CD/USB bootable tools

This page covers useful stand-alone tools that can be booted from a CD or USB memory stick.

N.B. Initially, this may be no more than a list of headings and external links.

Summary

All pages should start with a summary, to enable the reader to see at a glance what the page is about and whether it is likely to give the information required.

Main section

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

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

  • Spinrite (licence required)
  • MHDD
  • Gold Memory - memory tester
  • memtst - another memory tester
  • MHDD - hard disk diagnostics
  • hdderase - secure hard disk erase

Rescue/Recovery Tools:

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

  • Hiren's BootCD
  • 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.

dban - Disk Boot And Nuke - hard disk secure erase

Antivirus:

  • Sophos bootable Antivirus
  • Kaspersky Rescue - linux GUI based - periodically boot it to update signatures. Also useful for examining unbootable windows system.

Clonezilla - useful for backup and cloning hard disks.

Puppy Linux or other small live linux. Useful to have gparted installed.

Safety

Consider whether your page should include a specific section on safety, if for example it deals with mains-powered equipment or high voltages, or if special care is required in handling hot or sharp tools, or hazardous substances.

References

Template:Reflist

External links

  • External links as bullet points