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UBCD4Win User Reviews
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"Apparently I'm still a novice"
Version: UBCD4Win 3.50
Pros
There is nothing I like about it.
Cons
I really could not understand how to use this program.
Summary
People come to me to help them with their computers. I know I don't have all the answers but I also know enough to help some people out. I thought I was no longer a novice. Apparently I am.
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"A great set of utilities in a familiar interface."
Version: UBCD4Win 3.50
Pros
The ability to boot outside of the O/S to test and reapir a system.
Cons
Possibly too many utilities to choose from (which might not really be a bad thing) without a summary of each. A couple of disk wipe programs did not work well, and the A/V didn't work well and I had gotten a couple of different errors from it.
Summary
All in all this is a great tool. I can confidently boot on this disk and use it to repair and clean up machines I am working on.
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"EASY. Mostly up to date. Many Drivers, Plugins, Tools"
Version: UBCD4Win 3.50
Pros
XLNT Drive, LAN, Internet & some RAID support. Download it > Install it > Open it > Path to installation files C:\Windows > Burn to CD/DVD > Build. Literally that easy. Burned Rescue CD using all the default plugin/boot settings & built in burner.
Cons
No big cons. Must use XP to build (or buy CD online), but IT WORKS ON ALL WINDOWS OS. Big file (6.94MB Size on Disc using default settings). Website navigation a little difficult. Open source, freeware project: Survives on donations and user support.
Summary
MAKES BUILDING AND BURNING A RESCUE CD SIMPLE AND EASY !
This is BartPE with updated drivers and 140 more plugins.
I am not a geek. This is easy. Has built in burner, so it can create and burn a Rescue CD/DVD in one operation. (An ISO file is always created and saved in the UBCD4Win folder. You can mount or burn that image if you wish.)
If you have a plugin that works with BartPE, it loads into UBCD4Win EXACTLY the same way as BartPE, and vice versa. (I use Macrium Reflect backup imaging, which will install a plugin into BartPE. I had Reflect navigate to UBCD4Win, install it into the plugin folder, had UBCD4Win Configure the plugin, and it worked perfectly.)
Remember to configure a plugin if you install one. From the Builder Window, click Plugins, click on the plugin you installed from the list of plugins, Enable it [Yes in the first column], and click Config.
Has some RAID support, but I don't know how much. My Vista [Compaq Presario] disk controller is RAID 0 [2 HDD bays, but only 1 HDD installed]. BartPE does not recognize it, but UBCD4Win does.
I have built rescue CDs using BartPE version 3.1, and 3 versions of LINUX. UBCD4Win is the only Rescue CD where everything worked. Recognized my HDD, external drives, Network, Internet access. The only thing it did not recognize was printers connected to USB ports. (I am sure there is an easy fix for that, but I am not looking for it. I only use the Rescue CD to restore or fix my system, not for printing.)
I tried it because I was looking for a Rescue CD that would work on my Vista and XP systems. It does that perfectly.
There are 175 plugin and boot options. Luckily, using the default settings worked on my Vista and XP computers, and still fits on a CD (6.94MB size on disk).
There are commercial plugins (if you have a license) for Symantic Ghost 11.0 & 8.0, Paragon Hard Disk Manager 8.x, Kaspersky Internet Security.
It is a tool box that seems to have every freeware tool and boot option you can think of. All the Microsoft stuff, Norton Removal Tool, AVG Remover, ATF Cleaner, SDFix, DriveImage XML, SelfImage, Image Maker, GParted, EASUS Partition Master 3.02, freeware anti-virus and anti-spyware programs, just to name a few.
If you know the things you want, and the things you don't, you can easily tailor the build by scrolling down the list and clicking Enable/Disable (or Remove if you want to permanently delete it). I like to keep the size small enough to fit onto a CD because it will work in more computers.
If you know script (I do not), you can make you own plugins and boot options. One of the Multiboot plugins is "User added Boot Options" which makes it easier to add your own boot options.
Everyone cautions against using the Installation files (I386 files) in your operating system as the source to build the Rescue CD, because of the potential to damage your system. They want you to use the Installation CD as the source. Because I have a backup image of my OS I can easily restore if things go wrong, I use my OS as the source, and have not had a problem. When I use the Installation CD, there are 25 files that cannot be found, and the CD does not work.
If you are willing to take the risk, using the installation files loaded into the OS you are using to create the CD greatly simplifies the process. Just type the folder path to the operating system (typically C:\Windows). UBCD4Win can find them from there. To make sure it is a good folder path, click the Source button > Check. If it says that is not a valid path, click Source > Check and it will find the path. Click on the Found path > OK and continue with the build.
The project is open source, funded by donations, and updated mainly by users. I hope people will continue to support it and update it.
