Boot.kernel.org(BKO) Good OS - gOS and Cloud operating systems. Ultimate Boot CD - Overview. LH Top 10: Free Computer System Recovery Tools - Lifehacker. I've done a lot of data recovery (and then I learned that backups are worth their weight in gold).
My one relevant comment then my experiences. Gparted recently started coming with Clonezilla ([gparted.sourceforge.net]), so it can not just mess with partitioning, but also clone disks and make images, kind of like an Acronis live CD.