Which Operating Systems and File Systems Do Rescatux and Super Grub2 Disk Support?

Super Grub2 Disk is a small live boot disk (about 20 MB) that helps you boot into an installed system when normal booting fails, and it lists explicit boot options for EFI, FreeBSD, FreeDOS, Linux, Mac OS X, MSDOS, Windows 98, Windows NT, and Windows Vista or newer. Rescatux is the larger companion tool (about 672 MB) that goes further: it repairs GRUB/GRUB2, checks and fixes filesystems, clears Windows passwords, changes GNU/Linux passwords, and regenerates the sudoers file. The two are complementary, not interchangeable — pick Super Grub2 Disk when you only need to get into a system, and Rescatux when you need to repair one.

Super Grub2 Disk: supported operating systems

The project lists operating-system-specific boot options for the following:

Two details matter in practice:

• GRUB legacy configs are still read. Super Grub2 Disk loads menu.lst files, so older GRUB Legacy installations remain bootable.
• Optional LVM / RAID support is available, which is what lets it see systems installed on logical volumes or software RAID arrays rather than plain partitions.

What changed in the 2.06s4 release

The current stable release, Super Grub2 Disk 2.06s4, is the version to check against if your system is unusual:

• BTRFS support added throughout — relevant if your root or /boot lives on a BTRFS subvolume.
• New boot targets: GNU/Hurd, ReactOS, and Linux from a /boot partition.
• Updated Debian and Ubuntu Secure Boot binaries, so booting works on recent or updated UEFI firmware.
• Many additional translations.

If you tried an older build and it failed to detect your BTRFS install or your newer UEFI machine, 2.06s4 is the specific fix to look for.

Rescatux: what it can repair

Rescatux is aimed at repair tasks across both Windows and GNU/Linux systems rather than at enumerating boot entries. Its documented capabilities are:

• Fix GRUB / GRUB2, including through a guided Restore Grub wizard
• Handle many UEFI boot options
• Check and fix filesystems
• Clear a Windows password
• Change a GNU/Linux password
• Regenerate the sudoers file

Because Rescatux works on filesystems and account databases rather than on boot menus, it is the tool to reach for when the system boots but is unusable, or when the bootloader needs rebuilding rather than merely bypassing.

Choosing between them

Use this as a decision rule rather than a ranking:

• The machine won't boot, but the installation is intact → Super Grub2 Disk. It gets you to the installed system so you can then run grub-install or update-grub from inside it.
• GRUB itself is broken and needs rebuilding → Rescatux, via the Restore Grub wizard.
• You're locked out of an account, or a filesystem is damaged → Rescatux.
• You want the smallest possible rescue medium → Super Grub2 Disk at roughly 20 MB versus Rescatux at roughly 672 MB.

A practical sequence many people use: boot with Super Grub2 Disk to confirm the installation is reachable, then use Rescatux to make the repair permanent.

Practical notes before you download

• Both are distributed as live images intended for a CD-ROM or USB drive; the site provides separate instructions for each medium, including a method for booting Super Grub2 Disk from the Windows Boot Manager in UEFI mode.
• Rescatux has a paid edition listed on the site alongside a free stable download. Check the download page for which edition you are getting rather than assuming either is unrestricted.
• For UEFI machines, confirm you are on 2.06s4 or later so the updated Secure Boot binaries are present.
• If your system uses LVM, RAID, or BTRFS, verify the specific support noted above applies to your layout before relying on either tool as your only recovery option.