PC Repair Programs and Tools

OK, so the tools we use aren't devious when used properly. However there comes a time when you are seen as the hero or enemy amongst the day walkers. There comes a time when we must perform tasks that are so nitty gritty, nail biting, teeth grinding and dare I say life saving? Maybe a little mellow dramatic in that last sentence.

You ask us to go through the dregs of your corrupt files, roll through your registry nightmare, sift through the enormous amount of collected spam on your computer all to save a few pieces of collected data or entirely restore your system or network. A system that has been corrupted by viruses, worms, trojans, root kits and gremlins. Working at all nights of the hours sifting through codes, bits of data streams until everything around appears to be in binary form of 0's and 1's.

However should we ask how your computer got that way we are faced with the dubious tasks of decoding your "I don't know I just pressed a key." or the ever so popular "my children were playing on it when I walked away!" Ah what wondrous joy this computer detective work can be. Maybe I enjoy it because I like to solve virtual puzzles or because I played with lawn darts when I was younger but I digress.

Fear not my friends as some great people have made special programs for us that are free of charge and can make you look like a superstar should you have these discs on hand yourself. (Fast voice disclaimer: The software listed in this article will not make you rich, famous, or come with any promotional benefits.)

So what are some of these fantastic tools and software we techno warriors use to slay the corrupt unruly files and systems? Well I'll share you with my black book of secrets. (Why black book? It's a black CD wallet....exciting I know.)

The first CD I always have on hand is the Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD) and the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows (UBCD4Win) which is a very stripped down version of Windows XP filled with freeware recovery and repair utilities. The UBCD will allow you to boot into a Windows system where you have possibly forgotten your password. It will also allow you to create new user accounts including administrative privileges. These Cd's can also to an extent repair or restore entire systems. There is much much more that is contained on these Cd's as well but it's biggest praise is the ease of use it provides for the technical and non technical minded.

You can check out each creators respective website and learn what these Cd's can and can't do.

The Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD) can be found here: http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

The Ultimate Boot CD for Windows (UBCD4Win) can be found here:http://www.ubcd4win.com/

The second one I highly recommend is Hirens Boot CD. There has been some controversy with this distribution whether it contained commercial software or not. However Hiren has done away with almost all the software that was in question. Hirens Boot CD contains a treasure trove of useful system and recovery programs that can be ran in DOS mode or a Windows type environment. Hirens is designed as a Live CD.

Information regarding Hirens Boot CD can be located at:http://www.hiren.info/

The programs I have mentioned at the time of writing this are all free of charge. Each of these distributions contain an avast array of tools and utilities and what I have covered here is only a minute fraction of the greatness these distributions possess. Even if you aren't computer savvy having these on hand when your computer gal or guy arrives would possibly save them some time and perhaps you some money should they not have the proper tools on hand.

My other tools I often carry to a site are a live linux CD, a USB stick that has Linux on it which is known as Damn Small LInux (DSL) and a 4GB USB stick for some specialized programs I won't mention here. Can't give away all my secrets now can I?

Now a question for the rest of you whether your a computer user or techo geek. What tools and software do you keep on hand to keep your system safe before or after a disaster?

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