CD/USB bootable tools: Difference between revisions

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This page covers useful stand-alone tools that can be booted from a CD or USB memory stick.
If your computer won't boot or is so damaged by malware that you can't trust it then you need something more powerful. This page covers useful stand-alone tools that can be booted from a CD or USB memory stick, leaving your broken operating system as a static image on your hard disk which you can examine with impunity.
 
N.B. Initially, this may be no more than a list of headings and external links.


==Summary==
==Summary==
A sick computer may not be able to boot, and if it does, it any malware which gets itself running before your software tools can modify their behaviour to hide itself or give confusing results. Tools which boot independently of the installed operating system cat treat it purely as static data to give a completely objective view.
A sick computer may not be able to boot, and even if it does, any malware that gets itself running before your software tools run can modify their behaviour to hide itself or give confusing results. Tools which boot independently of the installed operating system can treat it purely as static data to give a completely objective view.


All the tools and utilities mentioned below should be easily found with your favourite search engine. As always, download from the official site, not a software download site, as the latter often install unwanted or undesirable software on the side.
All the tools and utilities mentioned below should be easily found with your favourite search engine. As always, download from the official site, not a software download site, as such sites often install unwanted or undesirable software on the side.


===Safety===
===Safety===
[[File:Warning03.png|30px|left]]
[[File:Warning03.png|30px|left]]
::Bootable utilities can cause data loss if misused, or if you're seriously out of luck. Always ensure that essential data is backed up if possible before starting work, and ensure the owner understands and is content to run with the risk.
::Bootable utilities can cause data loss if misused, or if you're seriously out of luck. If possible, always ensure that essential data is backed up before starting work, and ensure the owner understands and is content to run with the risk.


==Boot managers==
==Boot managers==
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==Hardware Diagnostics and Utilities==
==Hardware Diagnostics and Utilities==
The following can be combined onto a single DOS-based memory stick or CD:
The following can be combined onto a single DOS-based memory stick or CD:
* Spinrite (licence required)
* Spinrite (licence required) - this is a powerful hard disk and SSD data recovery utility.
* MHDD
* MHDD - a dangerously powerful utility allowing low level diagnostic access to a hard disk.
* Gold Memory - memory tester
* Gold Memory - memory tester.
* memtst - another memory tester
* memtst - another memory tester.
* MHDD - hard disk diagnostics
* hdderase - a secure hard disk erase utility.
* hdderase - secure hard disk erase
(Some of these are described under [[Advanced hard disk tools]].)
(Some of these are described under [[Advanced hard disk tools]].)


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* [http://www.dban.org DBAN] - Disk Boot And Nuke - bootable hard disk secure erase (see [[Disk Wipe Utilities]])
* [http://www.dban.org DBAN] - Disk Boot And Nuke - bootable hard disk secure erase (see [[Disk Wipe Utilities]])
* Clonezilla - useful for backup and cloning hard disks.
* Clonezilla - useful for backup and cloning hard disks.
* Light weight Linux, e.g. Puppy Linux or Linux Mint Xfce edition. Useful to have gparted installed.
* Light weight Linux, e.g. Puppy Linux or Linux Mint Xfce edition. Useful to have gparted installed for examining hard disk partitioning.


==Bootable Rescue/Recovery Tools==
==Bootable Rescue/Recovery Tools==
(More details on these can be found in http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/emergency-repair-disks-for-windows-part-1/ - Windows Secrets subscription may be required.)
(More details on these can be found in http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/emergency-repair-disks-for-windows-part-1/ - Windows Secrets subscription may be required.)
* Hiren's BootCD
* Hiren's BootCD - contains numerous utilities.
* Trinity Rescue Kit - text-based, designed mainly for Windows but also including a Linux command line.
* Trinity Rescue Kit - text-based, designed mainly for Windows but also including a Linux command line.
* Ultimate BootCD - text-based, with over 100 repair/restore/diagnostic tools.
* Ultimate BootCD - text-based, with over 100 repair/restore/diagnostic tools.

Revision as of 15:42, 7 February 2019

If your computer won't boot or is so damaged by malware that you can't trust it then you need something more powerful. This page covers useful stand-alone tools that can be booted from a CD or USB memory stick, leaving your broken operating system as a static image on your hard disk which you can examine with impunity.

Summary

A sick computer may not be able to boot, and even if it does, any malware that gets itself running before your software tools run can modify their behaviour to hide itself or give confusing results. Tools which boot independently of the installed operating system can treat it purely as static data to give a completely objective view.

All the tools and utilities mentioned below should be easily found with your favourite search engine. As always, download from the official site, not a software download site, as such sites often install unwanted or undesirable software on the side.

Safety

Warning03.png
Bootable utilities can cause data loss if misused, or if you're seriously out of luck. If possible, always ensure that essential data is backed up before starting work, and ensure the owner understands and is content to run with the risk.

Boot managers

  • Plop is boot manager which can be useful if you can't get the BIOS to boot from USB and many other situations.

Hardware Diagnostics and Utilities

The following can be combined onto a single DOS-based memory stick or CD:

  • Spinrite (licence required) - this is a powerful hard disk and SSD data recovery utility.
  • MHDD - a dangerously powerful utility allowing low level diagnostic access to a hard disk.
  • Gold Memory - memory tester.
  • memtst - another memory tester.
  • hdderase - a secure hard disk erase utility.

(Some of these are described under Advanced hard disk tools.)

Other utilities:

  • DBAN - Disk Boot And Nuke - bootable hard disk secure erase (see Disk Wipe Utilities)
  • Clonezilla - useful for backup and cloning hard disks.
  • Light weight Linux, e.g. Puppy Linux or Linux Mint Xfce edition. Useful to have gparted installed for examining hard disk partitioning.

Bootable Rescue/Recovery Tools

(More details on these can be found in http://windowssecrets.com/top-story/emergency-repair-disks-for-windows-part-1/ - Windows Secrets subscription may be required.)

  • Hiren's BootCD - contains numerous utilities.
  • Trinity Rescue Kit - text-based, designed mainly for Windows but also including a Linux command line.
  • Ultimate BootCD - text-based, with over 100 repair/restore/diagnostic tools.
  • SystemRescueCD - Basic repair/recovery tools in a hybrid tex/graphical Linux environment.
  • Ubuntu Rescue Remix - almost entirely Linux command line based, offering a range of open source data recovery, repair and forensic tools.
  • Parted Magic - the collection of Linux programmes

Antivirus