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The beauty of a Live CD is that it gives you a chance to access your computer or a batch of alternate applications without actually having to load up your operating system. You only need to pop the CD into your optical drive and boot it up from your BIOS -- this self-contained environment runs independent of anything that's located on your drive partitions, even though you can still perform a variety of tasks that manipulate the data on your drives.
For example, you can test our new Linux distributions using a Live CD, saving you the time and hassle of blanking an entire partition just to see if it's the right distribution for you. You can also manipulate the partitions of your drives using a Live CD, expanding and creating volumes to create alternate locations for new operating systems, files, or whatever it is you'd use a separate volume for. Live CDs are great for troubleshooting your system (or saving your data) when your primary operating system won't boot, and they can also be used to break into Windows installations that you've lost the password for.
What it does: We'll start our Live CD list with a fun utility. USB Disk Storage Format isn't a Live CD, but it does allow you to transform a boring ol' USB key into a bootable environment. It's a great match for those who don't have an optical drive (?!) or want the added convenience not having to burn a new disc every time you need to run, say, BIOS updates.
Once you've downloaded USB Disk Storage Format, pick up a batch of DOS files named "HPUSBFW_BOOTFILES.zip." We've linked them here, but in case the link goes away, you should be able to Google search for these. Run USB Disk Storage Format and select a FAT32 filesystem for the format, then check the "Create a DOS bootable disc" box. Select the folder containing the files from the aforementioned archive, then run the program! You now have a bootable USB that you can use to do things like flash your BIOS or, depending on the instructions of particular Live CDs, transform these discs into USB-based tools.
Download it here!
What it does: This Live CD is geared toward extreme vulnerability testing. It's a Linux distribution that comes packed with a variety of security-themed applications and utilities. You can use the included tools to brute-force your way past stubborn passwords, including those of the Windows operating system itself. You can also spoof a wireless access point and force nearby Windows machines to connect to you instead of the real wireless provider. Or if you're feeling a bit more white hat, you can use the included applications to scan and detect a wide variety of nearby wireless networks. But that's just a small sampling of the functionality available in Backtrack -- with more than 300 security-themed utilities to choose from, odds are good that you'll find just what you're looking for.
Download it here!
What it does: Is your computer acting strangely lately? Try running this Live CD; it performs a comprehensive series of stability tests on your computer memory. You'll never know if one of your sticks has officially gone bad unless you put it through the ringers, after all! This Live CD is easy to use and quite comprehensive in its ability to run both standard and advanced RAM tests.
Download it here!
What it does: So you don't think Linux is a gaming platform, eh? This Live CD is going to try and prove you wrong, as it contains thirteen different Linux-based games for you to try out. Here's a short list of what you'll be checking out:
Download it here!
What it does: Unlike Backtrack, which gives you a wealth of security-themed applications, Ophcrack is a Live CD that's designed for one purpose: breaking through Windows passwords. We're going to assume you'll be using this to get into your own password-locked system that you forgot the code to. Ophcrack works on either XP or Vista installations, and even offers pretty real-time graphs to show the progress of its tables-based, brute-force cracking method.
Download it here!
What it does: Ok, we know we usually dish out five free applications for these weekly roundups, but we just couldn't let GParted stay off our list. It's that good. This Live CD is the ideal tool for manipulating your drive's partitions. It's faster, easier to use, and offers more functionality than any partitioning utility you'll find as part of the Windows operating system. Create, shrink, expand, merge, and otherwise futz with your hard drives in more ways than you ever thought possible. This Live CD is the perfect opening step toward creating a dual- or triple-boot setup for your PC. We can't recommend it enough!
Download it here:
Comments are closed on this article
dizzy1
March 17, 2009 at 10:21am
an easier way to install these if you have the iso file is through unetbootin.
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/
mojosico
March 16, 2009 at 12:53pm
well after rereading this story again i guess i did not read everything right the first time . i can see using some of these progs if you wiped your drive and are looking to make sure everything is kosher , but other progs listed look like the murph might be doing some hacking and other mischevious things . LOL just kidding murph. i thought the murph had quit max pc ? although we keep seeing new stuff from him ? WTF??? if the murph is not back then why do we continue to see posts from him ?? is the murph freelanceing now ? or is he just not ready to move on yet? HEY!!! MR. dave murphy if your still around make some visit's to the pod cast . we miss you man . the show has been very P.C (politicaly correct) since you left , and gordons rant dont seem to have the real rage that they used to i've said it in different posts you guys even played me saying that in one of the podcast . dave was the cog that kept the podcast togeather and going . come back to the podcast soon!!!! OH OH OH and bring pie and churros .