It is a HUGE UPDATE to BartPE, and MAKES BUILDING AND BURNING A RESCUE CD VERY SIMPLE AND EASY ! -
"A bit disappointed"
Version: UBCD4Win 3.50
Pros
Fairly up-to-date- and varied apps
Well thought out rather complete proposition
Always starts-up without an itchCons
Could not help with aVista start-up problem
Would not recognize my USB back-up drive (neither did MS's startup repair!)
An USB key was recognised, but no back-ups here!
Would not run my (XP) WinRestore app: missing dll! Program ran fine on an XP PC.Summary
This machine, an HP bought new nine months ago with Vista installed on a decent configuration (a 4.2 Vista index due to a lowly graphics card) worked really fine for a rather short period of time (and extensive tests I just performed with HP's System Doctor indicate the hardware is still quite OK).
Then Vista started to give me more and more problems (my Office XP would crash several times a day, for example, and MS would blandly tell me, as a solution, to move up to a more recent version), to an extent that I had to restore the system to its original state, using the restore DVD HP had me build.
And, yes Vista ran maybe even better than before and, no, I'm not a Vista basher (I believed, in my ingenuity, that it would run fine on a new system and not as a kind of upgrade on an XP machine)...
But then, out of a sudden, six weeks later, my system would, at start-up, immediately give me a kind of BSOD I never experienced before in all those years (of DOS ad Windows from 3.1).
The "automatic" Startup repair" failed again and again. I "agreed" to send the collected info to MS, but seems this is onlir system: don't expect any feedback here...
WinRestore was definitely my solution: Windows Vista System Restore refused to "see" my restore points, pretending there were none. UBCD4Win, which has access to "System Information" displayed them all but has no tool to restore them (or did I overlook something?).
I eventually choose to delete all Windows data and log files in the Windows, User and Program Data folders that seemed to relate to the startup process. Whenever something looked like a back-up file I would also rename this to the ones I just deleted. And, believe it or not, my Vista is up and running again...
I cannot, of course, guarantee this system's integrity (I might have deleted the "wrong" files, isn't it?), but it has been running fine for 5 days now... And, mind you, up to now the "old" restore points are still not seen by the system (UBCD tells me they are still there, even allowing me to delete some really useless ones).
Question is: why could none of Microsoft's repair options (I tried them all several times) perform what I simply (but tediously: I was busy for hours) performed by hand?...
And this is why I also feel let down, in this case, by the otherwise very useful UBCD4Win... -
"best first aid kit a computer could have"
Version: UBCD4Win 3.50
Pros
a lot of options to solve problems
Cons
the layman may find the wealth of programs a little confusing
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"NEVER BETTER"
Version: UBCD4Win 3.50
Pros
It saved my computer.
Cons
Not for novices.
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"Excellent collection."
Version: UBCD4Win 3.50
Pros
Extensible collection of tools
Cons
Setup is a bit long, and complicated
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"Not sure if it even works"
Version: UBCD4Win 3.50
Pros
Many separate programs in one.
Cons
Not sure what to do with any of them.
Summary
I wasn't too impressed. It might be a good program for someone that knows what they're doing. For me, I spent hours trying to figure things out, then I finally just gave up.
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"Very Useful, but definitely not for novices"
Version: UBCD4Win 3.50
Pros
Works as advertised. Can be used to boot otherwise "dead" PCs or clear out nasty malware.
Cons
Very complicated for the uninitiated to configure and build a bootable final product.
Summary
I understand the reasoning behind the new changes, and I personally have the expertise to build the final bootable CD, but I really miss the original concept of being able to download a fully functional ISO. Call me lazy, but if I have to build a bootable CD using BartPE, I'd probably just as soon prefer to select my own programs and utilities to include. With more systems being able to boot from USB, you might be better off building a bootable flash drive and using portable apps, which you can add to, delete and modify a la carte.
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"Not for inexperienced people, support is REALLY BAD!!!"
Version: UBCD4Win 3.50
Pros
Comes with (third party) tools to reset passwords and scan for virusses. Third party disk defragmenters and benchmark tools are also provided.
Cons
Limited backup/restore functionality with included programs, VERY limited program compatibility, there are problems with some computers with the "blue screen of death" with this version, no decent driver backup solution is provided.
Summary
You are much better off going with regular BartPE (http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/) because most of the included software is JUNK and will only take up more space. Half of the included plugins weren't very-well built and you will save much downloading time and cd-space by starting from a regular BartPE build. The support on the website (www.ubcd4win.com) is very negligible. The main admin (SteelTrepid) is very picky about what he likes to help people with and is too opinionated and mostly just ignorant. The only fix you really need is the input.inf fix (should be in plugin format). It makes the USB mouse/keyboard work on all computers.
If you are a newbie, go with this build but be forewarned that the support may not be up to par (just read this and you can get a picture of what I'm talking about):
http://ubcd4win.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=13049
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