Welcome to GBAtemp Project Spotlight, where we shine the spotlight on the incredible creations and projects from within the GBAtemp community. For our first issue we're taking a look at MediCat USB by GBAtemp member @Jayro

MediCat USB

✔ Project is still active.
✔ This project is absolutely free to use; I do not charge anything for MediCat USB.
✔ The full MediCat USB aims to replace Hiren's Boot CD/DVD, for bleeding edge computers.
✔ Derivative projects are allowed and encouraged.
✔ MediCat USB is clean of viruses, malware, or any kind of malicious code.
✔ Modify MediCat's ISOs and menus as you see fit!
✔ USB bootable using ImageUSB.
✔ Supports Legacy BIOS (CSM) and UEFI
✔ Now has a page on http://alternativeto.net/software/medicat-dvd/
✔ Gluten-free, non-GMO, gender neutral, and no trans-fats!

What is MediCat USB?

Made by GBAtemp member @Jayro , MediCat USB is a bootable operating system that is loaded with useful PC tools to help users diagnose and test PC's in an easy-to-use and user friendly environment. Following in the footsteps of the ever-popular Hiren's BootCD, MediCat USB has been massively modernized and is designed to target modern 64-bit PC's.

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The MediCat USB discussion thread has been going since February 2014 and has recently surpassed 3,172,584 views!

Q&A with Jayro, developer of MediCat USB

• What is Medicat USB in a nutshell?
  MediCat USB is a bootable USB stick for PC repair. But unlike many others out there, I keep it updated frequently, and it's for bleeding-edge computers. (64-bit, UEFI and at least 4GB of RAM)
  
  
• What features and functionality does Medicat USB provide?
  Functionally, MediCat USB is a multiboot USB stick that provides users with everything from password removal of Windows Accounts, malware removal, partitioning of hard disks, among a bunch of other features.
  
  
• What sets MediCat USB apart from the alternatives?
  MediCat USB has one major feature that many others don't, and that's ease of use. I try to keep it as easy and user-friendly as possible. It uses Ventoy as it's base to boot up, which allows a user to add their favorite ISOs, and they'll magically show up in the main menu when it's booted up.

• When did you begin work on MediCat USB?
  I began writing MediCat USB in early 2012, but kept it to myself.

• Any advice for wannabe coders?
  My advice is to never stop trying to improve your code. I'm constantly trying out new ideas and ways to go about making things operate, and it's a very fun learning experience.

• What got you into this project in particular?
  I needed to have my own software toolbox to do PC repair, but the ones available to me were lacking in covering all the bases. So I made my own using YUMI, and later made it into a bootable ISO. And in 2014, I decided to share it with the rest of the world.

• Do you have anything else you'd like to say?
  In closing, I'd just like to say thank you to everyone that's given me advice in the official thread, I've learned a lot for my fellow GBAtemp members, and I'm thrilled to have MediCat USB live and thrive on GBAtemp. You guys keep me going!

You can find out more about MediCat USB in the official thread, the author @Jayro is very active in the thread and is continuing to update the software with new features and updates.

Thanks for reading. If you are a developer and have a project you'd like given the GBAtemp spotlight treatment please feel free to PM me here !

MediCat USB official discussion thread (GBAtemp)
Download links for MediCat USB

 

[calagan]

After a bunch of Googling and figuring this and that out, I'm at the EFI folder in Windows 10, and on the partition that I need to make modifications to, there's a "Boot" and a "Microsoft" folder; the latter has all of the files you'd expect to see in a Microsoft folder, and the former has "bootx64.efi," something which I assume has what I'm looking to modify, but I'm not sure how in Windows 10. The last thing I want to do is fuck this up, and a lot of solutions mention doing shit in Linux. A lot of this seems to point to GRUB, something I have to admit I never fiddled around with much. I just know that it's a commandline program that my PC was booting into when I tried to re-install and give another try to some distros that, as it turns out, requires more than just a drive format to completely uninstall unlike Windows.

I'm just trying to see if there's a way to take care of this problem while in Windows 10 here before taking a chance with something like Ubuntu (even a Live CD) and having to deal with other headaches on top of the headaches I've just come across here.

I think a tool like EasyBCD (the free version) should help you clean up your boot entries without fiddling with command line.

 

[calagan]

I'd recommend submitting MediCat to be listed in MajorGeek (info in their about us section): they look (and indeed are) ancient, but that's where I would go to find this type of tool.

 

[Ozito]

Tried it yesterday, really great stuff! Thank you jayro!

 

[Ev1l0rd]

The true successor to Hirens boot USB imho.

 

[spotanjo3]

It is very interesting.. Never tried it. My main goal is how to update the bios in my Windows 10 laptop ? I am afraid to update bios. The bios was outdated many many years ago.

 

[leon315]

What is "bleeding edge computer"?

I didn't read through such text wall cauz this tiny screen of my phone.

 

[Kadji]

I must have been living under a rock, I still use Hirens (but from USB) but I will check MediCat USB out the next time I have to fix a PC.

Edit:

What is "bleeding edge computer"?
I didn't read through such text wall cauz this tiny screen of my phone.

Basically a PC with modern, state of the art Hardware.
For example: Hirens Boot CD usually boots into a small variant of Windows XP which does not support 64bit Prozessors (well, it does, but they only use 32bit adress space afaik), which means that you can't access all of your RAM if you have more than 4GB installed.

 

[Chary]

I’m not techy enough to have ever used this project, but I’ve seen it in the recent threads section for ages. Just wanted to show appreciation for your work, cuz it’s clear you’ve put a lot of time into it, and it’s helped a lot of users on here!

 

[mituzora]

I'll have to check this tool out. I know it states 'for modern computers' and it states something about UEFI booting, but does this support Legacy(CSM) mode as well? There have been several machines made at least within the last 5 years that are likely loaded in legacy.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

I'll have to check this tool out. I know it states 'for modern computers' and it states something about UEFI booting, but does this support Legacy(CSM) mode as well? There have been several machines made at least within the last 5 years that are likely loaded in legacy.

✔ Supports Legacy BIOS (CSM) and UEFI

 

[mituzora]

lol, I didn't see that in the OP, my bad, Thanks!

 

[RichardTheKing]

Why not a MediDog?

 

[banjo2]

Why not a MediDog?

I know little about the software, but perhaps it's because it's a

bootable USB stick for PC repair

and is therefore a MediC?

 

[Jayro]

Why not a MediDog?

Because I'm a cat person, and a cat doctor as a mascot came to mind.

 

[Pokemon_Tea_Sea_Jee]

I

I have never used this but thank you for your contributions

 

[Jayro]

I have never used this but thank you for your contributions

No problem.

 

[RichardTheKing]

Because I'm a cat person, and a cat doctor as a mascot came to mind.

I've never personally had a cat - my mother can't stand them - so in 2010 or thereabouts we got a male labradoodle puppy. As a result, I'm definitely a "dog person".

The "doge" meme can die, though. Shit's not funny.

 

[Jayro]

I've never personally had a cat - my mother can't stand them - so in 2010 or thereabouts we got a male labradoodle puppy. As a result, I'm definitely a "dog person".

The "doge" meme can die, though. Shit's not funny.

The current MediCat mascot is based off my real life cat, Pepé.

 

[cashboxz01]

would be cool if it allowed booting of virtual drives, and writing IMG files to target disk like clonezilla (but with a neat UI)

 

[mituzora]

would be cool if it allowed booting of virtual drives, and writing IMG files to target disk like clonezilla (but with a neat UI)

Assuming this is built on WinPE, it would likely be very simple to add a program that writes IMG/VHD files to a physical disk.