TheMurph
March 16, 2009 at 1:10pm
*tips his hat*
Live CDs are useful, as they allow you to perform a number of actions that would otherwise require access to your operating system (or for the Linux-based apps, uh, a new Linux installation). Not to mention that some of the partitioning functions simply cannot be performed while in a Windows environment. So yes, Live CDs are more than just programs you turn to if you've wiped your drive. They're awesome, self-contained environments that offer a lot more than what you'd expect from just a simple little bootable CD.
As for the podcast, heh. Thanks. I always thought that I mumbled a lot on the podcasts, but, well, I suppose it's just one of the burdens I'll have to bear for having such a sultry, low voice.
I'm told there's a 100th podcast coming up, but alas, the invites for a big MPC audio reunion haven't exactly been pouring into the ol' inbox. As for your questions, I don't work as an editor at Maximum PC anymore. However, I write weekly articles about freeware and open-source, as that's a big area of coverage that MPC hasn't always had the time to cover much (and since I used to make all of the CDs, it's nice to get more life out of all the resources I collected to do so). :D
grayscare0
March 16, 2009 at 11:08am
Backtrack and linux-gamers are both great. If you like the latter, I would recommend you check out the two listed user provided packages for Enemy Territory and Urban Terror. They're by far the best free games Linux has to offer.
kc7wbq
March 16, 2009 at 8:36am
Got an old computer just sitting around? Go to this page:
http://reilly.homeip.net/folding/cd.htmlAnswer the questions (defaults are ok if you don't know the answer), then hit "Download ISO". The page builds you a "custom" ISO with the Stanford Folding program. Remember team 11108 FTW!
Burn the ISO to a CD, throw it in and you're helping to cure cancer.
The program even has a small web server so you can check from a computer on the same network to make sure the system is up and running. I've got it running on an old Dell sitting under my desk at work, no keyboard or monitor attached.
The Canadian
March 16, 2009 at 8:15am
The following is a comment that was posted after I posted a copy of the story to another site I am on:
'Hmmm, this is actually a terrible article, if it is meant as an introduction to what LiveCDs can do for you. It seems very much to treat them like "novelties" or "wooo geek toys".
Rather read something a bit more in-dept about how they can aid in disk management, malware removal, computer restoring, etc.'
Any comments on the aforementioned comment?
The Canadian
TheMurph
March 16, 2009 at 9:35am
Sure, I'll bite. This article is an introduction to some of the better Live CDs out there. It's not a comprehensive guide, a definitive list of the five greatest Live CDs ever created, nor a how-to article as to how you might go about using a Live CD to fix or adjust parts of your PC. My focus is on highlighting software that I think you'll find interested.
To answer another question, a caveat is that I try to cover applications in these roundups that we haven't already looked at in great detail. Hence why Ultimate Boot CD isn't on the list... I don't just like these weekly freeware roundups to be regurgitations of the exact same apps that everyone already knows about.
Raggart
March 16, 2009 at 6:43am
I cannot believe you did not mention UBCD! You usually do in the pages of your magazine so I am surprised it did not come up in this article. Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD for short) contains all sort of useful tools, including Memtest86, that can be used to diagnose a PC. You can download it here.
I would also include Clonezilla, which allows the user to clone (e.g. copy bit-for-bit) all types of partitions, including NTFS (Windows) and HFS+ (MacOS) partitions. I use it to backup computers with various OSes or after a clean installation. It even includes gzip or bzip compression.
Oh, and mojosico, not to rant but the article is about installation-free sotftware. The software titles you mention are great (I use most of it frequently) but they all require installation...
mojosico
March 16, 2009 at 5:30am
must have??? only when i have problems . how about a list of must haves for everyday use . i recently discovered the defraging goodness of jk defrag great little program really speeds up my system . ccleaner a must for daily use . a-squared free save my butt on several occasions . 7-zip great program saves having to have win-zip , winrar , and win-ace taking up space on my pc . opera , cause it has all the features that take 4 hours to find with firefox and it dosent crash like firefox either . well i guess mojo will step down off the soapbox .
