Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 7th Feb 2007 09:07 UTC, submitted by jayson.knight
Windows "Windows Preinstallation Environment 2.0 is a slimed down version of Windows (hence all the MiniNT references) that used to be the exclusive domain of OEM's providers. Microsoft has wisely chosen to offer this to the masses as part of the Windows AIK. USB keys can be found just about anywhere these days for next to nothing. Combine the capabilities of WinPE with the portability of a USB key and you just made a very powerful troubleshooting, imaging, and data recovery tool. Here is a quick step by step on how to do just that."
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or you could try...
by bolomkxxviii on Wed 7th Feb 2007 11:41 UTC
bolomkxxviii
Member since:
2006-05-19

Knoppix for free and have a "very powerful troubleshooting, imaging, and data recovery tool"

Reply Score: 1

RE: or you could try...
by batdan on Wed 7th Feb 2007 12:26 UTC in reply to "or you could try..."
batdan Member since:
2007-01-12

or if you really must use windows try BartPE with PE2USB.

Reply Score: 3

RE: or you could try...
by TaterSalad on Wed 7th Feb 2007 14:52 UTC in reply to "or you could try..."
TaterSalad Member since:
2005-07-06

Or we could stick with windows to run windows applications. Not everyone wants to use linux.

Reply Score: 4

RE[2]: or you could try...
by MattPie on Wed 7th Feb 2007 15:16 UTC in reply to "RE: or you could try..."
MattPie Member since:
2006-04-18

Or we could stick with windows to run windows applications. Not everyone wants to use linux.

True, true. It's probably best to know both for when one is lacking, such as drivers for 3com cards in Windows, or as you mentioned running Windows apps.

My coworker recently used Knoppix to download 3com drivers to a freshly installed Windows machine. Stupid 3com...

Reply Score: 3

RE[3]: or you could try...
by helf on Wed 7th Feb 2007 18:23 UTC in reply to "RE[2]: or you could try..."
helf Member since:
2005-07-06

or you could create a usb key that would dualboot a linux distro and windows PE.

I'd actually find that pretty useful.

Reply Score: 4

RE[4]: or you could try...
by the__dude on Thu 8th Feb 2007 05:39 UTC in reply to "RE[3]: or you could try..."
the__dude Member since:
2006-02-27

or you could create a usb key that would dualboot a linux distro and windows PE.

I'd actually find that pretty useful.
-----------------------

This has got to be one of the smartest things I've read on a message board in a loooong time.

Reply Score: 1

"Slimed" down?
by Darkelve on Wed 7th Feb 2007 13:17 UTC
Darkelve
Member since:
2006-02-06

it's probably a spelling mistake in the article summary. But it's still funny, seeing as we're talking Windows here ;)

Edited 2007-02-07 13:17

Reply Score: 3

BartPE
by Iron on Wed 7th Feb 2007 17:18 UTC
Iron
Member since:
2006-12-15

If I am not mistaken,BartPE is no longer being maintained...........still useable though.
Good read.

Reply Score: 1

RE: BartPE
by TaterSalad on Wed 7th Feb 2007 20:31 UTC in reply to "BartPE"
TaterSalad Member since:
2005-07-06

I created a couple of bartcd's, but if its no longer being maintained what are people using in its place? The only other windows based cd I can think of is UBCD for windows.

Reply Score: 2

RE: BartPE
by tistje on Thu 8th Feb 2007 12:50 UTC in reply to "BartPE"
tistje Member since:
2007-02-08

You can always use ReaToGo (http://www.reatogo.de/), it seems quite active (see news page: http://www.reatogo.de/Reatogo_Project_News.htm) and I used it several times to create a PE disk.

Edited 2007-02-08 12:51

Reply Score: 1

Puppy Linux
by knightrider on Wed 7th Feb 2007 19:17 UTC
knightrider
Member since:
2006-12-11

can be installed to and booted from a USB key.

Reply Score: 1

richardstevenhack
Member since:
2006-12-30

to Bart's PE at this point.

It's basically Bart's PE with a lot of enhancements.

http://www.ubcd4win.com/

It's an essential tool for PC techs.

Reply Score: 1

Another point
by richardstevenhack on Wed 7th Feb 2007 23:04 UTC
richardstevenhack
Member since:
2006-12-30

Microsoft has NOT "wisely offered this to the masses".

If I'm not mistaken, according to the EULA, you cannot use Windows PE for any other purpose than its original purpose - which isn't what is covered here.

When Bart originally used Microsoft's PE for his boot CD, Microsoft got on his case about it and he had to modify what he was doing.

Technically, even UBCD4W is in violation of the Windows XP EULA. However, it's such an essential tool for PC tech support that most people ignore that. After all, you're not really running Windows XP per se. However, Microsoft probably does not see it that way.

Nonetheless, Microsoft has not to my knowledge made any particular fuss about it, since it obviously works to their benefit to have techs able to repair the POS more easily.

Reply Score: 1

Linux & NTFS
by konkat on Thu 8th Feb 2007 01:23 UTC
konkat
Member since:
2005-11-13

Do any of the Linux repair CDs out there reliably write to NTFS or allow you to connect to a remote registry file?

Reply Score: 1

RE: Linux & NTFS
by linux-it on Thu 8th Feb 2007 17:45 UTC in reply to "Linux & NTFS"
linux-it Member since:
2006-07-13

at least there are enough ways to edit the iso image and rewrite to a CD if there is no preboiled version for you.

http://www.ntfs-3g.org/index.html#download

comes to mind.

Reply Score: 1