BootIt - Lexar USB Flip the Removable Media Bit Tool

BootIt is a tool offered by Lexar that enables a user to format a USB flash drive, set a volume label, set a (bootable) active partition and most importantly, "Flip the Removable Media Bit" (RMB) on the USB device to allow windows to see the USB device as a fixed disk, rather than removable media. Flipping the Removable Media Bit on a USB flashdrive will allow a user to setup, see and use multiple partitions on the USB flashdrive from Windows. This tool was developed for Lexar drives. However it has been successfully used various brands of USB flash drives.

Download: You can download BootIt HERE

Warning: This tool may not work properly on some sticks as it was made for Lexar based products. The only function we have tested on our flashdrives is the Flip the Removable Bit feature. Use at your own risk!

TestDisk, Data Recovery

TestDisk is a powerful free data recovery software! It was primarily designed to help recover lost partitions and/or make non-booting disks bootable again when these symptoms are caused by faulty software, certain types of viruses or human error (such as accidentally deleting a Partition Table). Partition table recovery using TestDisk is really easy.
TestDisk can:

• Fix partition table, recover deleted partition
• Recover FAT32 boot sector from its backup
• Rebuild FAT12/FAT16/FAT32 boot sector
• Fix FAT tables
• Rebuild NTFS boot sector
• Recover NTFS boot sector from its backup
• Fix MFT using MFT mirror
• Locate ext2/ext3 Backup SuperBlock

Link

Recuva

Recuva (pronounced "recover") is a freeware Windows utility to restore files that have been accidentally deleted from your computer. This includes files emptied from the Recycle bin as well as images and other files that have been deleted by user error from digital camera memory cards or MP3 players. It will even bring back files that have been deleted by bugs, crashes and viruses!- 22 language translations added.

Link

Unlocker 1.8.7

Unlocker is an explorer extension that allows you with a simple right-click of the mouse on a file or folder to get rid of error messages such as "error deleting file or folder" and "cannot delete folder: it is in use by another program or user".

Helps with error messages like:
• Cannot delete file: Access is denied
• There has been a sharing violation.
• The source or destination file may be in use.
• The file is in use by another program or user.
• Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use.

http://ccollomb.free.fr/unlocker/

Duplicate cleaner is a tool to assist anyone in cleaning up the contents of their personal hard drive or corporate network. You'd be surprised just how many redundant or duplicate files you could find forgotten in an obscure documents folder. Photos, music, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, videos - you name it, if it appears twice on your system then Duplicate Cleaner will find it.


Features

• Find Duplicate Files by content
• Cleaner hard drives means faster performance
• Fast Scanning and accurate duplicate comparison.
• Deep scans music - locate duplicate mp3,wma,flac,ape,ogg formats
• Flexible search parameters
• Intelligent Selection Assistant
• Search home or networked drives
• Search multiple locations
• Export / Import results in CSV format
• View Path,Size and Date of files
• Large, resizable list window
• Image preview window
• Delete duplicate files to the Recycle bin
• Move duplicate files to a new location
• Turn duplicate files into hard links (NTFS file systems only)
• Protection for Windows and system files
• Freeware

Link

No to All in file copy dialog

When you try to copy a group of files from one folder to another, Windows will bring up a handy little window if it notices files in the target directory with the same name as files from the source directory. You can manually choose which files to overwrite or leave be one by one. Or you can click "Yes to All" to effectively overwrite every file with a duplicate name in the target directory.

But what if you want to click "No to All?" There's no button for you, but that doesn't mean Windows won't let you skip all the duplicate files. All you have to do is hold down the Shift key and click No. Now Windows will skip all files with duplicate names and copy the rest of your files to the new directory, thus saving you a lot of time, heartache, and repetitive finger motions.

Partition Manager - GParted Live CD

Sure you’ve tried many partition managers else before, but I can’t resist myself by putting this up here. GParted is open source and is very very light. It can do copying, resizing, moving operations in around a dozen filesystems.

Free, Open-source Ghost

Free, Open-source Ghost (FOG) is a computer imaging suite that is designed to be a free alternative to Ghost or Zenworks. It can be used to image Windows XP and Vista PCs using PXE, DHCP, PartImage, and a Web GUI to tie it all together.

FOG is good for anyone running Windows XP and Vista with a single partition. Right now FOG can only handle a single partition on the hard disk. FOG is currently being used by many schools and small businesses who can’t afford the licensing of commercial products like Ghost.

FOG Hompage

Restore accidentally deleted files

From the makers of CCleaner. Recuva (pronounced "recover") is a freeware Windows utility to restore files that have been accidentally deleted from your computer. This includes files emptied from the Recycle bin as well as images and other files that have been deleted by user error from digital camera memory cards or MP3 players. It will even bring back files that have been deleted by bugs, crashes and viruses!

Disk encryption

Free open-source disk encryption software for Windows Vista/XP, Mac OS X, and Linux
TrueCrypt is a software application used for on-the-fly encryption (OTFE). It can create a "file-hosted container" or write a partition which consists of an encrypted volume with its own file system, contained within a regular file, which can then be mounted as if it were a real disk. TrueCrypt also supports device-hosted volumes, which can be created on either an individual partition or an entire disk.

Main Features:

* Creates a virtual encrypted disk within a file and mounts it as a real disk.
* Encrypts an entire partition or storage device such as USB flash drive or hard drive.
* Encrypts a partition or drive where Windows is installed (pre-boot authentication).
* Encryption is automatic, real-time (on-the-fly) and transparent.
* Provides two levels of plausible deniability, in case an adversary forces you to reveal the password:
1) Hidden volume (steganography – more information may be found here).
2) No TrueCrypt volume can be identified (volumes cannot be distinguished from random data).
* Encryption algorithms: AES-256, Serpent, and Twofish. Mode of operation: XTS.

http://www.truecrypt.org/

Disk imaging backup

Acronis True Image
Complete file and system disk imaging backup and restore software for home and home office users that can protect your entire system and family pictures, videos, music, and important documents stored on your home PC. For more information go here.

Hard disk partitioning

Partition Logic
Partition Logic is a free hard disk partitioning and data management tool. It can create, delete, format, defragment, resize, and move partitions and modify their attributes. It can copy entire hard disks from one to another.
Partition Logic is intended to become a free alternative to such commercial programs as Partition Magic, Drive Image, and Norton Ghost.
For more information and to download go here.

Data Destruction

Have you ever wanted to wipe your hard drive securely? A good example of a situation where you would want to do this would be selling your computer.
This is where Darik's Boot and Nuke can be used, for more information and go here.