How to burn a system restore to disk. Creating a Windows Recovery Disc

The article will be about the most significant software product for any user. It doesn’t matter what your specialty is or what your hobby is. It is much more important that you have a computer at home with an operating system from Microsoft.

Now any user can get acquainted with Windows of the tenth (final) generation.

The operating system is main program personal computer that manages all devices and applications. The comfort of using a PC depends on how correctly Windows is selected.

How many editions of the Windows 10 operating system are there?

The eighth generation did not suit many users with its functionality and interface. The disadvantage was the fact that the “start” button was removed, which made it very inconvenient to use the “start” menu itself. But now the time has come to switch directly to the tenth generation of operating systems.

On this moment There are seven editions of the new generation system:

1) Professional.

2) Homemade.

3) Corporate.

4) Mobile.

5) Corporate-mobile.

6) Classroom.

7) Server room.

Which is better - Enterprise or Professional Windows 10? If you remember, many computer users asked a similar question in the era of the seventh generation of systems. It may have been a long time ago, but with the advent of the “seven”, many were faced with the editor’s choice for installation:

1) Homemade.

2) Professional.

3) Complete.

These three editions were the most popular.

What you need to know when installing an operating system

It doesn't matter which one operating system you have chosen Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise. Any of them will require hard drive space, which should be prepared in advance. The approximate amount of space on the hard drive should be twenty gigabytes. If you download the system from third-party sites, then it is worth increasing the space to thirty thousand seven hundred and twenty megabytes. However, it is best to update the system.

Which is better - Enterprise or Professional Windows 10? When installed from Microsoft, that is, in automatic update, this issue resolves itself. When the author of this article updated the software of his laptop, one professional system became the same, but of a new generation.

At custom installation(without update programs), it would be wise to keep important files to the media or move it to a partition that will not be affected by the system. This way you save important information from your computer.

How to set up an operating system without special RAM requirements

American personal computer users value privacy very much. Microsoft took this into account when developing the new operating system and introduced a number of options into the parameters that help disable user location systems. By disabling this “spyware” functionality, you can significantly relieve the load on random access memory your computer. Downloadable maps also greatly reduce the performance of your “iron friend”.

Which Windows 10 is better - Enterprise or Professional? And in this case, it is best to use the professional version of the “tens”; it is a good and universal solution for home use.

Which edition to choose

Enterprise or Professional - which is better and what is the difference? For home use, the professional “ten” is most suitable. Unlike the home version, it is not “reduced” in functionality (for example, the home version does not have the Bitlocker browser). The corporate version is designed more for enterprises and large companies, and therefore some functions (for example, “business store”) are unnecessary for the average user.

Why is it worth becoming a "pro"

The new operating system has many innovations and improvements, which qualitatively distinguishes it from its predecessors (“Seven” and “Eight”). Which is better - Enterprise or Professional Windows 10? The answer is the same - it’s “professional”. Now let’s take away some of the “chips” of this operating system, but at the same time remember that we are “pros”:

1. Continuum. This can be called in Russian the ability of operating systems to connect different devices in one workflow. For example, using the Office program (On Drive), you can close a document on your computer, and open and continue on your tablet.
2. Start. Having heard the G8 users, the developers returned the treasured button. When you open the Start Menu, you can see a “tiled” version of the icons, which makes it easier to access some applications, as well as a list of applications that have been used recently. For example, "mail client".
3. Built-in protection system. The operating principle is simple and I don’t think it’s worth describing it in more detail here. Usage third party antivirus is not required in this system, since it is self-sufficient and quickly responds to suspicious files.
4. "Mail client". Microsoft developers have created an excellent program for working with mail without launching a browser. Previously, a similar option was available in Office 2013, but now it has become available on the Windows 10 operating system.
5. Direct X 12 is currently the only operating system that has managed to take advantage of the new capabilities of modern video cards. If fully implemented in the future, this option will significantly improve gaming performance.

Which Windows 10 is better - Enterprise or Professional? Since the first one is designed for corporate use, then the “professional” one will definitely reveal its potential better at home.

Final version

I think I have shown which is better, Enterprise or Professional Windows 10. The choice of editor directly depends on the circumstances in which you will use your computer. Each of the operating systems presented in the article has its own unique functionality, which depend solely on you as a user. That's all!

Each version of Windows exists in several editions (releases). The older versions produced in the 90s had significantly fewer of them. The evolution of the operating system, Microsoft's adaptation to modern market sales, as well as other circumstances, led to the emergence of new varieties of Windows. Latest version 10 is the leader in their number. There are a huge variety of its distributions - both functional editions and assemblies that record one or another state of the system. Let's try to understand them below.

