Creating a System Rescue USB Stick - What are your must-have tools?

Ympker

Currently creating a new system rescue multi-boot USB stick because I can't find my old one (using Yumi exFat).

The idea is to have a useful stick at hand to troubleshoot Windows 10/11 issues such as disk issues, computer not booting anymore, virus infection (albeit I didn't have any issues with that in years), disk cloning/recovery and a live Linux environment.

So far, I have installed:

• Aomei Backupper Windows PE (since I use Aomei)

• System Rescue CD (a classic, I guess); TestDisk, Memtest, GParted..)

• Redo Recovery (disk cloning/backup; also possible to backup to remote destinations via ssh/ftp/nas..)

• Recatux (another troubleshooting tool)

• Hiren's Windows PE (lots of Windows Tools to troubleshoot)

• PuppyLinux (to have a lightweight linux live system)

• Ubuntu Desktop live (if I need to get some work done and the issue takes longer than expected)

Any other ideas? Are Ultimate Boot Disk and Trinity Rescue Kit still viable? I remember they were quite popular back in the days but haven't been updated in quite a while.

ehab

this is not free but for years it never failed me - ever - booting old and new HW.
i buy a release every other year and always worked; i mean network,mouse,screen, disks etc ..

https://partedmagic.com/

Ympker

@ehab said:
this is not free but for years it never failed me - ever - booting old and new HW.
i buy a release every other year and always worked; i mean network,mouse,screen, disks etc ..

https://partedmagic.com/

Will have a look, thanks!

nullnothere

Just use Ventoy (https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html) and plonk in whatever ISOs you think are useful to have with you.

Things I'd add to your list (depending on your taste, random order):

1. GRML
2. Tails
3. Clonezilla
4. Arch
5. Xubuntu or Lubuntu or *ubuntu
6. Ubuntu Mate
7. Netboot
8. Debian netinst

I seem to spend more time updating these ISOs than actually using/booting off of Ventoy. But it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling of knowing that you have all these awesome tools just a USB boot stick away.

Ympker

@nullnothere said:
Just use Ventoy (https://www.ventoy.net/en/index.html) and plonk in whatever ISOs you think are useful to have with you.

Things I'd add to your list (depending on your taste, random order):

1. GRML
2. Tails
3. Clonezilla
4. Arch
5. Xubuntu or Lubuntu or *ubuntu
6. Ubuntu Mate
7. Netboot
8. Debian netinst

I seem to spend more time updating these ISOs than actually using/booting off of Ventoy. But it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling of knowing that you have all these awesome tools just a USB boot stick away.

Will have a look! Thanks for tips. Also will have a look at Ventoy. What are the key advantages to, say, Yumi? One seems to be that I don't have to reformat the file system over and over.

Regarding your list:

Why would I need Debian netinst, when I have Ubuntu Live System? Anything particular debian adds as an advantage?

Same with Arch/Xubuntu/Lubuntu. Any advantages to them as opposed to Ubuntu? Do they come with any special tools? Only used Debian/Ubuntu based distros so far...and CentOS years ago.

Tails appears to add anonymous browsing as far as I can tell. Anything else why I should add it?

nullnothere

@Ympker said: ... reformat the file system over and over.

Exactly. Upgrading a particular ISO is just replacing the file with the newer version. Add/remove ISO's and they're auto read at boot to present the menu. Very convenient.

I keep this USB as a sort of handy toolkit for various needs. So I stuff the 16/32GB USB storage with a bunch of these things (the space is anyway dedicated) so that most emergency use cases are covered.

In a pinch, you're never out of whatever tool you need (mostly).

Lubuntu/Xubuntu are far more lightweight than Ubuntu and can run as live distro's even on low end older hardware - never hurts to have some choices.

CamoYoshi

I just use SystemRescueCD, nothing more. That + a Windows install USB is all I find I ever need... but I've been out of the "PC Repair" game for a long time now.