I've found the UBCD -- Ultimate Boot CD to be quite useful.

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

It does come in handy, includes many of the necessary tools to determine HDD end of life etc.

It certainly isn't perfect, but I am amazed nobody has mentioned it yet in the discussion. Obviously real tools are on my bench, but when the poster specifically asked for software....this is the easiest and most broad spectrum solution.

mod parent up. rsnapshot is painless and elegant.

amen.

Exactly.

I am air force IT. We've been rolling out "SDC" or Standard Desktop Configuration for years now. Now there is SDC II -- The Vista SDC. We also have SSC -- Standard Server Configuration.
These really aren't much more than supported nLite windows load discs.
The SDC has:
-Most of the drivers we need including SATA, mobo drivers, network drivers, etc
-Obvious fixes to password complexity that pretty much anybody can hardwire after the fact, but ours is pre-set
-Altered admin account name, which again anybody can do after the fact but only ours is pre-loaded
-All the current patches, usually only 5-20 updates need to be applied after installation, and those are all controlled via domain controllers and login
-Biggest advantage really is application testing...if it works under SDC, then it works everywhere

All this, and our networks are still ridiculously porous. I have unix and linux experience. I am also Security+ certified, among many others. My home is network secure than the Air Force. And I don't need to spend millions of dollars doing it.

Bad parenting.
How many kids used to grow up emulating old western movies?
What about the Rocky movies?
Footloose?

Most of the time, decent parents stop the children before they act out gun fights, boxing matches, and tractor chicken.

Stop blaming your environment and start taking responsibility for yourselves!