Before starting a review of Tens distribution kits specifically, I suggest first looking at the original structure of the Windows varieties. This way we will understand the enormity of the scope of Microsoft’s main product.

Windows families

The main criterion for dividing Windows is families. The main families are:

• Windows NT is a line of desktop systems (for PCs, laptops and tablets) and a line of server systems, starting with Windows NT 3.1 and ending with Windows 10 (and, accordingly, its server analogue Windows Server 2016). Desktop NTs are the ones that are used everywhere;
• Windows Embedded – a type of system for terminals, ATMs, other machines and various equipment;
• Windows 10 IoT is an operating system for production devices that has replaced Embedded, but with a large list of support for them. Among such devices are Smart Home automation systems;
• Windows Mobile, she is in an earlier release Windows Phone– platform for mobile devices.

Each family can have its own lines (as is the case with NT), its own versions, its own editions, its own sub-editions, etc. The “Ten” has even more divisions. If we download its installation ISO image not using the official utility from, but, for example, using the program, we will see a lot of possible distributions in the selection list.

In the case of “Ten,” we have not only a stable branch of the operating system, but also a branch within the framework of the project - a program for testing operating system innovations. Plus, since Microsoft has stated that at least in the near future there will be no new versions of the system, and the company is going to work on improving “Ten” in parallel with its use by the masses, as a result of this work, today we have a lot of builds and versions of version 10 itself We will return to all these varieties later, but for now let’s look at what editions of the system exist.

Windows 10 editions

Editions are the fourth generation of the Windows NT division. There are two lines in the family, the lines have their own versions, and each version has its own editions. Editions are provided primarily for the convenience of Microsoft itself, so it is more profitable for it to sell licensed copies of the operating system. The basis of trading is the Pro edition, from which it already dances in one direction or another. By cutting some functionality, the company reduces the license fee for using the operating system, thus making it affordable to a larger number of people. And, offering additional features in editions for certain market segments, the company manages to sell the same thing, but according to the principle “For the poor, the price is a ruble, for the rich, two.”

In terms of cutting opportunities, by the way, the company must be given its due. Unlike processor manufacturers who push models for low-end laptops onto the market, knowing that such processors are unsuitable for use in modern conditions, Microsoft knows its limits and doesn’t go too far. The basic Home edition of any version of Windows is capable of fully satisfying the needs of the average person.

So what are there? Windows edition 10?

Home – basic set capabilities of the “Dozens” with reduced functions of the Pro edition, such as: group policy, BitLocker, Hyper-V, tools remote connection, connection to Azure AD, etc. Home is also limited in its ability to snooze system updates for a certain period, as can be done in the editions above. This is a budget option for legitimate use of the system, but not the cheapest.

Home Single Language

The Home derivative, Home Single Language, is limited to using Windows within one language only. system language. She has the cheapest license key.

Pro (Professional) – edition with an optimal selection of functionality for advanced users.

Pro for Workstations(Professional for workstations) – advanced sub-edition for powerful computers, in particular for server equipment. It appeared quite recently, along with the autumn major update. Her key feature is improved reliability of data storage, in particular, work with file system.

Enterprise

Enterprise (Corporate) – edition for organizations, which provides enhanced security technologies and functionality intended for professional systems engineers on top of Pro capabilities. “Corporate” has a functionally reduced and long-delayed delivery of updates for enterprises and services that need a stable environment for the functioning of their equipment. Microsoft does not sell Enterprise to ordinary users, only to legal entities on a subscription basis. The company states that purchasing this edition by individuals is impossible in principle, but you can buy a license for Enterprise on the Internet quite often. And, of course, not all points of sale digital keys will require us to confirm our involvement in the business sector.

Education

Education is essentially the same Enterprise edition, only with the missing Cortana and the impossibility of switching to LTSB. The main difference between Education is its focus on the market of educational institutions and, therefore, distribution at a price several times lower than Enterprise. The edition can be purchased by universities, vocational schools, libraries, museums, charitable organizations, teaching staff of educational institutions and students themselves, if they are not part-time students. As a condition of purchasing the edition, Microsoft has the right to require documentary evidence of the appropriate status of the buyer.

Windows N is not a separate edition, not even a sub-edition, it is a variation of Home and Pro without Windows Media Player and some other components. Microsoft was forced to create a stripped-down assembly in 2004 in accordance with the requirement of the European Commission, which began to protect the interests of third-party European developers who released their multimedia products.

