Saving PCs Through Clean Boot Discs

Are you an old tech geek like me? Do you remember when boot disks would save the day time and again in an old DOS/Windows 3 or 95/98 world where all of the file systems were FAT16 or FAT32? You could load up CDROM and MOUSE drivers on a boot disk-load up some disk utilities, an antivirus program - anything that would be useful to working on a computer that god messed up. If you had to, you could use one disc and a boot disc and then load up several others or a CD with tools and work with the system that way. These very often came in super handy as long as you kept the disks write-protected.

Ever since Windows NT, ME, 2K and XP came out we've had a bit of a struggle us computer techs.. We don't have easy access or any at all to partitions formatted with anything other than FAT. Plus wouldn't it be nice if you could set up some sort of a way to make use of the Windows GUI-based tools now that are so indespensable? Just how hard do you think THAT is?? Well..

It is now possible thanks to BartPE - a boot-disc builder program that utilizes a custom Windows PE type system (PE=PreInstall Environment, originally made by Microsoft to help system builders set up OSes and configure them before giving them to their customers) to give you a totally true Windows-based boot disc. PE is a totally awesome technology and as a system builder myself, never thought of the potential it could have as an admin type tool. Bart did though...and he spent a lot of time developing this incredible look-alike of Windows PE based on the same technologies. What this accomplishes is an absolutely clean Windows operating environment able to run your Win32 based applications along with any DOS type programs.

This is absolutely incredible to me - and I haven't even got a disc made yet. I just know it is going to be cool, because I know what Windows PE is capable of...and this is even better. You can essentially "plug-in" any software you need. So if you have a special piece of software to do something that isn't possible with the bare PE software, you can just install it into the PE Builder system and make a new CD ISO image. It isn't technically THAT simple, however it is much easier than you might think. This makes a whole new world of things possible. It is the 21st Century Boot Disc loaded with everything you need - almost just like having a portable hard drive with a fresh clean installed Windows XP ready to plug into somebody's computer and work on their hard drive.

You have to see it to believe it. I will point you to the BartPE web site, however there are alternatives to putting it all together yourself if you have money to spend. Avast! has developed a special version of BartPE called Bart CD, which is already suited to most admin/computer tech tasks. It is a bit spendy however..and you might rather just be able to suit yourself to your own set of tools and shell, etc. Have a look at both options and decide which is right for you. Then go and Save The PCs.

Be blessed.