crap I already lost 2 long posts!  Lucky you - short and sweet version now :)

I need to run ghost (corp 7.5) on a laptop with XP-NTFS (also 2.5gb fat32 partition) to get files off a hosed laptop that won't boot win98.    I need to connect thru LPT and grab the image - place it on the Fat32 partition to extract the needed files through Ghost Explorer, so I can refomat the other computer.

I've tried in the past to creat a bootable CD, but I end up making alot of coasters.  Been to Barts CD FAQ and 911cd.net (looks promising for what I want to do) but I'm just totally confused about what files I need beyond the one that Norton Book Disk Wizard creates (lpt-usb-cdrw support)

Am I missing something in the autoexec.bat and config.sys files?  I did get one to boot months ago using winimage and EZ CD to make the disk bootable.  Norton loads (after many errors including missing command.com when it's there) and then locks up.

I have Nero on this laptop (where I'll create the bootable CD) but I just need to know what files to add to the CD.

Sure wish Symantec would offer downloadable iso's of bootable CD's from their site!  With more and more new computers not having FDD's, it's a real problem.  If anyone can create an idiots gui to create bootable CD's they will make a fortune!!

TIA for any ideas or clues to what I'm missing.  Nothing more frustrating that spending hours creating coasters, only to have them boot to a little heart and sit there at a __ prompt :)

thx again.

have u verified that ur burner is sppt'ed by ghost?

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ghost.nsf/docid/2001102516563825

have u tried sid's guide?

http://www.ping.be/satcp/ghostresq01.htm

u might find some of these files helpful:

http://www.bootdisk.com/

particularly the files winme.

i have a floppy, so i have no experience with this, but i've never heard of anyone having problems with it.

perhaps symantec can help you:

http://servicenews.symantec.com/cgi-bin/browse.cgi?group=symantec.support.network.ghost2003.general

Yes my old and new burners are supported.  It shouldn't make a difference for the bootable CD though, because I don't even plan to burn a .gho image to the CD.  I just want the CD to BOOT norton for an LPT connection.  I only want to make sure the CD is compatible with 98 with common hardware.

Sids guide is the best I have seen so far for editing the config.sys file correctly.  Norton's standard one left much to be desired.  

device=aspi2dos.sys
device=aspi8dos.sys
device=aspi4dos.sys
device=aspi8u2.sys




I assume if I leave out the norton.bat it should create what I want.  I don't want to restore an image, although I could add it b/c I may want to at a later time.

Bootdisk.com is where I found out about Emergency Boot CD http://www.ebcd.i-am.ru/. (under their beta iso section) It automates the process like 911cd.net, but I'm still not sure how to customize it for Norton.  911cd has a 911 Utilities folder where you can add Norton by adding norton.exe, ghost.env, and ghost.ini to their Ghost folder.  Only problem is I don't have a ghost.ini on my hard drive.  I think that's where my confusion is coming from.  Everyone has a "method" but there is no sure fire method that fits all.

Thanks for the links.  I'll give Sids method a try.  As I said I will be booting the CD on a computer without Ghost on the HD, so I just wanted to be sure what files I needed.  Also overwriting the autoexec.bat with another one (sids or ms-dos's) is confusing. Should I just call the the autoexec.bat that Norton's Boot Wizard creates, norton.bat and add the lines:

@echo off
LPT\PARALINK.COM /i
MOUSE.COM
CD GHOST
echo Loading...
GHOST.EXE

leaving the boot disk's autoexec.bat in place?  

thanks again.

like i said, i have no experience with creating bootable cd's .. and i'm relectant to dispense advice on things for which i have no experience .. but several readers have contributed their suggestions for creating a batch file. perhaps u might find them helpful. see here (scroll down to 2nd half of page):

http://ghost.radified.com/ghost_4.htm

Thanks for your input.  I was hoping someone with similar trouble would know what to do, but I do appreciate your taking the time.  

The Radified batch file is beyond the scope of what I want to do, but it is useful information for a later time.  I searched  your Symantec message forum link and found several with the same problem.  Symantec, unfortunately was of little help.  One tech even suggested not using Norton.  Others suggested adding functionality to create a bootable CD as a boot disk option.  Gawd I hope they jump on that idea!

In my search of their KB I did find information that I think will solve my problem. "How to create an MS DOS system disk for Ghost".   Why Norton's boot disk wizard doesn't create these files is a total mystery to me!! They list what files are needed >>  

EDIT: RAD note: I removed the long-@ss link cuz it was screwing up the forum display in some browsers. I re-posted the link at the very bottom of this page:
http://ghost.radified.com/ghost_network.htm

"Keep or remove the SCSI drivers
Ghost Boot Wizard automatically copies SCSI drivers to the bootable floppy disk. (DIDN'T ON MINE!)

   * If you have SCSI devices or use a CD-ROM boot disc, then do not delete the following files. SCSI devices and CD-ROM boot discs require one or more of these files.
   * If you do not have SCSI devices or will not have a CD-ROM boot disc, then delete the following files.


ASPI2DOS.SYS
ASPI4DOS.SYS
ASPI8DOS.SYS
ASPI8U2.SYS
ASPICD.SYS
BTCDROM.SYS
BTDOSM.SYS
OAKCDROM.SYS
FLASHPT.SYS

Verify remaining files
After you delete the previous files, the floppy disk still includes the following files. These files are required for starting the computer into a DOS environment and connecting to various devices.
COMMAND.COM
MSDOS.SYS
IO.SYS
AUTOEXEC.BAT
CONFIG.SYS

Verify Ghost files
Verify that Ghost copied the files that are appropriate for your version of Ghost to the bootable floppy disk. If the files are not on the floppy disk, copy the files from the hard disk to the Ghost bootable floppy disk.

   * Symantec Ghost 7.0 and Symantec Ghost 7.5
     Ghost.exe
     Ghost.env
     Wattcp.cfg  <<<<<Didn't create it on mine
   * Norton Ghost 2002, Norton Ghost 2001 and Ghost in Norton SystemWorks version 5.x
     Ghostpe.exe
     Ghost.env
     Wattcp.cfg


NOTE:
Not all situations require the files Ghost.env and Wattcp.cfg:

   * The consumer Ghost versions require Wattcp.cfg only when cloning over a TCP/IP peer-to-peer connection.
   * The corporate Ghost versions require Wattcp.cfg in the same circumstances as the consumer versions, plus in some instances when using Ghost Multicast Server, GhostCast Server, and Ghost Console.
   * The consumer Ghost versions require Ghost.env only when copying Ghostpe.exe directly from the Ghost CD (instead of from the hard disk to which Ghost was installed).
   * The corporate Ghost versions require Ghost.env in the same circumstances as the consumer versions and in some instances that involve customizing Ghost or licensing Ghost. For customization information, see the document How to customize Ghost for individual users.



