What can you do with a LiveCD?

| Aug 07, 2009 | Comments 3



Which one of these could not be done with a LiveCD distribution?

A) Diagnostics

B) Disk management

C) Gaming

D) BIOS upgrade


The answer: D) BIOS upgrade

LiveCDs are incredibly useful self-booting compilations that can do everything from gaming to computer diagnostics. However, BIOS upgrades are very hardware specific and require specialized software from a hardware manufacturer. It’s also a good idea for any BIOS upgrade to ensure that the code you’re using comes directly from the manufacturer and not from a third-party.

Want to know more? Watch “Software Tools.”

CompTIA A+ certified professionals need more than screwdrivers and multimeters to properly troubleshoot and maintain computing systems. To provide the best troubleshooting and preventive maintenance, they must also have the right software tools. In this module, we’ll discuss the primary categories of software tools and show you where to download some free software compilations that will make your job much easier.

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Filed Under: CompTIA A+ Pop Quizzes

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  • gypsyslap

    I have seen BIOS updates that run as an .exe in windows prior to reboot and flash. Could one not argue then that BIOS could be updated from a personalized CD with the appropriate BIOS updates? (I always get hung up on questions like this in these exams, in college I could argue the details with my professor and get my credit for them. Unfortunately, you are pretty much stuck on these automated exams when you hit one of these.)

    • http://www.ProfessorMesser.com Professor Messer

      gypsyslap – Although you could certainly burn a CD with a BIOS upgrade EXE on it, a LiveCD is a specialized bootable software distribution. There aren’t any BIOS-upgrade-specific LiveCD distributions, and even if there was it would be a bad idea to use it. You want to download all of your BIOS upgrade programs directly from the manufacturer to verify that the upgrade file hasn’t been changed by any 3rd party.

      • MiguelH

        Is there a possible way to make the BIOS upgrades onto a LiveCD so one can make one easy for themselves or others who aren’t familiar on upgrading the BIOS?