The Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset

The Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset, part of the Desktop Optimization Pack, includes tools for diagnosing and repairing problems over a network. Snapshots of healthy user systems can be stored on the network, and users with a damaged system can boot from a recovery CD or access a preinstalled recovery client when booting. Administrators can run diagnostic tools remotely and make necessary repairs. Because most of the tools repair only damaged files, recovery is faster than reinstallation and can be done even over the Internet.

The Toolset includes the following components:

ERD Commander boots from a recovery CD and lets an administrator reset passwords, remove a hotfix, view logs, and change critical OS settings.

System Restore can roll a machine back to a restore point even when the OS will not boot.

Crash Analyzer can read a Windows crash dump on an unbootable machine and identify the driver most likely to have caused the crash.

FileRestore boots from a CD and safely recovers lost files, including those emptied from the Recycle Bin or deleted by applications or remote processes.