Edit the file Config.sys
To edit the file Config.sys that is on the bootable floppy disk, open the file with any text editor, such as Notepad.

   * If you have SCSI devices or you will use a CD-ROM boot disc, verify that Config.sys contains the following lines.
   * If you do not have SCSI devices or will not have a CD-ROM boot disc, then delete the following lines.

device=oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
device=btdosm.sys
device=flashpt.sys
device=btcdrom.sys /D:mscd001
device=aspi2dos.sys
device=aspi8dos.sys
device=aspi4dos.sys
device=aspi8u2.sys
device=aspicd.sys /D:mscd001

Edit the file Autoexec.bat
If you want Ghost to start automatically when starting from the bootable floppy disk, add the following line to the end of the file Autoexec.bat that is on the bootable floppy disk:

ghostpe.exe

If you are using Symantec Ghost 6.x or later, rather than Norton Ghost 2001 or later, use the line Ghostpe.exe rather than Ghost.exe.


Hopefully this will solve my problem and help someone else.  It sounds like a step in the right direction anway :)  It's unfortunate I had to sift thru their entire site to find what their techs should know off the top of their heads.

If/when you find success, I'll gladly update the Ghost guide with your solution .. if you think it would help others. Perhaps you'd write up a synopsis of the goal, the problem & the solution.

message too long errors.  grr. will try this in multiple messages :)

sure no problem.  The easiest way is to use Sids bootdisk.exe

http://www.ping.be/satcp/ghostresq01.htm

I had errors with it when trying to copy to floppy (tried several) so I don't know if it's a corrupt DL or my drive.  Anyway,  create the disk.

2) create a Ghost boot disk of your choice from the bootdisk wizard. then -

3) open the autoexec.bat from the Ghost boot disk that you created and rename it 'ghost.bat'. Make sure any drivers on the Ghost Boot Disk  are also on Sid's bootdisk that you created.   If Sid's disk also has the same drivers great, if not, add them to the disk.

4) open the config.sys file on Ghost's Boot Disk and compare all the "device=" lines to the config.sys file that Sid's disk has under [GHOST].  If they match, great, if not add them to Sid's config.sys.

The image that you write to the CD will have to be good to go with your customization, so get it customized before you burn = reboot your pc with your modified Sids disk - choose Boot with CD Rom Support  and make sure all the drivers load, that you can read C: drive and any other partitions or CDrom drives that you have. If it boots fine it's useable.

Unfortunately, because Norton will not fit on Sids disk, you'll have to do a test burn to test it with Norton.   If you renamed Ghosts boot disk's autoexec.bat to 'ghost.bat' as described above, and placed the drivers and folders from the Ghost Boot Disk to Sids, it should burn fine.

5) open the CD writing program of your choice.  

EZCD - file/new/bootable CD - 1.44MB - from floppy- next
Nero (see Sids pictorial)

After floppy boot files (bin) have been copied - copy whatever directories are on the Norton Boot Floppy to the CD, along with your ghost.bat.  For my version (Enterprise 7.5) I also copied ghost.env.  If you are using TCP/IP connection with Ghost, also copy  Wattcp.cfg.  Verify all the files and folders are how you want them and and burn.  

*** use a CDRW and finalize session for testing.  You can always erase it.***

Problems to watch out for:


The disk I want to create from Norton Ghost's boot wizard is USB/LPT support.  Unfortunately, the config.sys that it creates adds the line device=usb\uchi.exe which Sid's config.sys doesn't interpret correctly if you put it under the [GHOST] section. It can't find it, because it is expecting in on the boot image (the floppy) even though the directory IS on the CD in the USB directory.  It wants it on the floppy.  I know little about config.sys and autoexec.bat files so I don't know how to correct it.  Maybe Sid would be able to tell you how to tweak the config.sys, autoexec.bat, or ghost.bat file to allow a path beyond root on the device= line.


The USB folder won't fit on the floppy.  I suppose you could emmulate a 2.88 floppy with a program like WinImage and add the USB folder to it that way, but I didn't have much luck getting a CD to boot from the image file.  More tweaking there.


My Ghost boot disk also has a folder called LPT which isn't referenced in Sid's config.sys under [Ghost].  It's referenced in the ghost.bat file you created so the bootable CD pulls it up fine and loads paralink.com for parallel support in Ghost.

final part >

In theory, all the above should work for whatever boot disk Ghost's Boot Disk wizard creates.  Right now I'm having a bitch of a time getting my cordless USB mouse to not lockup with Ghost in DOS.  I had to remove mouse.com from my ghost.bat file AND references to the USB directory entirely on the boot disk.  I'm still having a bit of trouble with Sid's mouse.com loading and screwing with my USB mouse.  The mouse works, but after a few clicks Norton locks up and I have to reboot.  I'll have to find out what the keyboard key is to drop down the drive box :)

Anyway, it's totally doable and with some tweaking it will make Norton usable for ppl with no floppy drives.  Tweaking the USB problem may be a bit harder to do.  Alot of ppl have USB keyboard and no PS/2 ports at all.  Depending on BIOS options available, Norton could not work at all for ppl with USB keyboards.  I've tried enabling and disabling legacy USB in Bios with little change in Norton locking up with mouse.com loading.  I know that USB in BIOS is funky from past experience.  ie: I have to disable  legacy USB if I want to use my PS/2 keyboard AND my wireless USB mouse when I get to windows.  One or the other, but not both!  What a pita that was to figure out :)

I found one suggestion of adding 'hidusb.sys' (find/files and folders) to the bootdisk and loading it at the A: prompt.  I had no luck with that, and when added as a device= line to Sid's config.sys, the boot process locks up.

Like I said, talk to Sid.  He has a great config.sys and auto.exec bat configuration on his bootdisk.  You could add your own menuitems for other DOS tools and create bat files for them to load the same way [GHOST] and ghost.bat work together.  That would be pretty cool.  I'm not sure, but I assume you would just add your toolsfilename.bat to Sid's autoexec.bat under ghost.bat.  ??  Like I said, Sid would know.  That would be very cool.  Wish I knew more about batch and config files.

Hope this all made some sense.  It's not meant as a tutorial by any means, but it will work to create a bootable CD to run Ghost, and the tweaking possibilities for a multi-boot Norton Ghost Boot Disk CD would be awesome =

1) boot to Ghost with USB Boot Disk.
2) boot to Ghost with Network Boot Disk.
3) boot to Ghost with TCP/IP Network Book Disk.

yowza!!  oh man if anyone knows how to do that I'd love to hear it.  It can't be that hard for someone that understands autoexec.bat files.  Would definitely need a way to make a bigger boot floppy image to support the additional drivers, unless there is a way to add a device=/path/tothesysfile.sys that would work.  Then the limitations of the boot floppy size would not be a problem.  Could even do a DY own cab file like ebd.cab (?) that extracts the drivers like a windows setup disk.  Endless possibilities for someone that knows how to do that stuff.

okay,

i'm preparing to update the guide to reference your input.

can you explain why the ghost utility that allows you to write images to CD doesn't work for you?

this utility is supposed to create a bootable CD, no?

at least, that's what i understood. am i wrong?

or how does your problem differ from the norm?

is it b-cuz ur using the corp version? i have no experience with that.

can u post what ur final edited files look like? that might help someone, no? or are they too system-specific dependant?

