BartPE is like a live distrobution of Windows XP. It's based off of Windows PE (Preinstallation Enviroment), which was originally created to help computer manufacturers quickly and easily install software to finished machines.

BartPE is a like that, only it has its own little GUI and start menu that its creator wrote.

BartPE is awesome for spyware and virus removal from a 'clean' system. All you have to do is boot up, install your chosen software to the hard disk, and scan. It is an IT Professionals dream for those pesky virii and spyware that their customers or employers are faced with.

PE Builder is the software that creates BartPE. It copies its required files from your Windows XP/2003/2000 installation CDs to create its ISO. You can opt to add a directory to the CD with any utilities or software that you wish to install, which makes it very versitile. It can even write to CD instead of you having to use 3rd party software to do it.

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/ is the official BartPE webpage.

It definatley sounds interesting; like a Linux Live CD only Windows XP/2000/2003... I guess it would be kinda fun to deal with the 2003 but you say it comes with it's own GUI; so I take it that you don't actually deal with M$ Windows?

Correct. Normally, Windows PE would not have a GUI, you would just be faced with a command line. So, you're really dealing with Windows, but not the Windows GUI.

How does it deal with programs? say i wanted Symantic PC Anywhere & Corporate virus scan on it?

I will do you one better lol Download and burn these.

http://ultimatebootcd.com/
http://www.ubcd4win.com/


The second one is built with BartPE lol I have been using it for about a year now. It has a nice password rest feature for NTFS systems.

http://www.ubcd4win.com/

involves slip steaming and may be difficult for some to set up. However it is a full GUI boot enviroment with a very nice toolset.


http://ultimatebootcd.com/

Text based for any OS. It is the [censored]

I want to get something that I can use my own toolset that has a GUI so I can take and walk my dolt of a mother through how to do something (such as have it have a virus scanner boot with the gui and be able to scan the hd should it need to be done)...

other nessessities would be:
scandisk
defrag
format
a firewall (Zone Alarm for example)

With the links I provided you can. You can download the ISO image or build your own. Look through the sites. Do it when you have some time. Lots to read. The slip streaming was I will admit a bit of a pain.

http://www.ubcd4win.com/

This is the one you want.

Slipstreaming is easy, i had to do with with SP1 and SP2 to my original WinXP disk (now a shiny CDR)