Computer won't boot? - Make a Bootable USB Key!

So it's been months since you did a backup and now for whatever reason your laptop won't boot. To make matters worse, you don't have an emergency CD!  How often have you heard that story?

Well, Edward Mendelson from PC Magazine has a solution on how to "Make a Bootable USB Key" that just might be the lifesaver you need.  From Ed's point of view, you have two choices:  Kiss your data goodbye—or just whip out the bootable USB key (or thumb drive) you prepared in advance.

This is a pretty slick means of protection that I think everyone should have.  In part, Ed said:

The key will boot into a free Windows-based system called BartPE (that's Bart's Preinstalled Environment), devised by Bart Lagerweij, from which you can copy files on your hard drive to the key or, in some cases, send them over a network to another machine.

Check put this nifty solution here at PC Magazine on how to Make a Bootable USB Key