Nu2 Productions
BartPE booted from a Live CD
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| Original author(s) | Bart Lagerweij |
|---|---|
| Stable release |
BartPE built from Windows XP SP2 or Server 2003
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| Development status | Discontinued |
| Platform | x86 |
| Type | Live CD |
| Website | www |
PE Builder 3.1.10a
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| Original author(s) | Bart Lagerweij |
|---|---|
| Stable release |
3.1.10a / 17 February 2006
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| Operating system | Microsoft Windows |
| Type | Live CD creator |
| Website | www |
BartPE (Bart's Preinstalled Environment) was a lightweight variant of the 32-bit version of Microsoft Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, similar to Windows Preinstallation Environment, which could be run from a Live CD or Live USB drive.
A BartPE system image is created using PE Builder, a freeware program created by Bart Lagerweij. It requires a legal copy of Windows XP or Windows Server 2003. Additional applications can be included in the image using plugins.
As it often resides on a Live CD or USB drive, BartPE allows a user to boot Windows, even if a hardware or software fault has disabled the installed operating system(s) on the internal hard drive – for instance, to recover files. It can also be used to scan for and remove rootkits, viruses and spyware (that have infected boot files), or to reset a lost administrator password.
PE Builder (also known as Bart PE Builder) is the software used to create the BartPE system images.
As with Windows Preinstallation Environment, BartPE operates by loading system registry files into RAM, and not writing any registry changes back to boot media. Thus, both operating systems require no hard drive or network access. This also allows them to be run from non-writable media such as a CD-ROM.
Since each instance of BartPE is a new installation, the BartPE "boot" disk needs original Windows setup files in order to operate. The Bart PE Builder application interprets and condenses files from a Windows setup CD to create the BartPE installation. It can build from a Windows XP Pro or Home Edition CD, or from a preinstalled Windows XP version (without a CD).
Additional applications can be included in the BartPE setup through the use of "plugins". A plugin contains setup information for a specific application, so that it can be included on the media and installed along with Windows at each BartPE boot. Currently there are a few hundred plugins available in addition to the dozen-odd that are included by default with BartPE. Since BartPE represents a totally independent operating environment, the most obvious application examples involve backup, restoration, diagnosis and error-correction of systems with malfunctioning primary storage drives. Plugin programs can nominally be added to the capacity of the BartPE media.
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