Windows KN also appeared forcibly. A couple of years after the European precedent, the South Korean Trade Commission made a decision against Microsoft, satisfying the claim of the developer Daum Communications and obliging the software giant to release on the South Korean market an assembly of the operating system without a standard player and Instant Messenger (a messenger on board Windows XP).

Windows 10 versions do not provide N and KN builds pre-installed applications Windows Media Player, Groove Music, Film & TV, Voice Recording and Skype. Also, the system synchronization functions, webcam, Cortana, and opening PDF files in Microsoft Edge and other things. Windows 10 N and KN are intended for Europe and South Korea, respectively, the territorial jurisdictions of the authorities that ruled against Microsoft. And since the existence of these assemblies is forced, naturally, the company does not disseminate information about them unnecessarily.

Builds and versions of Windows 10

If we open the properties of “Tens”, in the characteristics column we will see a mark about its version and assembly.

The build number reflects information about a specific set of Windows 10 functionality and changes frequently as updates are introduced into the stable branch after they have been “run in” within Windows programs Insider. Version numbers of “Ten” change less frequently; their change is timed to coincide with a series of updates. Serial numbers versions are not sequential; they contain information about the date and month of release. In addition to numbers, versions have names - technical (for Microsoft developers and insiders) and marketing (simple concepts for ordinary users). There are several versions of Windows 10:

• 1507, Threshold 1, abbreviated TH1 – the first cumulative update of the “Ten”, released in July 2015;
• 1511, Threshold 2, abbreviated TH2, simply put, November Update - the second cumulative update, released in November 2015;
• 1607, Redstone 1, abbreviated RS1, in simple terms Anniversary Update– the third cumulative update, released in July 2016.
• 1703, Redstone 2, abbreviated RS2, simply put Creators Update– fourth cumulative update, released in March 2017;
• 1709, Redstone 3, abbreviated as RS3, simply put Fall Creators Update – the fifth cumulative update, released in October 2017;
• 1803, Redstone 4, abbreviated RS4 – a cumulative update scheduled, as we can see from the number, for March next year, which is currently under development. Some of the upcoming functional improvements to the system can already be tested as part of the Windows Insider program.

This is how many tentacles a giant octopus has under named Windows 10.

Today, the version of Windows 10 has already become a favorite among many users. Some people comfortably use the professional version of this software, others “use” home version and remains quite satisfied with this state of affairs. However, those who decide to install this operating system for the first time are scratching their heads over the question of whether Windows 10 Enterprise or Professional is better?

How many versions are there in total?

Today, users have a choice of only seven versions of this OS:

• professional;
• audit;
• mobile;
• home;
• corporate;
• server;
• mobile-corporate.

But what Windows assembly 10 is the best? Each of these versions is ideal for certain categories of users. If you do right choice, then you can use the new product from Windows with complete comfort.

Description of editions

Home

Today it is the most popular version of Windows 10 around the world. With her in included Edge browser, as well as a biometric system that identifies system users. For security, this version does not require passwords; it recognizes the user by face and fingerprints. The computer running the Home version can run Xbox games.

Pro

This version is ideal for cases where the computer supports business applications. The developers claim that Windows 10 Pro is designed specifically for small organizations.

Supports Hyper-V virtualization, as well as the ability to encrypt the disk. To update the software you can use Windows Update for Business.

Enterprise

This version is actively used by the largest corporations and companies, as it works with support for complex functions such as:

1. Direct Access – the ability to remotely access without using a VPN.
2. BranchCache is an option that makes the update and download process much easier and faster.
3. Credential Guard and Device Guard are applications that increase your computer's security significantly.

Education

The Windows 10 version, as the name suggests, was created specifically for educational institutions and students in particular. Much like the Enterprise version, but without support for some specific features.

Mobile

This OS is applicable for Microsoft smartphones. Also, users of some Lumia with Windows 8.1 can. Mobile for business supports some business segment functions and has more fine tuning updates and security policies.

Differences in editions

If you want Windows 10 to reach its full potential at home, then choose Pro versions. It is replete with all kinds of devices and professional applications, knowledge of which will help you use the system with maximum comfort.

Before you think about which Windows 10 is best to install, analyze for what purposes you will need it.

This instructional article describes in detail how the disk is formed Windows recovery 10. An example of using such media to return the “tens” to a functioning state in the event of a problem when the OS refuses to boot even in safe mode is also considered.

