The Bootable Maintenance Flash Drive

PC World - I enjoy being the tech hero. Relatives and friends come to me with their computer problems, and more often than not, I help them. Their problem gets solved, and my ego goes up a notch. (I can vouch for that last one. --Ed.)

It helps to have the right tools--and unless a friend has a hardware problem, all of those tools fit onto a single flash drive. If a person's system is sufficiently sick, I can boot a Linux variation called PartedMagic from the flash drive. From there, I can retrieve files off an unbootable PC, check the condition of the hard drive, and scan for malware.

Not that I always have to do that. My special flash drive also contains multiple portable Windows utilities (relatives and friends with Macs are on their own). With these programs I can clean a hard drive, recover deleted files not in the Recycling Bin, properly remove installed programs, check the condition of the hard drive, and scan for malware.

All of the programs I'm recommending here are free, at least for personal use. Some may require licenses if you're a professional.

Creating a bootable flash drive is remarkably easy. All you need is a flash drive (a 512MB drive will do, with room to spare) and the free Universal USB Installer. Insert the drive into a USB port, and then launch the installer. In step one, select PartedMagic (it's somewhat near the bottom), and then check the Download the iso option. The download itself can take time; as I write this, the current version is 163MB. Everything else should be clear from there.

Once the drive is bootable, you can copy your Windows programs onto it. But I won't talk about those programs just yet; I'd rather start by showing you what to do in Linux.

Fixing Windows From Another OS

Your friend's PC probably doesn't boot from a flash drive by default, so you'll have to figure out how to make it do that. When the computer first comes on, it may produce messages telling you what keys to press for 'Setup' or the 'Boot Menu'. If it offers both, go with the Boot Menu option, since Setup will require you to change the boot order of your friend's machine (you should change it back when you're through).

If you see no such messages, experiment with pressing function keys just before Windows loads (F10 is a good bet for the Boot Menu). You can also search the Web for setup or "boot menu" plus the PC make and model number.

Even if you know the appropriate button, getting the timing right can be tricky. I just push and release the button over and over again until the correct menu comes up.

Reprinted with permission from PCWorld.com. Story copyright 2010 PC World Communications. All rights reserved.

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