what cool boot CDs do you know of?

[Red Squirrel]

i used this guide.

http://wtfhax.net/2011/10/pxe-part-1-because-booting-from-a-cd-is-for-suckers/
http://wtfhax.net/2011/10/pxe-part-2-useful-stuff-to-boot-from-network/

and if you want to install windows over a network use this

http://www.vercot.com/~serva/

Cool I'll have to check it out some time. Even older machines have PXE so it's rather universal.

 

[Kaido]

I could never get PXE to work. Was a PITA.

I always found it easier to keep a spare SSD around as a temp install drive, along with a basic Windows PC (with a large SSD data drive) with an available SATA port. The modern setup for whenever someone drops off their computer:

1. Remove their boot drive, plug it directly into the SATA port, clone it to an image (SATA HDD to SATA SSD = fastest copy available), and run some HD tests to make sure there's nothing failing on it physically
2. While that's going, install the spare SSD as a temporary boot drive & install Windows (via USB 3.0 SSD enclosure with an ISO emulator), Office, Microsoft Updates (you can cheat & use BatchPatch or a virtualized WSUS server with the non-domain distribution hack), software, tweaks, etc.
3. Once finished, clone the golden image so you have a copy for future reinstalls (because people are always screwing up their PC & it'll save reinstall time next time they drop it off). Restore the golden clone to their stock boot drive & drop their old HDD image to their desktop so they can access their old files.

And if possible, convince them to buy an SSD for their boot drive, haha.

 

[HeXen]

Backup, backup, backup. That way you can just reformat or run your image copy. Imo it's sooo much faster. There are simple, free image creation tools out there and diagnosing takes up way too much time to be worth it Imo...less you don't backup I guess.

 

[Kaido]

Backup, backup, backup. That way you can just reformat or run your image copy. Imo it's sooo much faster. There are simple, free image creation tools out there and diagnosing takes up way too much time to be worth it Imo...less you don't backup I guess.

It really is. I came to that realization a few years ago...I can sometimes spend 6 to 8 hours troubleshooting a really complex infection (or even a couple of days on a slower system, doing updates, A/V & malware scans, etc.), or I can just back up the drive, reinstall Windows, and be on our merry way in no time at all.

 

[ToniSalmonelli]

So true.

Regarding Windows.
Fresh installation, add drivers, configure essential settings. Then install basic tools to another drive, browser in mind.. profile directory away from system drive.

Backup system drive, partition table and MBR, browser profile directory.

Restore when something bad happens or Windows becomes sluggish.

 

[TwiceOver]

Trinity Rescue Kit which I think is now dead. Mostly used it to reset windows passwords.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

DBAN, UBCD, memtest86+, Knoppix, Acronis TI, wdidle3, gparted, etc.
While I use bootable USB versions, still actually have CD/DVD versions of all the above (still run into systems that don't like booting from USB for whatever reason).

 

[Cheesemoo]

these are the coolest boots i own. Well thats not me in the pic, but thats what my boots look like