Get these system repair tools now, before you need them

My computer crash/panic problems are well documented here.  Sure sometimes it’s been my fault, sometimes not.  Regardless of the cause, there are tools out there to help you out.  Lifehacker’s list is great and believe me, I’m downloading most of the Windows tools (the ones that I don’t already have) asap:

Which one of these tools is right for you depends on your skill level, operating system and particular problem. Do yourself a favor and burn yourself a disc with a couple of these before the terrible day when you need ‘em happens.

Lifehacker’s Top 10 Free System Recovery Tools

Source: LH Top 10: Free Computer System Recovery Tools – Lifehacker

Word of warning, some of these tools are not for the faint of heart or faint of computer skill.  Really.  When you’re messing with stuff like partition maps and master boot records, a little knowledge is a really dangerous thing.  Yes you can, without too much trouble, seriously wreck your machine and make things worse.  On the other hand, if you’ve got the skillz these are just the sets of tools you need.

Whenever I pull out these tools I feel like the agent or investigator unrolling the set of lock picks, etc.  I also imagine the person behind me saying, I didn’t know you knew how to do that… Yeah well just ’cause I don’t use the Dark Side of the Force doesn’t mean I don’t know about it.

Which hat do I wear?  Grey.  Okay, it’s mostly white, but there have been times …