster occurs to set aside the information and resources needed to recover a failed NT server.

• Know the OS level of each server, including service paks and hotfixes.
• Using REGEDT32, save the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\DISK key to another disk or floppy. This needs to be done only after a partition, drive letter, volume, or stripe set has been changed or added.
• Using REGEDT32, save the HKEY_LOCAL_SYSTEM key (even though it will also be on the recovery disk created by RDISK).
• Run RDISK/S to update all of the system registry keys in %systemroot%\repair. Then run RDISK to make backup disks.
• Back up the MBR using the 'diskprobe' utility (from the WinNT resource kit). Do this whenever a volume is formatted, NT is installed, or a volume changes from FAT to NTFS.
• Make a bootable floppy, as follows:
• use format A: to create the floppy
• put the 'disksave' utility (from the WinNT resource kit) on the floppy. This can be used to fix the MBR on the HD.
• copy the following files to the floppy:
• NTLDR
• BOOT.INI
• NTDETECT.COM
• BOOTSECT.DOS (if you need to dual boot)
• NTBOOTDD.SYS (if scsi(), not multi(), syntax is to be used in BOOT.INI)
• If the machine is RISC, also:
• create an \OS\WINNT40 dir on the floppy
• put the following files in that directory:
• OSLOADER.EXE
• HAL.DLL
• *.PAL
• Since RISC boots from NVRAM, define an NVRAM selection that points to an NT startup floppy.