A feature of Microsoft Windows 2000 that allows you to restore your system in the event of hard disk failure or corruption of system files. Automatic System Recovery (ASR) is designed to replace the emergency repair disk (ERD) of Windows NT as the main tool for restoring systems after boot failures. ASR integrates the processes of repair, backup, and restore into a single recovery solution in the event of a disaster.
To use ASR, you must first configure it by running the Disaster Recovery Preparation Wizard, which is part of the Windows 2000 Backup utility. The resulting ASR disk contains configuration information that will be critical if you need to recover your system as a result of system volume damage or corruption. If you need to reinstall the system software, the ASR disk enables you to bring the system to the same configuration it had before the disaster.
To perform ASR on an x86-based computer, you will need the three setup disks and the tape backup created by running the Disaster Recovery Preparation Wizard. After Setup Disk 3 finishes running, you will be presented with several options—select the Recover option to use the ASR disk to recover your system.
Always run the Automatic System Recovery Wizard immediately before and after you make any changes to your system configuration using the Disk Management tool. If you do this, you will be able to return your system to the stable configuration that existed prior to your change.