Hello everyone. Im new at this place and ive been searching for about 2 weeks to solve my problem....i recently got norton ghost 2003  and for some reason...when i choose Backup and i go through the process, at 5% it says Error 12020. Sometimes it says a different number...but this has wasted 15 cds and i already tried doing it from the boot disk but it still wont work...after it fails it makes a file in C:\  called "Virtual partition.DAT"....am i supposed to keep that inside or delete it? i havn't tried doing a back up with it in there. I have checked the the website for supported cd-rws but im not shure what brand it is i just know its a CD-RW 24x10x40 ATAPI and i had bought it about 1 year ago...so if anyone knows any ways i can try to fix this problem it would help me and my cds a lot ::) ..........sorry if i posted in the wronge section but i was lost

I'm not sure what you mean by the Ghost Utility to write images to CD?  If you mean create a bootdisk for CDRW, I can make one of those on a floppy, but I'd have to boot off the floppy and write an image to a CD to get Norton to write a bootable CD.  I didn't see any utility that would create a bootable CD without writing an image at the same time.

I don't want to write an image to the CD - I just need Norton on the CD so I can boot into Norton without a floppy drive.  Because a no floppy user would have the boot disk in CD form, they would be limited to not being able to write to that disk if that was their CD-RW drive.  Like laptops now that are DVD/CDRW drives.  No floppy drives are a real problem!!  I suppose you could copy norton to the drive in DOS and run it from there to free up your CDRW drive, but if you are working with a hosed drive and just want to image it, I wouldn't want to write anything to the drive.

If you know Sid, maybe you could contact him for a good tutorial on creating bootable CD's for ppl in this situation.  I just don't have enough knowledge on batch files.  I got the CD to boot Norton fine with the above ghost.bat trick, but I got side tracked on my USB wireless mouse issue :)  

I can't fully get the kinks out, because I don't have a ps/2 mouse on my desktop and I don't have a ps/2 port on my laptop.  I am totally limited to USB on my laptop.  I'll hook up my old ps/2 mouse on my desktop this weekend and see how it boots with mouse.com loading... then I'll know it's a clean bootable CD to share so ppl won't have to go through errors like I've been.  Pulling your hair out is no fun :)

I can see quite a few issues arising with newer computers.  I did read the tech forums at symantec, and they're aware of the issues, but no fixes in the near future.  Dos is just so limited.

I don't know about 2003.  I read where ppl thought it would run in windows entirely  and found they'd have to boot to dos to restore the image, only like me they have no floppy drive.  Norton offered them a refund, which tells me they have no plans to resolve the issue anytime soon.

When I get time this weekend, I'll try to get a clean bootable CD and give you the list of files, and config and bat text.  Then you can burn one and see how it runs.

Jacklz - sorry I don't know what that error is.  If you don't know what your drive model is, go here:

http://www.aida32.hu/aida32-shots.php?type=l

download Aida32 (it's free)  - run it and it will tell you what make/model and specs are on your CDRW drive.  And a whole lot more!  The program is great!  

jacklz, I did find this at symantec on error 12020 >

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ghost.nsf/docid/2000103010201025

If you still can't get it to work, can you write the image to your hard drive instead of the CD and put the image on the CD later?  Like with Sid's tutorial here:

http://www.ping.be/satcp/ghostresq01.htm

Okay, my bad. I thot there was a button that asked: "Do you want to make this CD bootable". But I guess not. I must have confused this with Nero, or some other program.

I actually fired up Ghost 2003, then v2002, and even 2001, but could not find that feature I thot Ghost offered.

So, to be extra clear, Ghost does not offer the feature of making a CD bootable .. right?

Now it all makes sense.

I'm almost positive that Nero offers the option to make a CD bootable. Have u tried that?

Nevermind, I just checked, and I can't find that option in Nero either. Feel like I'm losing my mind. Seems like it's more difficult to make a bootable CD than I thought.

Okay, I did a little more research. This link here:

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ghost.nsf/docid/2000030611414425

says:

"Choose Yes when Ghost asks whether to make the disk bootable."

Have you seen this question posed to you?

If you don't have a floppy, can't you simply navigate to a directory somewhere on your hard drive?

I can't seem to locate that option/question, tho.

You say, "I didn't see any utility that would create a bootable CD without writing an image at the same time. "

What is wrong with writing the image to CD?

As an obvious point, you know u can buy a cheap floppy for your laptop, right? I mean, most manufacturers offer the option.

I have a friend who just got a Dell 8200, and she ordered one. It was only like $30 I think.

by the way, i changed the default max post length from 5500 characters to 9999. Were you trying to post more than 5500 characters?

Thanks for the symantec link.  It looks like a slimmed down version of Sid's way to restore an image.  It goes along with the previous link "how to create an MS DOS system disk for Dos" to boot norton.  The config.sys file loads the appropriate drivers and the autoexec.bat along with ghost.bat to load norton to your chosen use (restore or create image).  

The thing about Method 1, the usual way to write an image to a cdrw is:

Choose Yes when Ghost asks whether to make the disk bootable. If prompted, insert a floppy disk that has the appropriate CD-R/RW drivers

that's the  way you must have meant to create a bootable CD through norton.

Method 2:

With this method, you use Ghost to create the image file and save it to a temporary location such as a partition on the hard disk.

Method 2 is Sid's way to restore the image, but the key problem is "use ghost to create the image file".  That is not the problem.  Booting to Ghost to create the image is the problem.  Need a bootable CD with norton on it to create the image.

So it's back to Sid's modified way to create the bootable CD to boot Norton.  I don't see how it would be possible to burn the image to CDRW from Norton, unless you had 2 CD drives.  One to boot and load norton and a CDRW to burn the image to CDRW  through Norton.

An external floppy drive for laptop is an option.  But say, you want to burn the image to an external USB drive?  It would take experimenting to see if Norton would recognize the USB floppy and the usb external drive.  I found Norton very clunky with USB in dos.

Say you want to boot Norton from a USB floppy drive and connect to the computer you want to get the image off  of, though a direct parallel connection?  I found the USB/LPT Norton Boot disk very troublesome in DOS if you have a USB mouse.  It would lockup if you loaded the USB drivers ochi.exe and uchi.exe.  No mouse is not really a problem, but what about a USB keyboard?  Some ppl have no option but USB.

