All downloads are offered free of charge by the Redmond company

Nov 8, 2011 10:48 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft is offering a collection of documentation for Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) via a single page on the Microsoft Download Center.

The DaRT Documentation Resources Download Page went live earlier this week, and is offering guidance on the latest version of the technology, as well as on its predecessor.

The resources offered include guidance for administrators and for testers, as well as an overview of the technology. All downloads are available free of charge by the software giant.

“By providing tools that help you quickly troubleshoot and repair Windows-based desktops, Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT) can reduce the time, cost, and frustration associated with recovering computers that will not boot,” the Redmond company reveals.

“DaRT 7.0 includes new features to simplify deployment and troubleshoot systems remotely while limiting local access to the tools. [The Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset Overview] white paper gives an overview of DaRT—its benefits, its capabilities, and how to evaluate it.”

For those that don’t know, DaRT is an important part of the MDOP, or the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack.

Since it’s packed into MDOP, DaRT is only available to volume customers that ink Software Assurance agreements with the Redmond company.

MDOP also offers Microsoft Application Virtualization (App-V), Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V), Microsoft Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM), Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (MBAM) and Microsoft Assets Inventory Services (AIS).

As of version 7, DaRT evolved considerably, and introduces a number of new features designed to simplify the work of IT professionals managing resources across their IT environment.

“DaRT is a powerful set of tools that extend the Windows Recovery Environment (Windows RE). With DaRT, you can analyze an issue to determine its source, view the computer’s event log for more clues, disable a faulty device driver, and remove hotfixes even when you cannot start the installed Windows operating system,” Microsoft added.

“Additionally, DaRT includes tools that enable you to troubleshoot the installed Windows operating system when starting Windows would not be prudent.”