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

 

[DinohScene]

I've used MediCat several times to ressurect computers, can deffo recommend it!
10/10 tool no shilling <З

 

[Alexander1970]

I've used MediCat several times to ressurect computers, can deffo recommend it!
10/10 tool no shilling <З

With an reliable,competently and very quick Support - 10+ and also no shilling.

 

[Xandrid]

This looks very interesting, gonna have to check it out at some point

 

[Nomi20]

This is really great! Hiren's boot CD is getting way outdated so I'm just going to start using this. Amazing work Jayro!
EDIT: I'll post a more full response as soon as it gets done downloading. It just might take a little bit with my slow internet

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

Definitely a heavy recommend, I always keep a USB of this around for when I need to test/fix PCs and stuff.

 

[Jayro]

I don't have any financial need for donations, and I don't accept them.

If anyone wants to donate towards this project, please donate to Ventoy's Page instead. This project is a labor of love for the community, and Ventoy keeps this project going. So please pass the love onto him, but don't feel obligated.

 

[RobertDaBoss]

Imma Check It Out...

 

[MarkDarkness]

Can attest to the fact that this is super useful and can do wonders in most cases. Recommended.

 

[p1ngpong]

MediCat USB gets a big thumbs up from p1ngpong!

 

[nikeymikey]

Ive used this myself a few times to recue a few pcs from self made cock ups

Thanks for the tool dude

 

[K3-ICHI-X]

I'm still using Hiren's BootCD, gonna give Medicat a try

 

[Silent_Gunner]

So, would this be able to fix up previous Linux distro installations not uninstalling from the boot menu of my BIOS?

You see, I've been trying out various Linux distros ever since game performance on Linux has improved dramatically thanks to tools like WINE, Steam Proton, Lutris, and the like, but for the distros that I uninstalled, I can't even re-install them it seems thanks to the BIOS indicating that there's already a distro installed when there isn't, and this isn't something I want lingering on my M.2 SSD to begin with!

Would Medicat be able to take care of that?

 

[AlexMCS]

So, would this be able to fix up previous Linux distro installations not uninstalling from the boot menu of my BIOS?

You see, I've been trying out various Linux distros ever since game performance on Linux has improved dramatically thanks to tools like WINE, Steam Proton, Lutris, and the like, but for the distros that I uninstalled, I can't even re-install them it seems thanks to the BIOS indicating that there's already a distro installed when there isn't, and this isn't something I want lingering on my M.2 SSD to begin with!

Would Medicat be able to take care of that?

Depends on your boot loader. It's probably just a matter of editing your GRUB setup.

On-topic, it's nice to have such an updated tool with English support.
I work at the IT department of an University, and we use Sergei Strelec's USB tools, which is pretty much Hiren's Boot successor.
I'll give Medicat a try to see how it fares in comparison.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

So, would this be able to fix up previous Linux distro installations not uninstalling from the boot menu of my BIOS?

You see, I've been trying out various Linux distros ever since game performance on Linux has improved dramatically thanks to tools like WINE, Steam Proton, Lutris, and the like, but for the distros that I uninstalled, I can't even re-install them it seems thanks to the BIOS indicating that there's already a distro installed when there isn't, and this isn't something I want lingering on my M.2 SSD to begin with!

Would Medicat be able to take care of that?

You technically wouldn't even need to use this, just mount the EFI partition on your SSD and delete the EFI files for those old distros, simple as that. Could be done in any OS.

 

[Silent_Gunner]

You technically wouldn't even need to use this, just mount the EFI partition on your SSD and delete the EFI files for those old distros, simple as that. Could be done in any OS.

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.

 

[Cubuss]

Bootleg hiren bootcd ,

 

[SomeGamer]

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.

Try booting into UEFI and removing the obsolete boot entries from there. They have nice GUIs and you don't even need to touch the command line that way.

 

[raxadian]

I have never used this because most of my machines are hella old, but I will give it a try.

 

[JavaScribe]

I've used this, pretty useful.