Help installing a recovery OS for windows

[Magsor]

OK here's the deal. I am looking is an efficient way to install a OS i can use occasionally to access my NTFS hard drive. I need to be able to copy and rename files.

The way I have it now is a trucated windows 7 install on a separate partition which lead to an error I press shift-f10 and I got it. But its only efficient in boot up speed... it takes way too much space ot acheive just that. Maybe someone has a better idea.

The recovery partition included with windows would be a good thing i think but it relys on the main os which is just stupid.

 

[Rydian]

If you only need it every so often for file operations outside your normal OS, why not a small Linux LiveCD? Then you don't need to mess with any partitions or bootloader stuff.

 

[Issac]

If you only need it every so often for file operations outside your normal OS, why not a small Linux LiveCD? Then you don't need to mess with any partitions or bootloader stuff.

Or a Live USB Stick

 

[FAST6191]

Linux NTFS is actually not bad and linux comes in very small packages (puppy linux, damn small linux and possibly siltaz are places to look- they are small enough that you could possibly even slice a small partition off and install one of those as a USB linux or just in general). That said tinyxp and bartpe do just as well (any extras vista and 7 offer were more OS level than NTFS so XP is more than good enough) so they might be a better option- I keep bartpe on hand to help fix hard drives and it does well there.

Is it a USB drive perchance? If so you can pass USB to virtual machines quite happily these days (again tinyXP or just a heavily nlited one), bonus is you do not even have to reboot.

 

[Magsor]

If you only need it every so often for file operations outside your normal OS, why not a small Linux LiveCD? Then you don't need to mess with any partitions or bootloader stuff.

Definitely trying this right now... I might just be what i was looking for.

 

[Magsor]

Definitely trying this right now... I might just be what i was looking for.

OK it did not work i d/l (20 min for 50mb!!) the iso and burnt it.
I boot i get this error
can't find KNOPPIX filesystem, sorry.
Dropping you to a (very limited) shell
Press reset button to quit.

I have tought about XP but my computer does not like it for an install.

 

[Rydian]

OK it did not work i d/l (20 min for 50mb!!) the iso and burnt it.
I boot i get this error
can't find KNOPPIX filesystem, sorry.
Dropping you to a (very limited) shell
Press reset button to quit.

I have tought about XP but my computer does not like it for an install.

Knoppix is way more than 50MB (it's a large live distro and is a full ~700MB), sounds like the download cut off halfway or something.

 

[Magsor]

Finding the iso for damn small linux was a pain ~lots of bad links. recommend me any distro Ill try it out - it has to boot fast and support ntfs thats all i ask for.

 

[Rydian]

Looks like Puppy has NTFS support and more updated software now.

http://www.smokey01.com/01micko/slacko/slacko-5.4/slacko-5.4-firefox-4g.iso

 

[Magsor]

That slacko worked exactly as intended! On my 3rd boot i got a boot time of 25 secs. Just fantastic.

Rydian you are up there in my esteem just a bit higher than Mister T.

 

[Rydian]

I PITY THA' FOOL THAT DON'T HAVE SYSTEM RECOVERY OPTIONS LAYING AROUND JUST IN CASE