IBM Software Performs 'Blue Screen Of Death' Rescues

IBM on Wednesday demonstrated software designed to be stored on a personal device such as an MP3 player that could rescue and recover data from a damaged PC hard drive.

Billed as a "personal jumper cable" to defeat the dreaded "Blue Screen of Death" on PCs, the product instantly booted up a damaged ThinkPad notebook disk drive in the demo, held before several thousand IBM Business Partners at PartnerWorld 2005 in Las Vegas.

Dubbed IBM Rescue & Recovery On Linux, the software product can be implemented on various personal devices, ranging from an MP3 music player to a USB pen and even a cell phone as long as it has sufficient storage, said Steven Welch, an IBM Distinguished Engineer.

"What if I could show you a magic trick that could make the Blue Screen of Death disappear?" Welch said on stage with a ThinkPad that prominently displayed that condition. "Returning us to productivity is what makes this little device really rock," he said, holding up his personal Apple iPod with the software installed on it. The compact IBM Rescue & Recovery On Linux enabled him to instantly access e-mail, Lotus Notes and all the data on his hard drive.

The product could rebuild a hard drive in an hour or provide instant access to data, according to Welch. "One-touch IBM Rescue & Recovery On Linux all wrapped up in a portable media device under $300," he said. "Priceless. That is music to my ears."

The software also is being demonstrated in the "unannounced product " area at PartnerWorld. Welch said IBM is "looking at partnering with IBM Business Partners to deliver the technology sometime in the future."