If you use an image backup product like Norton Ghost or StorageCraft ShadowProtect, you can construct such a CD or DVD yourself. You can make a snapshot with all of your applications installed and configured, allowing a rapid recovery in the event of a catastrophic failures.
I started with Ghost, creating image backups weekly and incrementals nightly, but found it to be fragile and user hostile. ShadowProtect isn't perfect, but its much better. I have fully recovered systems on several occasions in less than an hour. While its true that rebuilding Windows from scratch eliminates some of the accumulated detritus on your hard drive and in the Windows Registry, having to then re-install and configure all of your applications makes this an expensive proposition. I find that periodically running the freeware Advanced SystemCare keeps things reasonably well-pruned; some DXLab users have reported a noticeable performance improvement after running it. Its available via <http://download.cnet.com/Advanced-SystemCare-Free/3000-2086_4-10407614.html?part=dl-6271865&subj=dl&tag=button> I wouldn't run any application that mucks about in the Windows Registry without having a backup, though creating a System Restore Point beforehand is probably sufficient. I have no relationship with any of the companies mentioned above. 73, Dave, AA6YQ --- In digitalradio@yahoogroups.com, "Andrew O'Brien" <k3uka...@...> wrote: > > I had a PC problem last night and Windows would not load. I was able to get > on the Internet and active in digital modes within a few short minutes by > booting a CD that contained Fldigi via Linux. This simple way of getting on > the air when a HD crashes of Windows fails made me wonder if there is a > Windows CD somewhere that we can boot and it also contains a browser, digital > mode software, etc? > > > The CD that Dave and Skip made available for FL-digi sure helped me. > > Andy K3UK >
