How to make a rescue CD?

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Can you make a rescue cd directly from Windows, or would you boot to the original Windows install cd?
Would you need to use something like Macrium to make a rescue cd?

Thanks,
rstew

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It depends on what the rescue CD is for. Windows can create rescue CDs that you can use in case Windows fails to boot. Such a CD allows you to boot Windows with it, thus enabling you access to several ways to try to make Windows boot normally again – these can include using System Restore to go back to some point in time or restoring a Windows image backup, if you have Windows image backups.

Imaging programs also allow you to create a boot disc. In this case, the purpose of the disc is to create a self contained environment that allows you to use the imaging software to perform tasks as image restores or image creation. If you have imaging software other than the native Windows one, you should have both types of discs ready, so that you can resort to them in case there are problems.

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Thanks Rui that helps a lot.
I guess after making a rescue cd it would be a good idea to test it out by re-booting from the DVD drive and see what happens!

rstew

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Thanks Rui that helps a lot.
I guess after making a rescue cd it would be a good idea to test it out by re-booting from the DVD drive and see what happens!

rstew

Yes, that is a great idea. You don’t want to find out the CD doesn’t work precisely at the time you need it.

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Three types of rescue media would be best, if you ask me.

(1) When you first get a PC, make a burn of the Hidden Recovery Partition. This will allow resetting to factory original setup, and will include important system drivers. These recovery Images often span several DVDs.

(2) Windows or the PC will allow a Windows Rescue DVD to be burned, which will allow repairs and resetting of Windows to be made. In Windows 8 this is replaced by the OSes own Reset and Refresh options, as well as the Advanced Recovery Options during boot. But it is still possible to make a Rescue DVD or USB stick for the purpose even from Windows 8. (Correction: it was possible, before the Windows 8.1 update.)

(3) The third type of Rescue CD or DVD is the one for your imaging software. I prefer Rescue Environments based on Windows PE rather than Linux, as more flexibility and loading of drivers while using the rescue environment are possible with WinPE than with the Linux environments.

One other Rescue Media type is the actual Image Backup itself, which is typically made to a USB hard drive and is created after you have the PC configured the way you want to use it.

Testing is necessary to make sure the PC will boot into the media and that the rescue environment comes up and functions the way it’s supposed to do. Being able to connect to at least your local network while running the rescue media may be useful as well.

-- rc primak

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But it is still possible to make a Rescue DVD or USB stick for the purpose even from Windows 8.

A DVD is not possible for most Windows 8 users. Since Windows 8.1, it has to be USB; as mentioned by Fred Langa three months ago:

Windows 8: Using the Recovery Media Creator

Windows 8.0 and 8.1 both include the built-in Recovery Media Creator. This tool lets you easily set up a flash drive or an external USB drive as a bootable recovery/repair disk. The Windows 8.0 version of the tool can make bootable CDs or DVDs as well.

Emergency repair disks for Windows: Part 1

(I don’t understand why Microsoft made this change; perhaps it was confusing for tablet users?)

Bruce

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A DVD is not possible for most Windows 8 users. Since Windows 8.1, it has to be USB; as mentioned by Fred Langa three months ago:

Windows 8: Using the Recovery Media Creator

Windows 8.0 and 8.1 both include the built-in Recovery Media Creator. This tool lets you easily set up a flash drive or an external USB drive as a bootable recovery/repair disk. The Windows 8.0 version of the tool can make bootable CDs or DVDs as well.

Emergency repair disks for Windows: Part 1

(I don’t understand why Microsoft made this change; perhaps it was confusing for tablet users?)

Bruce

The inability to make a DVD seems to me to be an anti-piracy move, albeit a pretty dumb one. I had missed that little gem about the Windows 8.1 upgrade. I guess I’d better stock up on Flash Drives before moving up to Windows 9. Makes me wonder what little gems will await us when we upgrade to Windows 9. :flee:

-- rc primak

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Regardless of the OS, ”the only bad backup is the one you decided NOT to make”

There are many very good backup programs and some of them are FREE. (my favorite)

I prefer to do a whole partition backup of C: at least weekly, and save that backup image file to a separate Hard drive,
either internal or external. It has to be external if you’re backing up a Mini PC or Laptop.

Cloning the main hard drive to a secondary drive is also a very viable Backup strategy.

And for your backup program to work when you need it most, it MUST NOT be on your hard drive…..it must be on a bootable media, like a CD or bootable Flash drive. Then in case of a hard drive crash or other problem that makes your Hard Drive unable to boot your PC, you can boot up with your Backup/Restore disk and restore your last backup image and in just a few minutes you’re right back up and running.

I had to do this myself, two days ago, when my PC shot me a BSOD, because my CPU cooler snapped off its anchor point and literally fell out. I then had to switch off the power. After doing the necessary repair, my C: drive would not boot up the PC.
My Ghost backup saved the day. I’m still on that PC as I write this.

So, whatever backup and data-save process suits you best, just make sure you can use it when your hard drive has totally failed (fire and smoke!) and has to be replaced with a new and completely Blank Hard Drive.

Good Luck and Happy Computing!
The Doctor

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Ok thanks all for the great advice!
I now just have to get off top dead centre and get it done.
Many thanks to this forum and all it’s knowledgable members!

rstew

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Oh great! And now we are being told not to trust USB firmware:

http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/07/this-thumbdrive-hacks-computers-badusb-exploit-makes-devices-turn-evil/

(BadUSB preliminary announcement.)

-- rc primak

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Oh great! And now we are being told not to trust USB firmware:

http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/07/this-thumbdrive-hacks-computers-badusb-exploit-makes-devices-turn-evil/

(BadUSB preliminary announcement.)

Not exactly that, just to avoid using USB drives other than your own (and making sure you don’t use them on computers you cannot trust, security wise).

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Just a footnote about BadUSB. We still don’t know how many devices are vulnerable, nor how widespread they are. What we do know is that (according to my readings) SD cards do not have reprogrammable firmware, whereas Flash Drives do have reprogrammable firmware. I don’t know if an installer for Windows 9 could be put onto a SD Card with a USB adapter and then be used as bootable install media, but if this could be done, that might be safe from possible BadUSB types of concerns.

I’d still rather be able to get from Microsoft a System Builder DVD for Windows 9 when Windows 9 becomes generally available.

CORRECTION Upon further reading, I found a blog entry which details a SD Card micro-controller hack similar to BadUSB. Forget about trusting SD Cards in place of USB Flash Drives! More details .

-- rc primak

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