Test and burn your BartPE disc

To prevent BartPE throwing up an error you need to copy a DLL file from one folder to another inside your i386 folder - open C:\I386\ASMS\52\msft\windows\net\dxmrtp and copy dxmrtp.dll to C:\i386.

   Now you need to download an additional file to make sure your customised disc is bootable. Click here, scroll down to Utils and click the Build Scripts link. Save BuildScripts-20050322.zip to your desktop.

   Once downloaded, open C:\PeBuilder3110a and rename the mkisofs file to mymkisofs. Now open the downloaded zip file followed by the BuildScripts folder you find inside, and copy its contents - two folders and six files - to the C:\PEBuilder3110a directory.

Burn and test your disc

If you want to test BartPE before burning a disc, consult the box below. Otherwise you're now ready to burn your disc. Launch PEBuilder and make sure Media Output is set to Burn to CD/DVD, and that AutoErase RW is ticked. Insert your blank disc, and then click Build. Sit back and your rescue disc should be compiled and burned within around 5-10 minutes.

   There's no point in creating a disc if it doesn't work, so you need to test it while your PC is still working. Restart your laptop with the CD-RW inserted and BartPE should start to load. Eventually you'll see a Windows XP loading screen appear - this is a side-effect of the fact that BartPE is based on your Windows installation files.

   After the desktop appears you'll see a screen informing you that Windows XPE is loading - this will take a minute or two, so be patient. Once complete, you'll see a familiar-looking desktop, with My Computer, My Network Places and Internet Explorer icons, plus a Start menu and taskbar at the top of the screen.

   If you're connected to the Internet via a wired network adapter then your connection should already be working - open Internet Explorer and enter a web address to check. If you're wireless then you need to click Start > Programs > Tools > Wireless Service. Once the service has loaded, click OK and double-click the wireless network icon in the taskbar. If necessary, double-click your wireless adapter from the list and the familiar-looking Wireless Configuration screen will appear, which works in the same way it does in Windows XP. You may have problems connecting to WPA-secured networks, but most hotels offer unsecured access for convenience, so it shouldn't be an issue on the road.

   If you want to test your dial-up modem, click Start > Programs > Network > Dialup Networking > Start Dialup Services. Once it's started, choose Connect (using rasphone) from the same Dialup Networking folder. You'll be told your phonebook is empty, so click OK, leave the default selection as it is ("Dial-up to private network") and click Next. Enter your ISP's phone number, click Next, type a suitably descriptive name and finally click Finish.

   Your entry will appear, so click Connect, enter your username and password and you should be able to log on to your ISP and browse the web. Disconnect by right-clicking the modem icon on the taskbar and choosing Disconnect. You'll need to follow this procedure each time you dial up, so make a note of your ISP's number and log-on details before you travel.