The Ultimate Boot CD

Pretty nice looking tool, but at $90 I think Ill just stick with my set of floppies.

http://grcsucks.com/spinrite.htm

This looks interesting:

” I suggest that those with a technical bent visit the SpinRite website and see they can swallow such things as:

* “prevents mass storage systems from crashing” (nothing can do that)
* “sophisticated magnetodynamic physics models” (pseudo science)
* “weakest possible magnetic signals” (not real)
* “we doubt whether anyone but Steve and a handful of aliens would even know what all this is” (no argument there)
* “Weak Bits” (no such thing)
* “gradual evolution of the drive’s storage surfaces through physical and magnetic stresses” (mumbo jumbo)
* “SpinRite is actually able to lower the amplification of the drive’s internal read-amplifier” (impossible, and after all this time Steve apparently still does not know that data is recorded on magnetic disks with flux reversals, not “amplitude”)
* “mass storage systems need periodic preventive maintenance” (nonsense)
* “yeah, we know, Steve’s a magician with his code” (how modest)

As for all the “exclusive” SpinRite features, many if not all of them are anything but exclusive; for example, testing disk surfaces with worst-case data patterns goes back many years before Steve ever thought of SpinRite. SpinRite is 80% hype, 10% dangerous, and 10% real substance

The Boot CD is free

http://www.knoppix.org/
The ultimate boot CD ^^

I’ve been using the UBCD (http://www.ultimatebootcd.com) for a few months now. I first heard of it from http://www.lifehacker.com. It comes in so useful when I’m someone’s house fixing their computer.

Dan, I think Marc may be referring to SpinRite, not ultimatebootcd. You are correct, of course, about ultimatebootcd.

I have one of these already, only it seems to have “Mac OS X Tiger” written on it. Works like a charm every time. ;D

Wow Jerry, thanks for pointing that out.. sounds bullshit to me :-/

Actually, try knoppix STD and that works as an ultimate, nicely. I mean, I know I lose “my” passwords all too often.

Been there, did that, kicked that mofo’s arse.

UBCD is a pretty useful utility disc, but if you can afford it I would recommend Winternals ERD Commander 2005 or newer.