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How useful is Windows Boot CD is? I used to care about them a lot, but for the last decade or so, Linux + DOS (for f/w updates) was all that I needed.

by theamk 7y ago

UI_at_80x24 7y ago
I use it alot especially when dealing with a server manufacturer that won't accept my Linux/FreeBSD diagnostics and I'm trying to get an RMA. Or worse, they have a custom tool that they want you to run to generate diagnostic reports.
- jowsie 7y ago
  I once had the joy of being forced to verify a failed HP drive via some Windows only diagnostic tool. Despite the drive being HP supplied in an HP SAN. Refused to even consider an RMA without the diagnostic tool output though.
coribuci 7y ago
When Windblows decides to kill itself in various ways is very useful. I used it to run checkdisk when windows crashed and then booted normally without any disk check. It has a lot of utilities that are very helpful when something goes wrong.
Alupis 7y ago
> How useful is Windows Boot CD is? Very if you're doing Windows desktop/workstation support. Hiren's isn't just a PE, it includes a ton of useful utilities that help you repair, troubleshoot or fix a number of problems. The full list of utilities is here[1], but includes: - BCD/MBR Tools - Data Recovery - Defrag - Hard Drive Diagnostics - Hard Drive Imaging/Cloning - File Explorers - Partition Repair - Low Level Formatting/Data Destruction - Windows Recovery - Virus/Malware Scanners - Key Finders (office, windows, etc) - Password reset/recovery - System Registry Repair - And more... [1] https://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/ https://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/
- olyjohn 7y ago
  Except that a lot of the stuff on Hiren's is pirated. You probably don't even have a license to run the version of Windows that is on it.
  - mikehotel 7y ago
    Latest release does not include pirated content. Including the OS: "Windows PE does not include any Windows license keys. Also Hiren’s BootCD PE does not violate Windows PE purposes and it does not change “72 hours of continuous use” limitation. So using Windows PE in Hiren’s BootCD PE is legal in the terms of Microsoft’s usage purposes."
    - ComputerGuru 7y ago
      The 72 hour clause is to qualify for the special WinPE licensing (vs having to license as regular Windows), it does not mean Windows PE itself doesn’t need to be licensed.
  - Alupis 7y ago
    Pirated content hasn't been on Hiren's since version 10.6... which was close to 10 (or more) years ago. Everything on Hiren's is Free and/or Open Source.
tyfon 7y ago
I used a portable windows stick from work to activate some games for steam when I bought my vega 64 card. The games work just fine in proton under steam for linux but I had to activate the amd promotion in windows for some reason.

How useful is Windows Boot CD is? I used to care about them a lot, but for the last decade or so, Linux + DOS (for f/w updates) was all that I needed.

by theamk 7y ago

How useful is Windows Boot CD is? I used to care about them a lot, but for the last decade or so, Linux + DOS (for f/w updates) was all that I needed.

UI_at_80x24 7y ago

I use it alot especially when dealing with a server manufacturer that won't accept my Linux/FreeBSD diagnostics and I'm trying to get an RMA. Or worse, they have a custom tool that they want you to run to generate diagnostic reports.

jowsie 7y ago
I once had the joy of being forced to verify a failed HP drive via some Windows only diagnostic tool. Despite the drive being HP supplied in an HP SAN. Refused to even consider an RMA without the diagnostic tool output though.

coribuci 7y ago

When Windblows decides to kill itself in various ways is very useful. I used it to run checkdisk when windows crashed and then booted normally without any disk check. It has a lot of utilities that are very helpful when something goes wrong.

Alupis 7y ago

> How useful is Windows Boot CD is? Very if you're doing Windows desktop/workstation support. Hiren's isn't just a PE, it includes a ton of useful utilities that help you repair, troubleshoot or fix a number of problems. The full list of utilities is here[1], but includes: - BCD/MBR Tools - Data Recovery - Defrag - Hard Drive Diagnostics - Hard Drive Imaging/Cloning - File Explorers - Partition Repair - Low Level Formatting/Data Destruction - Windows Recovery - Virus/Malware Scanners - Key Finders (office, windows, etc) - Password reset/recovery - System Registry Repair - And more... [1] https://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/ https://www.hirensbootcd.org/download/

olyjohn 7y ago
Except that a lot of the stuff on Hiren's is pirated. You probably don't even have a license to run the version of Windows that is on it.
- mikehotel 7y ago
  Latest release does not include pirated content. Including the OS: "Windows PE does not include any Windows license keys. Also Hiren’s BootCD PE does not violate Windows PE purposes and it does not change “72 hours of continuous use” limitation. So using Windows PE in Hiren’s BootCD PE is legal in the terms of Microsoft’s usage purposes."
  - ComputerGuru 7y ago
    The 72 hour clause is to qualify for the special WinPE licensing (vs having to license as regular Windows), it does not mean Windows PE itself doesn’t need to be licensed.
- Alupis 7y ago
  Pirated content hasn't been on Hiren's since version 10.6... which was close to 10 (or more) years ago. Everything on Hiren's is Free and/or Open Source.

tyfon 7y ago

I used a portable windows stick from work to activate some games for steam when I bought my vega 64 card. The games work just fine in proton under steam for linux but I had to activate the amd promotion in windows for some reason.