I know it sounds like I'm making it more complicated than it is, and maybe I am.  Maybe the solution to avoiding the USB/LPT boot disk problem is eliminating mouse.com from loading.  The boot disk that Norton creates for LPT/USB has a mouse.com in the 2nd line of the autoexec.bat file it creates (or ghost.bat when you rename it to boot off CD)

If you search symantec for usb peripherals or no floppy drive, you'll find there are alot of problems to be worked out.  I'm going to do some more experimenting this weekend to cure the USB glitches and see if I can come up with something.  

It would be easier to ditch ghost and go with another utility to backup a hosed OS with a peer to peer connection, but to preserve LFN's I've found Norton to be the best option.  There are other utilities like FileVan to connect via parallel, but if 1 of the computers is running in DOS (the hosed one) it will not preserve LFN's in the transfer.  That would be fine for a few files, but if you needed to copy the whole drive with crucial files it would be worthless if all the files where renamed "taxfilep~. :)

I'll keep plugging away at possible solutions.  The USB problem was unexpected.  If not for that problem on the bootable CD, it would be a piece of cake.  No usb keyboard, mouse, or external drive and the bootable CD or usb floppy drive should work.

Haven't read the whole thing yet, but a couple of things came to mind:

1. I can't find the part where Ghost asks "Do you want to make this CD bootable."

2. Re: "Method 2 is Sid's way to restore the image, but the key problem is "use ghost to create the image file".  That is not the problem.  Booting to Ghost to create the image is the problem.  Need a bootable CD with norton on it to create the image"

Ghost 2003 allows to configure your image creation from Windows. After setting everything up the way you want, it will automatically reboot into DOS and write the image for you, and then return to Windows when it'd done.

Does the corp version not do this? Do you have to do it the old way (by booting manually into DOS? That's how you used to have to do it b4 Ghost 2003 came along .. which makes things much easier.

ohh man...i just made a huge post but forgot to put my email and it lost it....oh well...ill make it shorter ....I do have a floppy drive and i had tried doing the back up by booting from the floppy and straight from windows...at 5% when i am burning an image to the cd it gets an error for some reason. this wont let me down because i just went through the sites and just found out that you can burn a duplicate to another harddrive and just use it as a back up...i think this will be even better because i have a 20 gig harddrive that was going to  take out for a 120 gig. but not anymore...im going to try to make it as a back up drive if i can compress it the highest  ;D thanks for the help guys

Okay, did some research. Haven't burned a Ghost image to CD in so long I forgot how.

Since I have a SCSI burner (plextor 8X), I need to boot with a floppy that sppts my SCSI optical drives in DOS. This is weird, cuz I have no problem using Ghost with my SCSI hard drives. It's only the optical drives that require a special SCSI boot disk.

Of cource I know squat about how to make these, But I have freinds. I posted these files here:

http://radified.com/Files/ (bottom right)

This allows me to burn my image directly to CD, and gives me the option/question: "

"Do you want to make this CD bootable?"

I simply leave in the same SCSI boot floppy that Stan made for me. I haven't tried restoring the image, but I'm confident it would work.

Took me 4 CDs on 'high' compression. Kinda slow at only 8X.

Ghost 2003 no longer sppts my old-ass burner, so I had to use Ghost 2002.

So now I see your dilemma if you don't have a floppy? The reason you can't use Ghost to create a bootable CD is cuz you don't have a floppy. Am I correct? Am I seeing the light?

Re: "I don't see how it would be possible to burn the image to CDRW from Norton, unless you had 2 CD drives.  One to boot and load norton and a CDRW to burn the image to CDRW  through Norton."

I'm sure you could use the same drive: boot to DOS with bootable CD, then yank out the bootable CD and replace it with a blank one. Have ghost.exe stored somewhere on you hard drive [I store mine in directories named "Ghost2k1" and "Ghost2k2" and Ghost2k3"].

The execute Ghost from the hard drive [in DOS].

Do u know how to navigate around is DOS? I address this in the guide.

lol Dan - I have lost SO many posts here I'm paranoid :)  I select all/copy and paste it to notepad half way thru.  BTW RAadmin.  Thx for increasing the characters allowed.  I don't know how many that looong post was, but it was alot.

I'll have to look at the radified guide for Norton that you have and see how to run ghost off the drive.  I assume cd to the dir and run it?  My concern was on my friends hosed laptop, he doesn't have ghost installed.  I wasn't sure if licensing would be a problem if I put it on his drive and ran it from there.  ?? And the drive being so hosed I really didn't want to write anything to the drive itself.

Also, I didn't realize that 2003 would auto boot to dos when done creating the image and no floppy required. I guess the floppy is required to load the CDRW drivers or to restore the image?  I know a floppy was still required for one of the processes in 2003.  Yes, 7.5 is strictly DOS.

I didn't realize I could yank the CD and put a CDRW disk in the drive without it asking for the floppy with CDRW drivers.  ??  I really want to tweak a multi-boot CD with all the Norton bootdisks on it.  That sounds like a perfect solution.  With the knowledgeable ppl on this forum and contacts, if I run into trouble I can post what I have so far and see what I'm missing in the autoexec.bat file.  

Then when it works, you can post the ISO for other users like me :)  I can't guarantee I can get it to fly, but I'm willing to pull my hair out over the weekend and plug away at it.  I'm off Sunday - Tues. next week.   Or if you know anyone else that wants to contribute their knowledge to a community project, that would be great too.

off to check out your /files dir :)  BTW the forum is really funky.  Glad I'm not the only one having trouble.  There's something weird about the focus for the mouse.  If I click in the username field and just move my mouse slightly, the field focus changes to wherever my mouse is and I have to repeatedly click back in the username field to type my name.   I'm on the laptop with a USB mouse, but I've never encountered that problem elsewhere.  weird!  

I think the lost posts are from not having cookies enabled.  Once you click post, if the name is missing with no cookie, it gets stuck on stupid and wipes the whole post when you click back.  

thx again for all your help!!

Ask this guy for one, he sent me one:

http://www.tawheedcomputers.com

then go to his FAQs page, he has something on there about bootable CDs for customers

How about booting into DOS from the Ghost CD which is bootable, then running the ghost.exe dos version of ghost to do the biz with the LPT.

Alternatively what I'd do is just whip the drive out of the trashed laptop and connect it as an extra drive on  another machine .

Use BARTS BOOT DISK...

Create a Boot Disk with CD ROM and Network Support...

Then Create a BOOT CD from BOOT FLOPPY in Adaptec Easy CD Creator. Before you Burn add the extra GHostpe.exe to the CD...

Infact add any extra files....

EASY worked first GO... and it will boot onto the network too..

None of this helps if you dont have a floppy drive.
Does anyone know if you can boot from the official Ghost CD itself??

Kaz says you can.

http://radified.com/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB.cgi?board=general;action=display;num=1092679167

This issue of a bootable CD had me going nuts also.   I use Nero Express which came with my Lite-on  CDRW drive.   One the options I had tried a while back was it can create a bootable CD, but it wants a bootable floppy in the Drive A:

Also I use Drive Image along with Ghost, and I could never do a thing with the floppy it created.  

