repair - What are the essential tools you always have handy when attempting to fix someone's PC?

Specifically, I'm interested in knowing what tools you keep loaded on your thumb drive when asked to deal with a family member or friend's personal computer issue? Off the top of my head, I can think of things like:

• AVG


• Advanced WindowsCare


• SpyBot


• etc.

...but this question is not necessarily limited to virus/malware/spyware issues.

Answer

So, here is my list:

Note: feel free to add your tools to my list. If it's an alternative, please don't replace mine, add a sub-list started by "alt:" and say why do you prefer this one.

Boot-cd/usb key

• Ubcd4win create a (custom) live cd that contains software used for repairing, restoring, or diagnosing almost any computer problem.
  
  
  
  
  
  • alt: Microsoft Emergency Repair Disk: a system rescue disk PE environment with advanced recovery tools like resetting passwords, hard drive repair, offline registry editing, file explorer, command prompt, etc. Only available to Software Assurance and MSDN subscribers, as part of the Desktop Optimization Pack. If you're a student, may be available to you through MSDNAA.
  
  


• Offline NT Password & Registry Editor reset windows password
  
  
  
  
  • alt: Ophcrack (sort-of) brute-force windows password (if they are EFS encrypted files)
  
  


• CloneZilla disk imaging backup


• GParted partition editor



• Stresslinux minimal linux with tools to monitoring hardware health: stress, cpuburn, hddtemp, lm_sensors, memtest86+, ...
  
  
  
  
  • alt: Memtest86+ RAM tester (don't need command line)
  
  


• Hard Drive Manufacturers diagnostic tools: fujitsu / hitachi / samsung / western digital / seagate (maxtor)


• Spinrite low level hard disk recovery (89$)
  
  

Kits

• Sysinternals suite (1=included in this suite) a great set of tools by Sysinternals (so great that MS bought them)


• NirLauncher (2=included in this suite) another great set of tools by NirSoft integrated in a launcher (that could be used easily with sysinternals suite too)


• GnuWin32 port of the most important GNU utilities to Windows (command-line)

Remote control

• Teamviewer all-in-one solution for remote access and support over the Internet. Easy (don't have to open ports on firewall/router), secure, and full featured.
  
  
  
  
  • alt: UltraVNC: less convenient but open source and free even in a professional environment
  
  

Anti-malware

• Avira (use rescue disk or the one included in ubcd4win) and/or Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool
  
  


• Microsoft Security Essentials or Avira (a little bit better but contains nag screen) -to install
  
  


• System Explorer lists processes, startups, services, drivers... Check them with it's own database, VirusTotal or Jotti services. Snapshots before/after for registry/disk changes


• RootkitRevealer(1) anti-rootkit
  
  
  
  
  
  • alt: Gmer more powerfull (but harder to use) anti-rootkit
  
  


• Virus Effect Remover Repair/Fix damaged items like TaskManager, RegEditor, Folder Options, Windows AutoUpdate.

Startup Tools

• Autoruns(1) the most comprehensive knowledge of auto-starting locations of any startup monitor
  
  
  
  
  • alt: RunAlyzer edit an external registry hive (used easily from a boot cd)
  
  

Process Tools

• Process Explorer(1) detailed process, handles & dll informations


• Process Monitor(1) real-time file system, registry and process/thread activity


• Svchost analyzer lists all svchost instances and checks the services they contain

Registry Tools

Backup Tools

File Tools

• Everything quick searching
  
  


• Recuva recover delete files



• RichCopy advanced copy tool
  
  


• FileASSASSIN advanced delete (remove handle or delete at reboot)
  
  
  
  
  • alt: Delete Doctor delete with short DOS name or UNC name
  
  
  • alt: DelinvFiles same as delete doctor, but can scan the drive for invalid file names and from my experience it was successful where delete doctor wasn't. But it's a shareware: 26.95$
  
  


• WinDirStat: graphical view of hardrive space usage
  
  
  


• WinMerge folders/files comparison


• Hashcalc md5,sha,crc32 checksum


• TrIDnet file identifier

Disk Tools

Hardware Tools

Drivers Tools

Cleaning Tools

• RevoUninstaller uninstaller that help to remove leftovers (without the need of monitoring install)


• CCleaner remove unused and temporary files


• PC Decrapifier remove or uninstall a specific list of unwanted software


• JavaRa removes old and redundant versions of the Java Runtime Environment

Network Tools

• NetWorx bandwidth meter
  
  
  
  
  • alt: NetMeter the live graph looks better but is a little less featured and have some instabilities on w7
  
  


• NetResView(2) lists all network resources (computers, disk shares, and printer shares) on your LAN


• CurrPorts(2) lists all currently opened TCP/IP and UDP ports and the processes that opened them


• AS3 Personal Firewall portable firewall


• eToolz gui for NS-Lookup, Ping, TraceRoute and Whois



• Performance Pinging graph ping


• Wireshark network protocol analyzer


• Secunia PSI vulnerability scanning


• SG TCP Optimizer (XP) (re)set & optimize tcp parameters

Misc

And some other essential tools, but not directly related, like notepad++, autohotkey, firefox (and its bookmarks)...

Most of these tools are portable and free (at least for personal use) and yes it's only the essentials one ;)

And if you want more security related software: Gizmo's Best Free Security List (by Antti Koponen)