Automatic Recovery in NT6.x

Source

Windows Vista automatically recovers from many types of failures, including failed services and corrupted system files. Every service has a recovery policy, so if it fails, Windows Vista may be able to restart it automatically. Windows Vista automatically handles dependencies, even non-service dependencies.

Startup problems are some of the most difficult to troubleshoot, because an administrator cannot start the operating system and use the built-in troubleshooting tools. Often, administrators choose to reinstall the operating system rather than attempt to solve the problem — even though the solution might be as simple as replacing a single file.

Windows Vista includes the Startup Repair Tool (SRT) to automatically fix many common problems and enable end-users and IT professionals to quickly diagnose and repair more complex startup problems. When a boot failure is detected, the system fails over into SRT. Once started, SRT performs diagnostics, including analyzing startup log files, to determine the cause of the startup failure. Once SRT determines the cause of the failure, it attempts to fix the problem automatically.

When a boot failure occurs on the main operating system and SRT is unable to resolve it, the system is rolled back to the last known working state. If SRT cannot automatically recover the system, it provides the IT professional with diagnostic information and support options to make troubleshooting easier.

Identifying the source of a problem — even one as simple as a single corrupted file on the hard disk — can consume many hours of an administrator's time. SRT will make these problems easier to solve, saving time and money.