Boot/Rescue CDs

[Tom AZ]

I have quite a few boot/rescue CDs:

 

Macrium Reflect - Linux

Macrium Reflect - Windows PE, which includes Redeploy and Disk Restore

Paragon Rescue Disk 9 - Linux

Paragon Rescue Disk 10 - Linux

Paragon Advanced Recovery 10 - Linux

Paragon Advanced Recovery 10 - Windows PE

Avira (AntiVir) Rescue Boot Disk

BartPE Boot CD with Macrium Reflect Plugin

 

As I look at this list, it seems like a bit of over-kill. Am I being a little paranoid about this? I guess retaining the CDs isn't too much of a storage problem (just in case...), but for some reason, I still have the BartPE Builder installed on my HD, taking about 325MB of space. Can the Builder itself be uninstalled?

 

By the way, I've only had to use one of the above on one occasion ? and that was because of a stupid mistake on my part.

[DennisD]

Hi Tom.

 

I've got quite a few as well, but I think my BartPE is the most important. Mainly because it will work on any computer, although that statement is based upon working on 4 other computers belonging to family members and friends, all carrying XP, but I don't see why it wouldn't work to boot Vista or Win7.

 

The legality of using it on different computers is I believe a bit of a grey area, in that it may be OK to do that as long as it isn't used on two Operating Systems at the same time. I've read a lot of stuff on this point and I can't find a definite answer anywhere.

 

Sorry to digress Tom, just thought I'd mention that useful attribute of a BartPE CD.

 

After burning the CD, I used ImgBurn to make an ISO of my BartPE from the CD, and stored it on another drive. I can make replacement disks from that ISO, and if my CDRoms packed in, I could send it to my son via the net to make a CD for me.

 

I don't think that would work sending the folder containing the BartPE files, as I believe it has to made on the computer the files were extracted from. Not 100% on that. Then I binned the folder.

 

I've also got a couple of Linux set-ups like Peppermint, which is just fun to go online with occasionally for a change, and it's useful as a boot CD.

 

These days, storage media being so cheap, it doesn't hurt to collect these things as a hobby, but a hobby with a useful slant to it.