CNET Editors' review
Build a robust Linux install with dozens of functions and applications designed to work on hard drives. Building Parted Magic LiveCD requires a CD burning tool to create the bootable CD with the OS and functions.
Booting into the Linux OS offers numerous commands to work on your hard drive, and includes more functions than we could list here. Users should definitely take the time to surf to the publisher's Web site to study the CD's major applications before getting started. Some instructions are included with this package, but testers recommend only experienced users tackle this OS and applications. Many of the functions are easy to use, but improperly set actions could result in damage to your file structure. As the publishers note, this version of Parted Magic uses VisParted and Parted, but version 2.2 includes the more popular Gparted, a robust tool with the capability to change drive partitions without losing data.
Still, this version of the freeware is a powerful efficient tool to help experienced users manipulate their hard drives.
Publisher's Description
From Partedmagic:
Optimized at approximately 45MB, the Parted Magic OS employs core programs of GParted and Parted to handle partitioning tasks with ease, while featuring other useful programs (e.g. Partition Image, TestDisk, fdisk, sfdisk, dd, and ddrescue) and an excellent set of documentation to benefit the user. An extensive collection of fileystem tools are also included, as Parted Magic supports the following: ext2, ext3, ext4, fat16, fat32, hfs, hfs+, jfs, linux-swap, ntfs, reiserfs, reiser4, and xfs.
What's new in this version: Version 6.7 has added code to generate ecdsa key to /etc/init.d/rcS.
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All versions:
4.0 starsout of 41 votes
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Current version:
5.0 starsout of 2 votes
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My rating:
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Results 1-2 of 2
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"Picks up the slack from Windows Vista"
Version: Parted Magic 6.7
Pros
Free
WorksCons
None for me
Summary
Trying to install a couple of 2TB drives into a 3 year old Vista machine. Vista was having trouble formatting the drives in NTFS. Parted Magic had no problems.
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"Your 911 for Computer Needs"
Version: Parted Magic 6.7
Pros
It is loaded with great features. You can check your hard-drives with the SMART tool, run a Memory Test, create, delete, re-size, and even move partitions, clone (copy) entire disks or single partitions, surf the web with Mozilla, run a benchmark of your entire hardware, listen to music from your PC library while you're fixing it, the list goes on.
Since Parted Magic is an actual Operating System which boots Live from the CD, you can do almost anything that you normally would do with your standard OS, and more. Parted Magic is designed to help you fix problems which might prevent you from booting into your OS. It's also good at working with partitions (as the name implies). It comes loaded with tons of very useful software. In case you're confused or just need to surf the web while you're waiting for a task to complete, you can use Mozilla Firefox which is the default web browser included with Parted Magic.
Instead of reading about it, just download it, burn an iso image & try it Live.Cons
It doesn't talk to me and ask me what I want it to do so that it can do it automatically. It expects that I will use its valuable tools instead of IT using them for me and fixing the problems that I caused. Anyone who complains about Parted Magic must be expecting exactly that.
Summary
I try to always have the latest version available in a Live CD from which I can boot in case of emergency. It's already saved me a handful of times from disasters I would have needed professional help to get fixed. If you own a computer you should also own a copy of Parted Magic. It is a Linux Operating System, but it will fix any computer, regardless of your choice of OS.
.....and I believe the newest version comes with the new Linux Kernel 3.0! No big deal really, just a new number.
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