In order to have access to files on the disk when the system does not start, it is better to take care of a universal bootable media with various useful programs in advance. CHIP will tell you how to make a "rescue flash drive".
Sometimes unexpected computer malfunctions break all plans and prevent you from completing urgent matters. The troublesome reinstallation of the operating system, drivers, programs and data recovery can take many hours, not to mention the fact that this requires the appropriate knowledge and experience. Another possible danger is virus infection, which will require system disinfection and possibly data recovery. In most of these cases, a pre-prepared bootable flash drive could help, containing a set of useful utilities and even an operating system, with which you could both work with familiar and favorite applications, and easily restore the PC to working order.An equally important component is the autonomy and ease of use of such a medium. For example, if you urgently need to process information when you are away or on a business trip, then the guest PC may simply not have the necessary or familiar applications. And if you have our “rescuer”, if you are sure that you will have access to the guest PC, then you won’t have to take a laptop on the road, which is very important, for example, when traveling abroad with air travel. To some extent, this also increases the security of working with personal data and websites. Of course, to save information and access the Internet, you can also use Live CDs created using popular utilities such as Dr.Web LiveCD and LiveUSB, Kaspersky Rescue Disc, or bootable media with Acronis products, memtest86, etc. However, these tools have a narrow focus. CHIP will tell you how to create a universal emergency flash drive for restoring the operation of a personal computer and lost data, carrying out preventive and test work, suitable for use on someone else's PC.
We create flash drives with Windows OS
To date, the most common operating system is Windows 7, and we will create media with this particular OS.
As a drive, you can use almost any flash drive, memory card or portable hard drive. The main requirements here are the speed of work and the capacity, which should be enough to install the OS and store useful programs and data. Flash media is convenient because it is light and compact and is not afraid of bumps and shaking. However, if you plan to work with it all the time, then you should remember that its read / write resource is limited and at some point it would be better to replace it with a new one. To get acceptable speed, it is desirable that the flash drive supports the USB 3.0 standard. For large amounts of data, it is better to use a portable HDD, but do not forget that it is sensitive to shock. To create a bootable flash drive, you will need a drive with a capacity of at least 8 GB, a Windows 7 installation (licensed) disk (or its image) and the free PWBoot program.
How to do it
1. Insert the drive on which you want to install the OS into the PC. Remember that all data previously written to it during the installation process will be destroyed. Open the Windows 7 installation disk or unzip its image - for example, using the 7-Zip archiver - and extract the install.wim file from the sources folder to any directory.
3. Specify the location of the Install.wim file. In the drop-down list, specify the version of the OS that will be installed on the disk. PWBoot does not display Cyrillic correctly, so the list of versions is likely to be unreadable. The order of OS versions in the list from top to bottom goes from the youngest to the oldest: Starter, Home, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, Enterprise. After selecting the desired version, check the checkbox "Enable boot from USB interface capability" and click on the "Next" button.
5. In the "System boot volume" drop-down list, select the drive on which you plan to install Windows, and check all the checkboxes. After completing all the manipulations, click on the "Next" button. After that, PWBoot will automatically format the drive, install the OS on it and make it bootable. This process can take up to two hours, depending on the write speed of the USB media. After completing the installation, perform the first start of the system and configure the basic settings. To speed up the work, disable decorative graphic enhancements. You can do this in the Start | Control panel | System and security | System | Advanced system settings" on the tab "Advanced | Options". By booting from such a drive, you will be able to freely use Windows and install programs as if you were working in normal mode.
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Removable media boot
In order for your PC to start up from a CD, DVD, flash drive or external USB drive when you reboot or turn it on, you need to change the BIOS settings.
The vast majority of modern motherboards provide the ability to boot from a USB flash drive, however, on older models, you can sometimes only enable booting from optical discs. In some cases, the problem is solved by installing the latest BIOS version, but for older motherboards, such updates may not be released.
