A boot disk can be a computer floppy disk, CD, DVD, tape drive or USB flash drive. It can also serve a number of different functions. Computer manufacturers such as HP, Dell or Toshiba ship an operating system (OS) reinstallation disk that also acts as a repair disk. Other boot disks are loaded with programs that allow you to scan for viruses, repair hard drive partition errors, reset passwords and troubleshoot hardware and software errors. Learn the difference between these boot disks and what they can do for you.

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Data purging, or data clearing

With the rising threat of identity theft and viruses that infect the recovery partition of your hard drive, it is important to have a means to completely and thoroughly purge the data from your hard drive. Data purging or data clearing boot disks securely erase your hard drive so data is permanently removed and no longer recoverable.

I recommend: Learn more about data purging by viewing Darik's Boot and Nuke, a self-contained boot disk that completely deletes the contents of any hard disk it can detect.

Preinstallation (PE) environment, or preinstalled environment

Several utility boot disks utilize what is called a preinstallation or preinstalled environment. A PE works by creating a RAM disk in system memory. Because of this, it can be run from a CD-ROM or USB drive, and requires no hard drive or network access.

I recommend: The official Microsoft PE is the Microsoft Preinstallation Environment, or WinPE. It can be used to automate OS installation tasks. Bart Lagerweij has created BartPE, Bart's Preinstalled Environment. BartPE has a graphical user interface, and allows unlimited custom plugins for things like password recovery or virus scanning.

Memory diagnostic, or memory test

A memory diagnostic or memory test boot disk allows you to figure out if it is your system memory that is causing your computer or programs to freeze or behave abnormally. These boot disks perform extremely thorough testing of your computer's RAM.

I recommend: Memtest86+ is a standalone memory test for x86 computers. Memtest86+ is an improvement on the original Memtest86 created by Chris Brady of BradyTech.

Diagnostic or utility boot disk

A diagnostic or utility boot disk runs off of a preinstalled environment such as BartPE, and includes a variety of different custom apps that assist you in troubleshooting or repairing your operating system. These all-in-one resources can perform many different tasks, such as partition management, diagnostics, virus scanning and password recovery, among other things, to diagnose a problem.

I recommend: Two of the most popular utility boot disks are Hiren's BootCD and the Ultimate Boot CD. You can find these boot disks at Hiren.info and UltimateBootCD.com, respectively.

Password recovery

A password recovery boot disk allows you to either cancel or change the password on a user account. Most password recovery boot disks will work on any Windows NT/2K/XP/Vista system. This is because these versions of windows store password information in a specific location in the registry.

I recommend: The Offline NT Password & Registry Editor can be installed either on CD or on USB flash drive.

Antivirus boot disk

An antivirus boot disk is simply a CD, floppy or USB flash drive that has been made bootable and had an antivirus such as F-PROT installed. Older versions of McAfee used to include a bootable virus scanner, but these boot disks weren't compatible with the NTFS file system.

I recommend: Silly Software Company gives instructions on how to create a boot disk with antivirus included.

Boot disk software helps you repair, restore and troubleshoot nearly any computer issue. A boot disk is a floppy disk or CD that your computer can use to load and run an application or operating system. While a floppy or CD are historically the most common forms of boot disks, zip drives and USB flash drives have become popular types of boot disk media.

Have you ever received that blank blue screen and couldn't figure out how to start up your computer? Bootdisk software helps to solve this problem. It's imperative to keep at least one boot disk handy at all times. In addition to restoring and repairing your old system, boot disk software is also helpful with setting up a new system, installing new operating systems and running virus scans. Boot disk software offers many features to help you get your system back running again. Consider the following benefits of a boot disk:

1. Restores and installs an operating system.

2. Recovers and purges data.

3. Troubleshoot hardware and other software applications with a boot disk.

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Resolve operating errors with boot disk software

Manually troubleshooting and resolving system issues can require a great deal of time. Boot disk software helps you quickly restore your operating system. With a boot disk your staff can spend less time fixing computer problems and more time on activities that affect your bottom line.

I recommend: Spotmau.com offers a boot disk software CD, which can boot any computer, install and repair Windows issues and increase operating speed. Purchase a boot disk software CD by mail or download the software from Recovery-CDs.

Use boot disk software to troubleshoot other computer issues

We all know how frustrating it can be to lose data and not be able to figure out how to retrieve the data. Losing business data can result in losing a customer. With boot disk software, quickly retrieve lost customer files and business information.

I recommend: DriveCrash.com offers boot disk software to help you recover all types of data saved on your hard drive. With the File Recover boot disk software offered by PC Tools, you can quickly detect and retrieve files and other important data from your computer.

Download a boot disk CD to diagnose other operating system problems

Repair, restore and diagnose operating system problems quickly by downloading a boot disk CD. There is an endless list of vendors from which to choose that offer a boot disk compatible with nearly every brand of operating system, including new and old versions of Windows.