General concepts

From the very name of the drive it becomes clear that this media is intended for resuscitating the operating system or performing actions in it that cannot be carried out under a running Windows 10 ( full reset, rollback to the previous state if the PC does not turn on, or restoring the “ten” from a previously created backup).

People who decide to switch to a new operating system often come across the concept of a recovery disk, but not everywhere there is information about what it is. In order to solve similar problem, and also in order to teach users how to create drives for resuscitating Windows and this article was written. The material is presented in such a way that a novice user will not have any questions regarding the creation of a tens resuscitation disk and its practical use.

By disk we mean a flash drive due to the relevance of the latter, despite the outdated name.

Create recovery media for Windows 10 using the Control Panel

Microsoft has provided a basic option for creating a flash drive for Windows recovery 10, slightly optimizing this mechanism, familiar with Windows 7. Since then, the principle has remained the same: a few clicks and a couple of minutes of waiting, and media created on another computer is also suitable for solving the problem, but in the case of using a Windows 10 image of the same bitness and edition OS.

1. Visit the Control Panel.

There are many ways here: executing the “control” command, using the search bar, the Win → X menu, a shortcut in a convenient place.

2. Select the value of the “View” field as “Large icons”, if it is different.

3. Call the “Recovery” applet.

Some of the actions below (such as the following) will require administrator privileges or running as administrator. account.

5. Decide whether to activate the reservation option system files to the Windows resume flash drive.

If the option is activated, the process will take longer due to copying a significantly larger amount of information to the media, but at the same time, the Windows recovery procedure will be much simpler. Even when the system recovery image is missing or inoperative (after all, all necessary files present on the drive).

6. Connect the removable USB drive to the appropriate port, if it is not already connected.

Keep in mind that it will be formatted and the information will be overwritten, so be sure to make a copy of it if necessary.

8. Wait for the copying process to complete.

The appearance of the following window signals the completion of file copying.

9. Click “Done”.

That's all, the Windows 10 recovery disk is ready for use.

By booting from a ready-made drive, using the Boot Menu or changing the priority of boot devices, you can visit the recovery environment, having received all the necessary capabilities for this.

Please note: the drive for resuscitating the operating system can be used as a regular flash drive if it has free space. In order not to affect the files and directories located on it, you should change their attributes to “Hidden” through the properties of the target objects or create a directory for your own files.

Example of using bootable recovery media for Windows 10

Using the created media, unlike a system recovery disk, is permissible on a computer running any version of Windows 10, regardless of installed updates and license status. But a more significant feature of such a flash drive is that there is no need to download the distribution kit as an ISO file from the Internet.

We go into the “ten” recovery environment.

1. Through boot menu PC (Boot Menu) select the USB flash drive as the primary boot device.

2. We indicate Windows language 10 (Russian, of course).

3. In the window with the “Install” button, follow the “System Restore” link.

As a result, you will find yourself in the Windows 10 recovery environment, which allows you to return the operating system to a functioning state using one of the suitable methods proposed: using a rollback point, a full system reset, restoring the registry, checking the health of system files. The user will also have a fully functional command line at his disposal.

When your PC stops booting from its hard drive, you may be in a bind if you haven't created a bootable rescue disk or device.

A recovery disk doesn't just start your PC, it also includes tools that can help you fix what's wrong with your system. Creating a recovery disc takes minutes.

Recovery disc options for all versions of Windows

Exist various ways creating autonomous, emergency, boot-recovery disks. When using Windows 7 and 8 create good wheels recovery is quick and easy. Vista and XP also provide tools for creating recovery discs, but the process requires a little more effort.

There are also numerous third-party boot disks - both paid and free - that work with all versions of Windows. The best ones have recovery and recovery capabilities that are far superior to Windows' native tools.

Of course, you can boot your PC using the original Windows installation CDs or DVDs, and they provide some basic recovery tools. But most PCs now come with installation files located in a special partition on the hard drive. Such files will not be accessible unless you take the time to create an emergency boot disk. In other words, the recovery partition will be of no use to you in an emergency situation in which you cannot boot your PC!

Even if you bothered to do backups system image, you may still need a rescue disk on hand to restore the most recent image.

In Part 1 (there are two in total) of this article, I will look at a long series of emergency recovery disks for XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. I will start with Windows features 8 and will be moving back to XP. I'll also start with the built-in Windows tools and then mention some excellent third-party products - most of them free!

Next week, in Part 2, you'll learn how to use these disks to boot your PC and how to access the recovery tools they contain. I'll also share some advanced tips and tricks.