What I finally tried and it worked, was to have Ghost build a bootable floppy with the support I need to get to my external drive.   Then I copied the NTFS4Dos to that floppy.  Needed this for Drive Image.

Leaving this floppy in the A: drive  I had Nero Express create a bootable CD.   It created a bootable with everything that had been on the floppy.  Hot Damn if it doesn't work great.  Plus leaving the CD in it becomes Drive A: and I can put the other floppy in Drive B: and use this for both programs.

Floppy drives are pretty cheap. You can pick them up almost anywhere. For my laptop, I have one that plugs into the USB port. Works fine. I think it was $19 (or $29?).

I created a set of Ghost 8 Network boot disks, all I need is for the GX280 to work.
Used this guide: http://help.ischool.washington.edu/faqs/idx/0/037/article

Problem is the bootable files from disk 1 are used to create the boot files on the CD.  I add the Ghost directory from disk 2, then burn the CD.

When booting from the new CD the drivers (GX280) are installed fine, but the Ghost executable cannot be accessed.  When viewing from DOS, the program doesn't even exist on the CD.

Any hints appreciated, the coaster count is rising.

JunkyJu


Quote:

Any hints appreciated, the coaster count is rising.

Use 're-writeables' until you have it right, if possible.


Quote:

When booting from the new CD the drivers (GX280) are installed fine, but the Ghost executable cannot be accessed.  When viewing from DOS, the program doesn't even exist on the CD.

So, once you boot, you have access to the CD in the optical drive from DOS, but you can not change to the Ghost directory and list it's contents?

What drive letter is the optical drive being assigned?  Do you have more than one optical drive?  

How many partitons do you have on your HDD?  

Are they FATxx and/or NTFS (list them all)?

Post your 'Config.sys' and 'Autoexec.bat', i.e. open with Notepad, copy and paste to post here.


Quote:

Used this guide: http://help.ischool.washington.edu/faqs/idx/0/037/article

Interesting link.

Autoexec:
@echo off
SET TZ=GHO+05:00
CLS
LH \MSCDEX.EXE /D:cd1 /D:cd2
prompt $p$g
\net\netbind.com
MOUSE.COM
echo Loading...
if %config% == FROMFLPY goto FLPYBOOT
if %config% == FROMCD goto CDBOOT

goto FAILED

:FLPYBOOT
echo Insert Ghost boot disk 2 (containing Ghost.exe)
pause
if exist a:\ghost\ghost.exe goto GHOSTFND
goto FLPYBOOT

:CDBOOT
echo Insert Ghost boot disk 2 (containing Ghost.exe)
echo To run Ghost.exe from a hard disk or CD, press Ctrl-C at the following prompt
echo then change to the appropriate drive letter and type 'Ghost'
pause
if not exist b:\ghost\ghost.exe goto CDBOOT
b:
goto GHOSTFND

:GHOSTFND
cd \ghost
echo Loading...
GHOST.EXE
goto END

:FAILED
echo Unknown boot menu selection
goto END

:END


Config.sys
@echo off
SET TZ=GHO+05:00
CLS
LH \MSCDEX.EXE /D:cd1 /D:cd2
prompt $p$g
\net\netbind.com
MOUSE.COM
echo Loading...
if %config% == FROMFLPY goto FLPYBOOT
if %config% == FROMCD goto CDBOOT

goto FAILED

:FLPYBOOT
echo Insert Ghost boot disk 2 (containing Ghost.exe)
pause
if exist a:\ghost\ghost.exe goto GHOSTFND
goto FLPYBOOT

:CDBOOT
echo Insert Ghost boot disk 2 (containing Ghost.exe)
echo To run Ghost.exe from a hard disk or CD, press Ctrl-C at the following prompt
echo then change to the appropriate drive letter and type 'Ghost'
pause
if not exist b:\ghost\ghost.exe goto CDBOOT
b:
goto GHOSTFND

:GHOSTFND
cd \ghost
echo Loading...
GHOST.EXE
goto END

:FAILED
echo Unknown boot menu selection
goto END

:END

Just the basic stuff from the diskette creation.

JunkyJu

Need to answer the other questions as well....

If you're using the above autoexec.bat and config.sys, it does not match the information outlined by the author of that boot disk tutorial (also, looks like you posted the autoexec.bat file twice and no config.sys file):


Quote:

Next you will need to edit the CONFIG.SYS file on the first floppy so that it looks like this: DEVICE=OAKCDROM.SYS /D:mscd001 DEVICE=\net\protman.dos /I:\net DEVICE=\net\dis_pkt.dos DEVICE=\net\EL90x.dos LASTDRIVE=Z

Quote:

Next we need to edit the AUTOEXEC.BAT file so that it loads the Microsoft CD-ROM extensions. An example is provided below. By loading the CD-ROM extensions we will be able to load the GHOST.EXE file after the network drivers have loaded. Sample AUTOEXEC.BAT file: @echo off SET TZ=GHO+08:00 mscdex /L:D /d:mscd001 MOUSE.COM \net\netbind.com echo Loading Ghost... D: cd \ghost GHOST.EXE -nousb

Config.sys
[menu]
menuitem=FROMFLPY, This computer was started from a Ghost boot disk
menuitem=FROMCD, This computer was started from a Ghost bootable CD

[FROMFLPY]

[FROMCD]

[COMMON]
DEVICE = oakcdrom.sys /D:cd1
DEVICE = btdosm.sys
DEVICE = flashpt.sys
DEVICE = btcdrom.sys /D:cd2
DEVICE = aspi2dos.sys
DEVICE = aspi8dos.sys
DEVICE = aspi4dos.sys
DEVICE = aspi8u2.sys
DEVICE=\net\protman.dos /I:\net
DEVICE=\net\dis_pkt.dos
DEVICE=\net\B57.dos
LASTDRIVE = Z

JunkyJu

Still need these answers, too:


Quote:

So, once you boot, you have access to the CD in the optical drive from DOS, but you can not change to the Ghost directory and list it's contents? What drive letter is the optical drive being assigned?  Do you have more than one optical drive?   How many partitons do you have on your HDD?   Are they FATxx and/or NTFS (list them all)?

I have the same problem, and as the original poster mentioned it does give you the option to make the cd bootable, at which point the only option is to insert a floppy into the non-existent floppy drive!  It only allows 2 choices for destination - A: or B:

If you are able to post clear instructions for burning a copy of the files that would be on the bootable floppy, please do - I really couldn't follow the ones the original poster was able to follow.  Thanks so much for the guide - it's definitely better than the Symantec Guide (I have Systemworks 2003 that includes Ghost 2003 and a Dell 4700C with no floppy option and a virtual diagnostic partition.  I'm going nuts between no floppy and the built-in virtual partition (Ghost won't work with the built-in diagnostic partition - the only way around that is to use a floppy boot disk.)   Anyone else have a sollution to this one?

