Make a Windows rescue kit

For computer users, few things are more disturbing than the prospect of switching on a PC and discovering that Windows no longer loads. Have you lost all those photos, emails, and documents? Will you have to reinstall Windows? While such catastrophes are thankfully rare, that’s no consolation should you become one of the few to suffer.

There is, however, a simple way to prepare for PC disaster that could help you solve the problem or, at the very least, rescue your documents. In this feature we will show you how to create a Windows rescue kit that fits on a USB memory key ­ – one that costs nothing, is easy to set up and brimming with utilities and applications.

Even if you’re not in trouble at the moment, making a toolkit now will provide a safety net for the future. You’ll also be able to help out friends and family if they have problems accessing Windows.

Traditionally, toolkits have used floppy discs or CDs, but here we are going to use a USB key because they’re less prone to damage –­ if you prefer, you can use a DVD to store the rescue kit but as we need 1GB of space, a CD will not do. Another advantage of using a USB memory key instead of a CD is that the key’s spare capacity can be used for storing other useful files.

Be prepared
To complete this project, you need the following items: a PC running Windows XP; a Windows XP setup CD; a broadband internet connection; and a USB memory key of at least 1GB in capacity. If your PC was supplied only with a manufacturer’s ‘recovery’ CD, beg or borrow a ‘proper’ Windows CD from a friend. So long as your Windows installation is properly licensed, this is perfectly legal.

The toolkit you’re going to create is called the Ultimate Boot CD for Windows ­ – usually abbreviated to UBCD4Win. Don’t worry about the ‘CD’ bit – ­ UBCD4Win was invented before DVDs and USB keys became popular. To begin, you need the ‘builder’: the program that assembles the various utilities into a single toolkit – it will take a while to download.

Alternatively, if you followed our recent guide to legal file sharing, you can use Azureus Vuze to obtain a copy faster. If your own PC is currently out of action, you’ll obviously need to commandeer someone else’s or use a PC at your local library.