Can I uninstall faulty drivers through System Recovery Mode command prompt?

Question

My hard drive drivers are failing, I can't even enter in Safe Mode, I only have access to the System Recovery Mode, any other thing I try to load simply freezes the "Loading Windows" screen for a second and then the computer reboot.

So, how can I uninstall or reinstall the hard drive drivers from the System Recovery Mode command prompt?

Solution 1

You can "install" and "uninstall" core drivers by just copying the relevant files and updating the registry settings (this is how drivers are installed by any other program). But this method is possibly prone to errors as if it is unlikely that it is just your hard drive drivers.

To corrupt those drivers requires writes into the Windows System directory and Registry keys (HKLM\system\currentcontrolset). Even if you somehow manage to mess with the registry keys, Windows keeps a backup copy of the registry keys. Considering how both failed, I'd be suspicious if only those were the issues needed to be fixed.

My guess is something else got worked over as well and I'd advise a more complete solution.

Use the SFC /scannow command first. If not, I'd look at reinstalling Windows. You don't have to reformat the harddrive, Windows will move all your old data to a folder named Windows.old.

Solution 2

Most likely your actual hard drive is going bad, not the drivers for it.

Solution 3

You can't edit the registry of your real system from the Recovery Mode because the latter is a self-contained Windows PE system running from a recovery image and has its own registry.

You may, however, run regedit.exe from your main system's System32 folder and use the "Load Hive..." to load the "System32\config\SYSTEM" file which corresponds to the HKLM head key.

But as @Zach suggested, the actual problem probably lies elsewhere.

Comments

[Moab]

Test your hard drive, go the hard drive manufacturers website and download the hard drive test utility, I doubt the drivers for the hard drive are faulty, more like a failing hard drive,

[Moab]

You might be better served here if you explain in detail the problems you have been having.

[hijarian]

Freaking hilarious that nobody has answered exactly the question asked. Do you know that this question can be googled and there may be people who actually want to know whether it's possible or not?