Quote:

"... I have Systemworks 2003 that includes Ghost 2003 and a Dell 4700C with no floppy option and a virtual diagnostic partition.  I'm going nuts between no floppy and the built-in virtual partition (Ghost won't work with the built-in diagnostic partition - the only way around that is to use a floppy boot disk.)   Anyone else have a sollution to this one?" Sherryljpg

My daughter has a new Dell Dimension 8400 desktop that was delivered without a floppy drive.  I purchased a NEC 3.5-inch floppy drive (OEM) from NewEgg.com for $7.80 plus S&H, and dropped it right into place where it worked perfectly without any preparation or setup of any kind other than removing the faceplate and eject button.  The necessary power connector and ribbon cable were already in place, courtesy of Dell.

For most applications, I actually prefer the Sony brand (I had other brands of floppy drives - new and used - lying about), but the NEC was far and away the best fit physically for the Dimension 8400.  I have two caveats to offer: (1) remove all of the  nested plastic frames on the front while seating the drive - then snap the two appropriate pieces back into place with the drive already firmly set (discarding the outer cover); and (2) take great care in hooking up the power plug, for if you forcefully miswire the connection you will experience a dead short that will burn the insulation of the power cables while destroying the drive (I am ashamed to admit it, but it really it happened to me when I was in a hurry and got careless!).

[glb]El Pescador[/glb]

Sorry to hyjack this thread....

Like before, I need to create a ghost boot cd so I can take images off a laptop, then put a new install of XP on.

Basically, I work at a boarding school, every school holidays when the students coem back our network is bombarded with all sorts of viruses.

We now want to take the image of the laptop and save it on a server, then give the student a fresh install of XP thats runs on the domain with normal user rights, then when they go back home put there other image back on the laptop.

so many laptops dont have a floppy drive, so I need to dreate a boot disk with all th drivers for laptops used on my network.

Ive read this thread time and time again, real all the links (syd's is dead) but I still cant work it out...

Someone please help me...

Why not just get a cheap floppy? Only need on. You could plug it into each machine. Figure out the bootable gig later.

I have 2 weeks before the school term starts again, if I cant work out how to do it before then, that would be the only other option but the boss wants 1 cd or dvd thats bootable with every ndis drive under the sun on instead of 100 bootable floppy disks.

Same thing happens to me

Have the 2 ghost floppies
Select make BOOT CD in NERO

First floppy goes in, secon ghost floppy inaccessable when boote on floppy less laptop.

Arghhh, what the heck am I supposed to do???

In order to make a CD bootable while in Ghost 2001 you can use the commandline switch -bootcd or when Ghost comes up in DOS go to Options and locate the switch in there and place a checkmark or its equivilent next to it.
As far as running from CD I believe it is possible if you use nero to make a bootable CD and add ghost.exe or ghostpe.exe, as well as any files you might otherwise add to the MS-DOS floppy version of a ghost boot disk, to the CD.
hope this helps.

[glb]Uneeda Floppy !!![/glb]

Many PCs nowadays lack provision for floppy drives with installed bezels, and in my limited experience of either replacing floppies or making initial installs I have found the NEC brand always to be a ready fit whereas I have experienced occasional misfit with other brands.  For those considering the need for retrofitting a floppy drive, consider the hardware illustrated below:

http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/176/176523/folders/123080/15052198x11m.jpg

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/directron/cd---storage-floppy-drives.html

[glb]El Pescador[/glb]

I have been trying (for a long time!) to create a bootable CD for Norton Ghost 2003 without using a Floppy drive. I finally did it and thought someone else might benefit from this. Let me know if this is helpful. It uses Bart's BFD utility.

Just FYI, I am running WinXP. These are the steps:

1) Download Bart's BFD utility from http://www.nu2.nu/bfd/
2) Create the Virtual Drive "B:" as follows (this fools Ghost into writing the files to the hard drive):
a.  Open a Dos window
Click Start / Click Run / Type "Command" / click OK)
b. Type the following at the Dos command prompt:
subst b: c:\GhostFiles
Press <Enter>
Note: "c:\ GhostFiles " is any existing and empty path on your hard drive
3) Use Norton Ghost to write all the files to the hard drive.
a. Under "Ghost Utilities" choose  Norton Ghost Boot Wizard
b. Choose the kind of Boot Disk and all the parameters which work for your system.
c. When you get to the wizard screen where it asks for "Floppy disk Drive," the drop down combo allows for "A:" or "B:".
   i. Choose "B:"
   ii. Uncheck "Format Disk"
d. Continue and Finish. Norton will write files to the B: drive (a path on your hard drive)
4) In Explorer, goto the directory where the ghost files were written (e.g. c:\GhostFiles)
a. Edit Autoexec.bat and config.sys to your hearts content
b. I use Barts MSDos 7.01 (not Norton's supplied PCDos) since I don't have a bootsec.bin file for PCDos. Therefore, the 3 files in B: are not used and can be erased: command.com, ibmbios.com, ibmdos.com
5) Configure BFD
a. In Explorer, goto the directory where BFD is installed
b. edit bfd.sam and save it to bfd.cfg. My bfd.cfg looks like this:
Note that the "c" command is the copy command and you should have a copy line for every file you want copied to your floppy image. "m" is the make directory command. Mine mirrors the directory and file structure that Norton wrote to the hard drive.

# -------------------------------------------------------------------------
# ghost cdrom boot disk
# -------------------------------------------------------------------------
n       ghostBoot
b       cdrom
c       GhostFiles\Autoexec.bat
c       GhostFiles\config.sys
c       GhostFiles\guest.exe
c       GhostFiles\mouse.com
m       ghost
c       GhostFiles\ghost\ghost.exe ghost
m       fwr
c       GhostFiles\fwr\aspi1394.sys fwr

6) Rund BFD using the Dos Command Prompt
a. I had to do this step to workaround a bug in BFD - the temp directory wouldn't automatically create, so I had to do it manually each time I ran BFD. You will have to substitute your own temp path for mine. bfd will tell you where it is trying to write to and give an error that it can't.
md C:\DOCUME~1\MICHAE~1\LOCALS~1\Temp\$bfd$
b. Type the command
bfd -d -i ghostBootImage.ima -t 288 ghostBoot c:\temp\ghostimage
c. This creates a 2.88mb floppy image file: ghostBootImage.ima
d. Use Roxio Easy CD Creator (or Nero) to create a boot disk. Give it the option to supply the image and choose "ghostBootImage.ima"

Hope this helps someone.

Just stating the obvious .. that the Ghost 2003 retail CD is bootable:

http://radified.com/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB.cgi?board=Full_Rad_Board;action=display;num=1114729002

I am using ghost 2002 and just got a computer w/o a floppy.  If I buy Ghost2003 will the installation cd boot to the same (or similar) program interface that I am used to with Ghost 2002?
Does Ghost need to be installed on the computer for this to work?

