BootMed 1.0, last updated April of 2011 is out of date. Go to the download page to get the newest version. Below you will find some of the 1.0 documentation, just in case you need it.
Before I start, I cannot stress the importance of making regular back ups. I suggest using MyPCBackup, an online back up utility. MyPCBackup is easy to use and comes with a free version. Even if you mistakenly delete an file, you can recover it from your MyPC Backup.
This list will take you through some of the problems that BootMed is made to solve.
- You deleted a file and need to recover it. - When a file is deleted, it is not actually destroyed. What happens is the Operating System is told to treat the area where the file is stored as free space. Ironically, you can destroy the file you are trying to recover, simply by installing a program like Recuva, since it will be installed into your hard drive’s free space. That is why file recovery is best done from a live cd, which does not require an installation on your hard drive. Just be sure to download BootMed to a computer other than the one with the deleted file. Here are a few recovery tutorials:
- Your computer is infected with a Virus and will not boot. - BootMed comes with a couple basic virus removal tools. Here are the tutorials:
- Errors such as:
- Blue Screen of Death on boot
- Operating System Not Found
- Missing operating system
- INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE (STOP 0x0000007B)
- UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME (STOP 0x000000ED)
- NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM (STOP 0×00000024)
- etc…
These kinds of errors can be indicative of hard drive failure. The best thing you can do is make an image (exact copy) of your hard drive. The image will be a clone of your damaged hard drive, copying both good and corrupt data. You then can retrieve your files from the image in Windows. Since hard drives become more corrupt with use, the best thing you can do is make the image and preserve your information. Then you can set the hard drive aside and recover from the image. Just follow this tutorial:
- You accidently deleted a partition and need to recover it. - This can be an easy accident to make when you are installing a new operating system. It is also can be easily reversed, if you have not written anything in place of the deleted partition. Just follow this tutorial and you will have your partition back in seconds:
- You want to securely erase (wipe) a hard drive or other storage media. - If you are about to sell a computer, hard drive, or even a pen drive, you should wipe it first. Recovering deleted files, even if you have reinstalled Windows, is not that difficult. Wiping your drive will remove any trace of your personal files. Just be sure that you have the Operating System installation discs, since you will not be able to reinstall from a recovery partition, if you wipe it.
- You want to create a virtual machine out of a physical computer. - This is a great way to move all of your data from your old computer to your new computer. By making a virtual machine out of your old computer you will be able to boot up your old computer in a window on your new computer. Here’s how: