Posted 07/02/09 at 07:00:03 PM by The Maximum PC Staff

I downloaded memtest86+ 1.65 (on the recommendation of your magazine) and tried it out on one of my systems. I cannot get past the “auto” running memtest86+ to finish booting to Windows XP Pro. My system is an AMD 2.2GB dual core with 2GB of RAM on a TForce 550 SE mobo. How can I stop memtest86+ from automatically starting every time I boot? I assume there is an autoexec.bat file that is running. Memtest86+ ran for nearly 48 hours non-stop without ever finishing the tests. Is this normal? Should I have let it run to completion?

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Posted 03/16/09 at 01:30:00 PM by David Murphy

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 through Windows installations that you've lost the password for.

All that functionality...  and you don't even have to install a single program on your machine!  Click the link to check out some of the best Live CDs that you should have sitting on your desk.

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Posted 08/29/07 at 02:04:03 PM by Paul Lilly

Has Windows started singing the blue(s) screen of death? You could have faulty memory, and here's how you can find out for sure.

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