Thanks

vince

By all reports, the stand alone Ghost 2003 CD is bootable--I think you can choose to load optical drive support, and USB or Firewire drivers--but it will be the DOS program that's similar to Ghost 2002 that loads.

For the bootable Ghost CD to boot and work, you do not have to have Ghost 2003 installed to Windows.  But until you install it to Windows, you will have none of the Windows Ghost features.

Perhaps these links might help:

http://nightowl.radified.com/bootcd/bootcdintro.html

http://radified.com/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB.cgi?board=general;action=display;num=1119240262

R.

NightOwl wrote on Jun 22^nd, 2005 at 1:22am:

vince By all reports, the stand alone Ghost 2003 CD is bootable--I think you can choose to load optical drive support, and USB or Firewire drivers--but it will be the DOS program that's similar to Ghost 2002 that loads. For the bootable Ghost CD to boot and work, you do not have to have Ghost 2003 installed to Windows.  But until you install it to Windows, you will have none of the Windows Ghost features.

Sorry, my post above seemed to omit my comment.

By features, I assume you mean some extra features - the basic imaging and restore will still work without having Ghost installed to Windows, correct?

Rad,
thanks for the links.  I haven't read them yet.  Get to them soon.

By the way, I have successfully created a Ghost boot cd using Nero 5.5 in the "bootable cd" mode, (using my desktop computer which has a floppy drive) and it creates a boot image by extracting it from the Ghost floppy.  This disk works fine on my laptop which has no floppy drive.  

Glad to hear I'm not the only one having fits with this scenario.

Our setup is a Windows 2003 server housing the Ghost images, and we boot with a Ghost network floppy, and connect to the server via NET USE.

At one point in the process, something writes back to the diskette. This obviously is a problem for CDs.

I've been successful at making a bootable CD with floppy emulation, but the problem still exists with one of the processes wanting to write a file to the disk. I've tried copying all the \NET files to a ramdisk, but it still tries to write a file back to the CD *unless* it's on the machine that I last connected to with the floppy before making the boot image.

Ideas? Help?

FWIW, I've verified that the file that gets written back to the disk is called DHCP.

OK, as far as I can tell.... even if we can make boot cds to our hearts content, they won't come with networking, is that correct?

I'm pushing 160 gigs of data to 22 computers, five of which have fried floppy drives which really puts a damper on their connectivity to the multicast server.

If I can possibly avoid it, I'd like to escape taking all 5 apart and giving them new floppies. From what I read... it sounded like the bootable Cd's had to have the image actually on the cd... which I can't swing considering the size of my image...  Is there ANY way around??

I have made a bootable ghost cd that supports a usb hard drive and keep the images on it. The only problem I have came accross is that there is one computer at my plant that is all usb no ps/2 connects and I can't get the keyboard or mouse to work.

Guest

This might help:

How to Create a Ghost 8.0 Network Boot CD

Bryan Dunham

Some have found that if you use the Ghost Boot Wizard for the Standard Ghost boot disk--on the first *options* page--select *Peer-to-Peer Options*, select *USB Support*--has allowed USB mice and keyboards to function in DOS.

The problem w/ these new PCs that don't have FDDs is that they don't even have the option of booting to one.  Also, I think if you use FDD emulation when you make your boot CD that doesn't work either, since the newer PCs don't support booting from FDDs at all; wether an actual or an emulated floppy.

This totally sucks!!!!

I just solved this by taking a Win 98 startup floppy, Stripping out any lines in autoexec.bat pertaining to 98 (load win 98 disk 2 for example). I then took a 2 floppies and ran the Ghost Network Boot Disk Wizard. There are 5 0r 6 grouped lines pertaing to netbind and mouse.com in the ghost autoexec file that needs to be copied and pasted into the autoexec on the 98 startup disk. Next you need to make the last line in the 98 autoexec read "ghost.exe"
 On the startup disk itself strip out any unnecessary files (ex: Fdisk).
Now copy the mouse.com and mouse.ini from the ghost boot disk to your 98 disk. If you need usb mouse support edit the mouse.ini adding "mouse=usb" to it.
  Copy the lines in the ghost config.sys to the 98 config.sys and copy the "net" folder from the ghost disk to the 98 startup disk.
  Use Roxio to " make a bootable cd from a floppy" function and once created append the cd by adding ghost.exe from the Ghost folder on floppy #2 from your ghost boot disk set. Once the disk is finished burning pop it in your cd drive, reboot and you go directly into the Ghost interface after the disk runs. I used Ghost V8.2 but I am sure it will work w/ 7.5. Once this works you can start playing with the 98 startup disk to remove more than I have said to makr bootup faster. I can supply screen shots if requested.

Newbie to this website and I have a question about Ghost.  Have anyone try making a bootable ghost cd with NIC auto detect?   ???

NightOwl is the bootable CD guru

http://nightowl.radified.com/bootcd/bootcdintro.html

ffx-123

I believe that when using *NIC auto detect* function, the program doing the *auto-detecting* has to write the results to the *boot disk*.  And a bootable CD will not be writable to.

I'm not personally familiar with this, but I've seen reference by others about creating a *ram drive* as part of the boot process, and *re-directing* any write functions to that *ram drive* to hold whatever per session write-to-disk files are needed.

Whether that would work with *NIC auto detect*--I don't know--but it may point you in the right direction for testing.

Thanks for the replies.  This is what I have so far.  

Autoexec.bat

mscdex /d:cdrom /L:x
mouse.com

copy command.com c:
copy assign.com c:
copy autoexec.bat c:
copy comp.dat c:
copy device.com c:
copy xcopy.exe c:
copy xcopy32.exe c:
copy netbind.com c:


xcopy a:net c:net /e/v
xcopy a:ghost*.* c: /e/v

assign a:=c:

DEVICE \net\pcidet.dos
DEVICE \net\protman.dos /c:\net
DEVICE \net\dis_pkt.dos

call \net\doit.bat
\net\netbind.com

rem echo Loading...

ghost.exe

Config.sys:

device=oakcdrom.sys /d:cdrom
DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS /testmem:off
FILES=30
BUFFERS=20
device=a:ramdrive.sys 4096 /e
LASTDRIVE=Z

But I'm still having problem to getting it to work.  It's still pointing to a: drive.  I'm also getting an error saying "protocal manager is not present or something like it.  When it trys to run the "DEVICE \net\protman.dos /c:\net".  Any help will be greatly appriecated.

New Post Here... This is what I did to get a Boot CD with access to CD Drives for new OS installations and with Ghost access for restoring drive images is case of disasters.

First I used Bart's BootDisk from http://www.nu2.nu/bootdisk/cdrom/
I followed the auto create steps and made the floppy.

I booted the floppy to configure it to use ATAPI CDs and it saved that configuration to the floppy.