I recommend: Get a free boot disk software download from Brothersoft. You can also download boot disk software from Filesland.com, which offers several tools designed to help you reset Windows passwords, recover lost information and backup and erase files.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be sure that you write-protect your boot disk to prevent the CD from being erased and to protect your system from computer viruses.

Boot disk software education and training is essential for anyone who supports computers — whether for their own use, their company or external clients. There are many boot disk software packages available. They provide tools to create boot disks as well as other disk and system utilities.

A boot disk is needed when the system won't start. It's usually caused by a hardware problem with the hard disk or a Windows error. A boot disk allows the system to start so that troubleshooting can begin. Sometimes it is necessary to repair or restore files to fix the problem. To get education and training on creating and using a startup disk:

1. Read instructions and tutorials provided by boot disk software providers;

2. Learn about the boot process and what errors mean.

3. Learn to create a basic Windows XP boot disk.

4. Get advanced training to provide boot disk software support.

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Find instructions and training on using CDRom boot disk software

There are many boot disk software programs to choose from. One feature to look for in a program is access to thorough instructions and training.

I recommend: Boot disk software from Spotmau includes step-by-step instructions for using the program. LiveCD from LSoft Technologies offers an online manual, so you can learn how to use the software before purchasing.

Get boot disk software education and training about boot disk errors

If you're just getting started in providing support services, it's important to understand the boot process and what boot disk errors mean as well as finding support and tools to assist you with future repairs.

I recommend: An article from TechRepublic lists common Windows XP boot problems and how to solve them. Rootprompt explains what happens during the Mac OS X boot process. Salvage Data Recovery Services explains boot disk read errors and recovering hard disk data. Data Recovery Reviews provides information on choosing and using boot disk software.

Learn to create Windows boot disks

Basic boot disk tools can be created right from Windows. It's important to have boot disks on hand in case problems arise. If you provide service to Windows users, it's a good idea to have boot disks on hand and to have the ability to walk clients through creating their own boot disks.

I recommend: Microsoft provides instructions for creating a system boot disk for Windows XP. See Computer Hope for directions on creating a boot disk for a variety of Windows operating systems.

Find out about A+ training that includes creating a startup disk

A+ certification from CompTIA is a valuable tool for support providers and technicians. The certification demonstrates a technician's proficiency for working with various types of computer hardware and is recognized by all vendors. Training for A+ certification can be accomplished through self-learning, live courses or online training and includes information on using boot disk tools.

I recommend: Specialized Solutions offers computer based training and training videos. SimulationExams provides practice tests and certification training. See CompTIA for more training resources.

Bootdisk software can perform a variety of different functions, and come in more than one form. Computer floppy disks, DVDs, CDs and USB flash drives can all be used as boot disks. The manufacturer of your PC generally ships an operating system (OS) reinstallation disk with your system that doubles as a system repair disk. Other boot disks are geared towards specific purposes such as hard drive partition repair, password reset, virus scanning or troubleshooting hardware and software errors.

The following online resources will help you figure out boot disk software pricing and costs for the most popular types of bootdisk software:

1. Make sure your private data doesn't fall into the wrong hands with a data purging boot disk.
2. Troubleshoot and repair a variety of problems on your PC with a diagnostic or utility boot disk.
3. Acquire a password recovery boot disk to regain access to a computer that you have been locked out of.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get your hands on a data purging boot disk to ensure your private information is safe

A data purging or data clearing boot disk securely erases your hard drive so that your private data is no longer accessible or recoverable. With the rise of identity theft, it's important to go the extra mile to protect yourself.

I recommend: Darik's Boot and Nuke is free bootdisk software that securely erases the contents of your hard drive. You can download it in ISO format for use on a CD or DVD drive, or in a format that can be used in floppy disks or USB drives. WhiteCanyon sells the WipeDrive program for erasing entire hard drives for about $40. You can either instantly download the program or have a CD shipped to you.

Order a diagnostic and utility boot disk to troubleshoot and repair computer problems

A diagnostic or utility boot disk works by booting into a preinstalled environment like BartPE. You can use this type of boot disk to perform numerous functions like troubleshooting or repairing your operating system, managing your partitions, running diagnostics and performing virus scanning.

I recommend: The most popular free utility boot disk is Hiren's BootCD, which you can download at Hiren.info. Also free of charge is the System Rescue CD.

Get back into a computer you have been locked out of with a password reset boot disk

A password recovery boot disk allows you to wipe out or change the password on a user account in a Windows NT, 2K, XP or Vista system. This is extremely useful if you have a disgruntled employee that has created an unknown password on a computer, or even if you simply forgot your login password.

I recommend: This is another type of bootdisk software that is easy to find for free. You can download the Offline NT Password & Registry Editor for use on a floppy, a CD or DVD or a USB flash drive. You can purchase a similar boot disk at Password-Reset. The software is free to download and run, but to actually remove the password you have to pay a $50 activation fee.