At one time or another we’ve probably all had problems with Windows. Lets face it, being the most popular consumer Operating System it’s the primary target for spy ware and viruses. Sure you can use the Windows CD to run some repairs, or the Ubuntu boot disc that I previously showed you how to make to back up your data but there is a much better option to use. The Ultimate Boot CD for Windows.

The Ultimate Boot CD for windows is a recovery CD with tons of useful programs for repairing or fixing almost any Windows problem. It’s based on Windows XP so there are many really helpful tools included that more than likely you’re already familiar with.

Building your Ultimate Boot CD
You will need your copy of Windows XP CD in order to continue. The first thing you’ll want to do is down load and install the Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD4WIN) which is just a tool for creating your own boot CD. Once you’ve installed the Ultimate Boot CD you will be prompted to search for the Windows XP installation files. I recommend you choose No and manually pick the source, put the Windows XP cd into the disc drive and select that drive as the source. In the Media output section choose to burn the disc directly to a CD and choose which program you want to use to actually burn the cd I prefer to use ImgBurn. Under the Plug ins button, which will let you add or remove features for the boot cd I’d recommend you just leave that alone and click the build button.

Now that you’ve got the CD lets try it out. Just put it in your drive and boot from it. You will be presented with the boot options menu where you can run all sorts of test like Darik’s Boot and Nuke, Memtest86 or access the XP recovery console. If you just hit enter you can start up the ultimate boot cd.

It can take awhile to boot into the Ultimate Boot Cd for Windows but once it does you’ll have a desktop that looks and works similarly to XP. There are many useful utilities installed including DriveImage XML which can be used to create full backups of your hard drive. There are also several Anti-Virus and Anti-Spy ware programs that you can use to clean up your system if something is preventing you from booting into Windows. And one of my favorite parts because I’ve seen this problem many times, there are a number of MBR (Master Boot Record) fixing utilities.

There are a lot more very useful tools included on the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows to help you trouble shoot and repair your Windows XP machine.

*Note: You will need a copy of Windows XP to create the Ultimate Boot CD but you can actaully use the cd to repair some elements of a Vista computer as well.

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