Windows 8: Create a Recovery Disk tool

Windows 8.0 and 8.1 both include a built-in Recovery Media Creator program. This tool allows you to easily make a bootable recovery disk from a flash drive or external USB device. You can also create bootable CDs or DVDs using Windows 8.0.

The standard recovery device (or CD/DVD) from Windows 8 contains a bootable recovery image - a simplified special version Windows 8 - which will launch the PC. It also includes tools for repairing and restoring basic Windows 8. It may also include tools for resetting or updating the system based on a system image, such as those provided by computer manufacturers.

If your PC contains a manufacturer-installed recovery image available for use (usually on its own dedicated partition), Recovery Media Creator (RMC) can also add the image to the bootable recovery disk. If necessary, you can completely restore your system solely from the recovery disk. (You can even put a custom recovery image on your recovery drive. I'll cover that in Part Two.)

The Recovery Disk Builder tool is very easy to use. And here's how much:

• While you're logged in as an administrator, click Win+W(Windows flag key and W) or swipe to open the Charms bar.

Figure 1. Enter "Create...".

• Enter Creating a recovery disc(recovery drive) in the search box (in Windows 8.0, use Search, Settings), then click the Create a recovery drive icon when it appears. The Recovery Disk tool will open (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. Creating a recovery disk in part of Windows 8 is a step-by-step wizard that is easy to use.

• If your system has a recovery partition, specify whether you want to include the recovery image in the boot or recovery disk you create.

If checkbox Copy the recovery partition from your computer to the recovery drive(Copy the recovery partition from the PC to the recovery drive) appears black and clicks, you can burn the recovery image provided by your PC manufacturer to the recovery drive. Simply check the box to enable this option.

If this checkbox is grayed out and doesn't respond when you click it, then you obviously don't have the option to burn the factory image to the recovery drive. However, don't be upset, disk being created recovery will still contain a bootable, stripped-down Windows 8 recovery image, as well as the standard array of recovery tools.

• The Recovery Disk Builder will then tell you how much disk space the recovery files and system image will take up if its entry is checked. Insert a USB device into your PC that is large enough to at least, is equal to the required one. Please note that the device may be used only as a bootable recovery disk; everything else on the device will be deleted.
• If you have connected more than one USB device, the RMC will show a list of available devices. Select the one you want to use as your recovery drive and click Next. The next dialog box will warn you that everything on the selected USB device will be overwritten. When you're ready, click Create.
• The bootable recovery image, recovery and repair tools, and factory system image (if selected) will be copied to the recovery drive. This may take a few minutes.
• If you have specified a factory image copy, RMC will now give you the option to remove the OEM recovery partition from the hard drive to free up space. Delete or save the section - the choice is yours.
• Click Finish.
• Remove the USB device and store it in a safe place.

For more information regarding the Create a Recovery Disk tool included with Windows 8, visit the Microsoft support page - .

Windows 7: Create a System Repair Disk tool

Windows 7 was the first Windows system to include an automated tool for creating bootable rescue CDs or DVDs. The tool doesn't have as many features as the Windows 8 version—you can't add an OEM recovery image, for example—but it's just as easy to use. Just a few clicks and your recovery disk is ready!

And here's how much:

Figure 3. Backup and recovery

• Insert a blank CD or DVD into the optical burner on your PC.
• While you're logged in as an administrator, open the Backup and Restore app. Click Start > Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore(Start > Control Panel> System and Security > Backup and Restore).
• On the left side of the window, click Create a system repair disk(Create a system repair disc).
• Confirm if optical drive chosen correctly. Click Create disk(Create disc) (see Figure 4), and follow the suggested steps.

Figure 4: The Create a System Repair Disk tool included with Windows 7 allows you to create a bootable recovery CD or DVD with just a few clicks

Note: If Windows 7 can't find the files it needs, it will prompt you to insert a Windows installation disc.

For more Microsoft information offers a video tutorial on its Windows 7 page.

Vista: Enabling and Using Create Recovery Disk

The beta version of Vista SP1 came with an excellent utility Create Recovery Disk (Create a recovery disk) (recdisc.exe) (see Figure 5). But for reasons known only to Microsoft, the utility was cut in all versions produced. File recdisc.exe still exists in Vista, but it doesn't function!

Figure 5. Vista's remaining recdisc.exe file doesn't work by default, but with a little effort it can be made useful.