When you turn on the PC, enter the BIOS by pressing the "Del" or "F2" key. Next, you need to find the corresponding menu items, indicating the boot order and used for this device. Depending on the manufacturer and BIOS version, this can be done in the "Boot" or "Advanced BIOS features" sections. In addition, modern motherboards allow, without reconfiguring the BIOS, to specify the device from which the system will boot. To do this, when starting the PC, you need to call the "boot menu". As a rule, this can be done with the "F12" key.
Portable programs
If you have full access to the guest software, but you want to work with familiar applications and save the results on a flash drive without leaving any traces, it makes sense to simply prepare a set of portable versions of the necessary programs and burn them to removable media. Portable (Portable) editions of utilities can work without integration into the system, leaving no traces on someone else's PC and without changing its settings. Many different options can be found at portableapps.com. A convenient solution is the PortableApps.com Platform application, which allows you to download and update a set of portable programs from the resource of the same name.
The application also simplifies the work, being launched from a flash drive on someone else's PC. Its menu is similar to the Start menu in Windows and allows you to comfortably work with portable utilities. For those who have not yet decided on a portable set of programs, we have prepared a list of the most commonly used ones.
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Thunderbird Portable |
Mail client |
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Dr.Web CureIt, Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool, McAfee Stinger portable |
Antivirus |
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Recovering deleted data |
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Secure Deletion Tool |
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Notepad++, Portable AbiWord, Libre Office Portable |
Text editors |
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AIMP (you can choose a portable version during installation) |
Audio player |
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VLC Media Player Portable |
Video player |
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CDBurnerXP (portable version) |
Burning discs, creating images |
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Graphics editor |
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SIW, System Spec |
PC Testing, Component Reports |
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Archiver |
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Portable KeePass |
Password and other authentication data manager |
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TrueCrypt (you can choose a portable version during installation) |
Encryption of drives, files and folders |
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Google Chrome Portable, Opera Portable Edition, Mozilla Firefox Portable Edition |
Browsers |
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Messenger, IP-telephony |
The PortableApps.com Platform provides quick access to any of the applications hosted on a flash drive, as well as their additional installation.
The PortableApps.com Platform application allows you to install dozens of ready-made portable programs on a USB flash drive.
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The portable SIW application will provide information about the system, hardware, network environment and suggest a series of tests.
Creating a simple installation flash drive
Many manufacturers have already stopped equipping their computers, such as netbooks and ultrabooks, with optical drives.
If you do not have a disc drive, you can only reinstall the system by booting from the installation flash drive. To create such media, the easiest way is to use a special utility - for example, YUMI. You will also need an ISO image of a bootable Windows installation disk or other operating system that you want to run from a flash drive.
You can create such an image from a finished DVD using CDBurnerXP. It is enough to launch the application and select the "Copy disk" item in the main menu. In this case, specify the disc inserted in the drive as the source, and the folder on the hard drive where the ISO image should be saved as the destination. Click on the "Copy Disc" button. With the same program, you can burn previously saved images to optical discs. Having received the image, you can proceed to transfer it to a USB flash drive or memory card. Insert the drive into the USB port. If it contains the necessary files, copy them to another medium.
How to do it
1. Run the YUMI program and in the drop-down list of the "Step 1" field, specify the location of the flash drive.
3. Specify the location of the ISO image you have in the "Step 3" field using the "Browse" button. Click the "Create" button and wait for the boot drive creation process to complete. After that, conduct a test run from it, remembering to change the BIOS settings.
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Using Slax Linux
In cases where there is no licensed copy of Windows (ISO or bootable DVD) at hand, we recommend using free software based on Linux. After downloading the archive, you need to place the slax folder on the drive, go to the slax\boot folder and run the bootinst.bat file. Now the created flash drive can be used to boot and work in Slax Linux. In addition to the system itself, you will probably need additional tools. They can be downloaded from the "Modules" section (slax.org/en/modules.php). Developers offer a very wide range of different programs and add-ons, including games, graphics and text editors, and other useful utilities. Downloaded applications can simply be copied to a USB flash drive in the slax\modules folder.