Lifeguards and firemen…
Lifeguards and firemen both rescue people, but from different sources of danger. Norton Rescue disk and Windows Emergency Boot disks both aid people to get their computers running correctly again, but they address vastly different difficulties.
Norton Rescue disks store some key files and Windows registry data. Typically, .INI files, containing settings and preferences known to be acceptable are copied. I don’t know if the registry is copied whole, or just critical data is saved. A few repair tools may be included. The aim of the Norton Rescue disks is to return a working Windows system to the way it worked previously.
In our area, highways are patrolled by “Emergency helper vehicles” which offer assistance to stranded motorists. These cars have some fuel, oil, coolant, some lightbulbs, a bit of hose, duct tape, booster cables, an air pump, and a few simple tools. Obviously, they can help if an otherwise OK car has just run out of gas, water, or air, but if the car has a ruined engine or suffered a collision, they cannot offer much beyond a cell-phone and the number of a tow. I view Norton Rescue Disks as their Windows equivalent. A Windows Emergency Boot disk would be the equivalent of a superbly equipped dealer’s service department with trained mechanics, factory diagnostic equipment, and an inventory of spare parts adequate to assemble an entire replacement automobile.
I consider a Windows Emergency Boot disk as a serious tool reserved for serious problems. When Norton Rescue disks are unable to revive the system, Windows has been damaged severely. Corruption this serious may require Windows to be re-installed. Windows installation requires a special boot. A Windows Emergency Boot disk contains the code to provide the proper environment a Windows installation or re-installation requires. It also contains the files and tools to prepare a disk to accept Windows. This includes generic drivers and code needed to read the CD-ROM. I think of the Windows Emergency Boot disk and the Windows operating system CD as two pieces of one tool. In real emergencies, one without the other is useless.
A hint: When disaster strikes is no time to be searching for Product Keys, those long strings one must enter while installing Windows. Record the keys to your software where you can easily locate them. If you cannot find them, they are available on your system using REGEDIT. #reply-14968193
Unfortunately, Windows doesn’t make the very best Emergency Boot disk when one uses Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, Startup Disk tab, and presses the Create Disk button. Sure, a disk gets created, but for a truly useful disk, this is just the beginning. RJL provides an excellent discussion on what this disk should contain in #reply-8051423
Both Windows Emergency Boot disks and Norton Rescue disks have their use and their place. We can not and should not attempt to make one substitute for the other.
Cheers, PW.
DISCLAIMER I wrote this post on a Sunday morning, without the benefit of coffee.
P.S. I do not have any connection with Semantec. I don’t, nor ever have, worked for them, sold their products, or owned their stock. I’ve purchased, and use, their products. #reply-10925588
P.P.S. I no longer use either EBD or RD. I use imaging. Any time I’ve experienced system corruption, my problem was more serious than RD was designed to fix. Any time I’ve re-loaded or fresh-loaded Windows, it’s taken hours. I restore from an image in a few minutes. (And those minutes are spent enjoying a coffee, not shuffling CDs, entering ID codes, making endless entries and selections, and sweating over whether I’ve overlooked something important.)
P.P.P.S. Approach system difficulties by escalating the seriousness of the repair…
Re-boot the system
Re-boot in Safe Mode
System File Checker
Software tools such as Win Doctor, ScanReg, ScanDisk…
Norton Rescue disk, in case the fix is simple.
Re-install Windows, in case the settings are OK and the system is bad.
Install Windows to an empty disk. (The last resort!) |