Nevertheless, enthusiasts liked it working version utilities. So they prepared the files and made them available for download - along with practical recommendations. This is not an officially sanctioned solution, but it has been openly discussed and recommended by Microsoft MVP on the Microsoft Answers forum. For example, see the Microsoft Answers topic " " (Creating a system repair disc for Windows Vista).

Get recdisk.exe not difficult, but the steps are too long to detail here. A thread on the third-party forum "VistaForums" titled " " (How to Create a Vista Recovery Disc) contains best instructions with practical recommendations that I know. The only thing I would add to the how-to guide is the standard note: before doing any system changes, make a backup.

If all this is beyond your capabilities, try using a third-party boot disk as described below.

Windows XP: Requires a third party tool

XP does not have a built-in ability to create a bootable rescue disk recovery.

For many years the best alternative was UBCD4Win(stands for "Ultimate Boot CD for Windows"). But creating that boot disk is a long and complex process that requires some technical skill and access to a full XP installation CD.

UBCD4Win is still in use, and still free, but I no longer recommend it. Now there is a better solution.

Hiren's Boot CD includes an amazing array of free tools - about 100 in total ().

The CD itself is based on Linux, but you don't need to know Linux; The text-based application has simple menus for selecting the tools you'll launch. (See Figure 6.)

Figure 6. Hiren's BootCD includes an array of approximately 100 free repair and recovery software tools.

Strangely, Hiren's BootCD also contains a stripped-down "Mini-XP" based on the gray system. It is intended as a tool disaster recovery for use by owners of licensed, paid copies of XP - not as a replacement for purchasing a license or standard installation XP. Within its limited tasks, it works great. When your regular (licensed and paid) Windows system XP won't boot, MiniXP with Hiren's BootCD can help you get it running again.

You can get Hiren's BootCD on his . But finding a working download link may be difficult - the page contains several distracting alternative download links for inappropriate tools.

Figure 7. Valid Hiren’s BootCD download link

All Windows Versions: Free Recovery Discs

If the built-in Windows tools are not available or don't work for you, there are many free alternative bootable recovery disks. Like Hiren's BootCD, most of them are made on Linux based and comes with a wide range of pre-configured maintenance and repair tools.

Here are four of the best:

• Trinity Rescue Kit(free or voluntary paid) - specifically designed for recovery operations on Windows machines, but can also be used in questions Linux recovery. A simple keyboard-text menu system is used here by default; a command line is also available in Linux.
• Ultimate Boot CD(free;) - contains more than 100 easy-to-use recovery and diagnostic tools, an interface with a keyboard-text menu.
• SystemRescueCd(free) - allows the use of basic recovery tools in a hybrid text-graphic Linux environment.
• Ubuntu Rescue Remix(free; , offers a range of open-source tools source code data recovery and technical computer forensics tools. However, this product relies almost entirely on the Linux command line, which may make it difficult for those accustomed to mouse-based interfaces.

Automated Easy Recovery Essentials

Tools Easy Recovery Essentials from NeoSmart Technologies deserve a separate discussion. They are favorably mentioned in almost every Internet forum dedicated to Windows recovery.

This is partly because the tools are quite good and can work in all Windows versions- XP, Vista, Win7, Win8, Windows Server.

But the popularity of these tools developed in part because they were free. Although many online discussion forums still refer to NeoSmart drives as free, in fact they are now commercial products. Prices in the US start at $20 for the home version of Easy Recovery Essentials and end at $75 for the Server version. You can find a list of all versions and prices on .

For a really modest price you will get bootable iso image, which you can download and burn to a CD, DVD or USB device. Once launched, Easy Recovery Essentials enables highly automated recovery capabilities. In fact, many complex recovery operations can be launched with one simple click, without requiring any further user input.

To get an idea of ​​how easy it is to use these tools, watch the NeoSmart demo video. NeoSmart also offers a money-back guarantee.

Which recovery product is right for you?

I suggest you start with the tools available in Windows if possible. They handle most common tasks and maybe everything you need. They provide routine operations, as well as some unusual ones. Hey, you already paid for them!

If Windows tools don't provide what you need, try free bootable recovery discs at Linux based. Although the Linux environment may be unfamiliar to most Windows users- especially Linux command line tools - there is usually enough documentation to help you get through any rough patches.

If neither the built-in Windows tools nor the free Linux-based ones work for you, then commercial tools may be ideal. NeoSmart's Easy Recovery Essentials tools in particular work well, are very easy to use, and come with a money-back guarantee.

Next week: You'll learn how to use these recovery discs to boot up your computer and access the tools they contain. I'll also offer some additional tips and tricks. Stay with us!

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