Create an Ubuntu Rescue Remix Bootable USB ▷ Flash Drive

How to Create a Ubuntu Rescue Remix Bootable USB flash drive from within Windows. The following tutorial covers one method of installing and running (URR) Ubuntu Rescue Remix to a USB drive using a Windows PC and the Universal USB Installer to do the Boot creation. Upon completion, the distribution can then be booted and run from your removable device.

Ubuntu Rescue Remix running from USB

Distribution Home Page: Archived Project Page
Persistent Feature: Yes

Ubuntu Rescue Remix is a lightweight, command line based version of Ubuntu tailored for data recovery and system rescue. Maintained by Andrew Zajac, it features a suite of open sourced tools, including TestDisk, PhotoRec, and ddrescue, for recovering data from damaged or corrupted storage, performing forensic analysis, and repairing filesystems.

Though it has been discontinued, it was ideal for IT professionals, system administrators, and forensic investigators needing robust command line tools for challenging recovery and repair tasks.

Key Features include:

Data Recovery: Tools like TestDisk and PhotoRec recover lost partitions and files.
Disk Imaging: ddrescue for creating disk images and cloning failing drives.
Filesystem Repair: Utilities such as e2fsck for repairing ext3/ext4 filesystems.
Network Support: Enables network based recovery and remote access.

Use Cases:

Recovering data from corrupted drives.
Conducting forensic analysis in a secure, read-only environment.
Repairing broken boot sectors and unbootable systems.

USB Boot Essentials:

Windows PC to perform conversion
Ubuntu Rescue Remix ISO
Fast USB flash drive
Universal USB Installer (does the conversion)

Install Ubuntu Rescue Remix to USB using UUI

Download and then launch the Universal USB Installer.
Select the Ubuntu Rescue Remix version you downloaded, and then follow the remaining onscreen instructions.
Once the script has finished, restart your PC and Access your BIOS or system Boot Menu to set your PC to boot from the USB device. Save your changes (F10) and then reboot, booting from the OS installed on the USB device.

If all went well, you should finally be booting from your ubuntu rescue remix on USB.

Create a Ubuntu Rescue Remix Bootable USB using DD

Here's how you can create a bootable USB for Ubuntu Rescue Remix using dd for Windows:

Download the URR ISO file.
Insert Your USB Drive: Plug in a USB drive with sufficient capacity to hold the ISO. Make sure to back up any important data, as this process will erase the drive.
Identify the USB Drive's Device Name
- Open a Command Prompt with administrative privileges (right-click and select "Run as administrator").
- Type the following command to start diskpart:
```
diskpart
```
- List the disks connected to your computer by typing:
```
list disk
```
- Note the disk number corresponding to your USB drive. Double check to ensure it's the correct drive using another method like File Explorer or Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc).
Unmount the USB Drive
- In the same Command Prompt, select the USB drive by typing:
```
select disk X
```
  Replace X with the disk number identified earlier.
- Clean the drive with:
```
clean
```
Download DD for Windows and change directory (cd) to where you have it saved.
Write the ISO to the USB Drive
- Use the following command to write the Ubuntu Rescue Remix ISO to your USB drive:
```
dd.exe if=path\to\ubuntu-rescue-remix.iso of=\\.\PhysicalDriveX bs=4M
```
  - Replace path\to\ubuntu-rescue-remix.iso with the actual path to the ISO file.
  - Replace X with the disk number of your USB drive.
  - The bs=4M sets the block size to 4MB, which you can adjust if necessary.
Wait for the Process to Complete: The dd command will take some time to write the ISO to the USB drive. Be patient and allow the process to finish.
Safely Eject the USB Drive: Once the writing process is complete, safely eject the USB drive from your Windows computer.

Booting from the USB

Insert the USB drive into the computer you want to boot from.
Access the BIOS/UEFI settings to configure the system to boot from USB and then save your changes (F10).
Reboot the system, and it should boot into Ubuntu Rescue Remix.

This process will give you a bootable USB drive with Ubuntu Rescue Remix, ready for data recovery and system rescue tasks.