I then used DD.EXE found at http://www.nu2.nu/bootcd/aboutdd/
to create an image of the floppy.

I then used Nero to create a Boot CD, using the newly created floppy image file for the base and adding a \ghost directory containing ghost.exe that can be accessed after the CD boots to the cd drives.

This Boot Cd allows access to Ghost for restoring images, and it also allows access straight to CDs where you can execute initial OS installations.

Hope this helps someone.

Tom

Just found your site and followed the step by step instruction on creating bootable ghost cd without FDD.

The image file bootcdp1.ima was successfully created and copied and renamed as DosBootimage.IMA

The problem is after burning is done, the CD has no files at all? My laptop won't boot from the CD.

What was the problem?

thanks
Erge

Erge

Need a little more information--you're leaving too much to *assumption* as to what we know about what you have done.

Are you using NeroExpress--(I assume so based on the *DosBootimage.IMA* file reference)?

What version of NeroExpress?

Hi NightOwl,

I am using NERO Express 6.3.10.

At first, the image file was created using 2.88 MB option instead of 1.44 MB to accomodate more room for GHOST.EXE (ver 2003).

After burned, I browsed but found no content inside the CD. However, the CD properties reported "used space" around 3 MB.

My assumption was that the burned image file was somehow converted to hidden track --> IS IT TRUE ?

Booting up laptop using the CD was not successful initially.

Then I tried creating another image with 1.44 MB format without GHOST.EXE. The GHOST.EXE file was added using the ADD FILE menu of NERO EXPRESS later.

This time the magic was done and able to boot successfuly from CD.

Now the question, is it true the image file was converted into hidden track so that the content of the CD cannot be seen?

erge

NeroExpress is designed to work only with a 1.44 MB boot disk--if you have the full Nero program (NeroExpress is a *lite* version and has fewer options than the *full* program), using *Advanced Settings*, you can make Nero work with the larger 2.88 MB boot disk option.


Quote:

My assumption was that the burned image file was somehow converted to hidden track --> IS IT TRUE ?

Yes, the boot sector on bootable optical media is *hidden* from *normal* Windows programs that show files.

Special programs such as *UltraISO* and *IsoBuster* will show the *hidden boot sector* and show an indication if the disc is *bootable*.  These programs will allow you to *extract* that boot image to your HDD, and then you can manipulate the boot files with various programs like WinImage, etc.


Quote:

Now the question, is it true the image file was converted into hidden track so that the content of the CD cannot be seen?

The content of the *boot sector* can not be seen (without using one of the special programs mentioned above)--data stored on the data portion of the CD can be seen with standard programs that access files.

thanks a lot Owl  :)

Hi Owl,

I got another issue as to how to create boot image for USB Flash or External HD with USB interface. I guess both devices share same mechanism.

How do I burn the image?

erge

Not my area a expertise, but here's a couple Google searches that may help:

bootable usb flashdrive

and:

bootable usb drive

hi all. :)

1rst of all, my english isn't very good, i will try to explain the better a can.

i can't call ghost.exe when a make a bootale cd.

i used ghost 8.2. i choosed a boot disk with the option to use network and i made all changes in config.sys n autoexec.bat.

it works everything fine until the part of executing ghost.

if anyone understud what i tried to explain, help pls :)

thankx ;)

pikasso

If you're following the Creating Bootable CD/DVD's Without A:\Floppy Drive--that Guide is geared towards Ghost 2003, which is a smaller executable program than Ghost 8.x.

Ghost 8.x on a 1.44 MB boot disk, either floppy or boot image file goes beyond the 1.44 max size and when burned to optical disk-it will fail to load.

Here's a reference on a work-around  Adding USB to Ghost Boot CD

Read in particular, the last part of *Reply #4* for what to do if the boot image file is larger than 1.44 MB.

Had a similar problem, and after a lot of headbanging, settled for a hardware solution - bought one of those little enclosures that turn any notebook hard drive into an external USB 2.0 drive ( ~$20 ). Pulled the HD out of the laptop, stuck it in the enclosure, plugged it into another computer and pulled all the data off of it. Since then, I've kept the little puppy around, and have used this solution an additional 3-4 times to recover files before doing full rebuilds of the laptop OS.

My thanks and appreciation to Rad and NightOwl and the many users who have posted both answers and questions in this forum.  I have acquired the answers to over a dozen questions concerning Ghost 2003/8.x without having to post the questions.  This speaks very highly of everyone involved.  I apologize if this post is techinially off-topic.  The kudos are well deserved and long overdue.  

Thanks for the kind words.

Fortunately, we have many outstanding contributors.

Will anyone please show me where to download an iso for the finished bootable CD with ghost.exe 2003 inside? That would save a whole lot of work for us newbies. I've found torrent for one (http://www.isohunt.com/torrents/norton+ghost?ihs1=11&iho1=d&iht=-1&ihp=1) but it only has version 8.3 inside, which doesn't work for NTFS partitions.

otmakus


Quote:

Will anyone please show me where to download an iso for the finished bootable CD with ghost.exe 2003 inside? That would save a whole lot of work for us newbies.

Unfortunately, Ghost 2003 is copyrighted software which has not been made freely available--what you're asking would be the distribution of *pirated* software--which we here at Radified do not practice--sorry!


Quote:

but it only has version 8.3 inside, which doesn't work for NTFS partitions

Define what you mean by *version 8.3 doesn't work for NTFS partitions*--I'm pretty sure Ghost has worked fine with NTFS partitions since v 6.5--that version could only read from NTFS to create a backup image, but it could only save the image to FAT. Restoring was not an issue.   Since v7.5, Ghost could read and save to NTFS partitions.

Sorry, a little OOT here, what I mean is SATA drives with NTFS partitions, now that i think about it again, I've successfully made and restore images to and from NTFS partitions of IDE HDs, but I always have problems with SATA HD (SATA 2 specifically) when using Ghost 8.3, and I assume it's the software that doesn't support it, or am I wrong?

Just a few days ago i tried to make an image of a system partition from a SATA 2 HD and save it to another partition of the same HD, and Ghost just couldn't recognize the HD. I assume again that newer version of Ghost can do it, but I'm not sure, can anyone confirm it for me?

If my assumption is wrong, then is the procedure of using Ghost different between IDE and SATA HD? I'm still looking around right now, so I apologize if this topic has already been discussed before.

Btw, thanks for the lightning fast response, I really didn't expect it.

otmakus

Ghost working with SATA has been supported since the most recent builds of Ghost 2003, which would be the equivalent of Ghost v7.5 in the corporate version.

On some systems, you have to adjust the BIOS so SATA will work with a DOS based OS--the wording may be *combination* or *compatibility* mode.

Sometimes, you have to start Ghost with the *-fni* switch--apparently changes how Ghost talks to the HDD that is more compatible with SATA--but may be slower if you are attempting to access IDE HDD's:

ghost.exe -fni

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