Why you Need a Linux Live CD

Time for some more Linux zealotry.Blue CD
Has your Windows computer ever failed to boot or refused to go online?

You know that if you could just get online you could search for an answer to your problem or email your favourite computer geek; but there you sit unable to do anything.

And have you ever noticed that this always seem to happen at the worst possible moment. You’re going to a meeting and just want to print out that report, you’re going to school and you need to print that home work (that laser printer ate my homework… honest), you need to do some last minute research online, or you need to get that important email.

You could probably fix the Windows problem if you had an hour or two and knew were the installation CD’s were, but right now you just need to get what you want off of the computer.

What do you do?

You read Why Every Windows User Needs a Linux Live CD and then you will know what to do.

Also, consider having a dry run every so often because this blog will be another thing you wont be able to see when the “bad thing” happens.

I used a Knoppix CD to recover all the data from a clients seriously dying hard drive and burn it to a USB hard drive just this week.

Speaking of USB, some Linux distributions can boot from some USB flash memory thingies. As with most things Linux, there’s a HowTo: Linux bootable USB key.

Now if you really really really dont want to do the Linux thing and you want to stay with the “otherOS”, Fred Langa has a great article about Booting XP From A USB Drive, Step By Step over at Information Week , its a good read.

Windows In Your Pocket
All it takes is a minor error in the Windows Registry or a virus infection, and your operating system can become unbootable. But with a properly configured USB flash drive on hand, you’ll always have a compatible replacement no further away than your pocket or keychain. In addition, the flash drive can also provide a secure browser and virus scanner, and lets you take your favorite DVD burning and Office software with you wherever you may go.

Tom’s Hardware also has a guide to installing XP on your 256MB-or-bigger USB flash drive with Bart PE Builder for use as an emergency kit for your busted PC.

Me? I think for the time being I’ll hang with Linux.

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