Hi, I've read all over the boards here and the net about Ghost 2003, and no where is it mentioned that the original CD is bootable! I read where people have so many problems creating boot CD's or floppies, but why not just use the ghost cd? I'm just wondering why it's not the preferred method? I'm new to Ghost and like it alot, and I had absolutely no problems creating an image using the original CD, I only added -ghostoncd switch, and I could access it and restore fine. Can anyone tell me why this isn't mentioned anywhere I've read?

Urm, maybe they don't have the CD.

Well, I just discovered by accident that using the CD to boot works, after much research. I'm new to ghost and don't know if there is any "right" way to use it. :)
I just couldn't understand why anyone would try to make their own boot CD's or floppies and not use the original, now I guess I do. :P
But, I still want to know how to use it correctly. Does it really matter what I use?

You make a good point. I think, sometimes, people just forget, or maybe don't know that the Ghost retail CD is itself bootable.

I'm in the process of updating the guide, so I added a sentence to the 1st paragragh listed under the heading "Bootable Ghost CD" on this page:

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

I linked the word "bootable" to this thread.

Thx for the input. Sometimes it's the obvious we overlook.

R.

I'm glad I could help and I hope this info can help others.  :)
I only wish I knew this before spending a few days researching the net. :P  Just remember to use the -ghostoncd switch, so the ghost.exe gets copied to the root of the CD. Also, using -bootcd bypasses it asking for a floppy and just copies directly from the CD boot image. :)

wrote on Apr 29^th, 2005 at 3:40am:

I'm glad I could help and I hope this info can help others.  :) I only wish I knew this before spending a few days researching the net. :P  Just remember to use the -ghostoncd switch, so the ghost.exe gets copied to the root of the CD. Also, using -bootcd bypasses it asking for a floppy and just copies directly from the CD boot image. :)

I'm new to norton ghost, just started using it yesterday, iv already read the guide on this site but i am confused about the post iv quoted.  Where and how do i use the switches? and this will make a bootable cd (DVD in my case) right? or will it just make a cd that can be used with the bootable norton cd?

if it helps iv got norton system works 2003 which itself does boot.

Thx in advance
Michael.

Just me


Quote:

I just couldn't understand why anyone would try to make their own boot CD's or floppies and not use the original... But, I still want to know how to use it correctly. Does it really matter what I use?

As with all things computer (and Windows), there's usually more than one way to do something--one way is not necessarily better than the other--just what works best for the individual...

Just another thought about using the 'original' Ghost CD for booting--when I use the version command on the 'ghost.exe' that's on the CD, I get the following:

X:\English\Support>ghost -ver
Norton Ghost 2003 (build=775, cdrlib=3.1.24)
Copyright (C) 1998-2002 Symantec Corp. All rights reserved.  

When I do the version command on the Live Updated version on my installed version of Ghost, I get:

C:\Ghost>ghost -ver
Norton Ghost 2003 (build=793, cdrlib=3.1.25)
Copyright (C) 1998-2003 Symantec Corp. All rights reserved.

As you can see, the build is more recent than that on the CD--Symantec has 'fixed' some bugs or compatibility issues most likely--and the CD-R Library (cdrlib) is updated also--more CD-R optical drives are supported with the newer updated version.

But, if the Ghost version on the CD is working fine for your system--then there is no need to worry about the updated version that's available--it's when the CD version isn't working correctly on your system, that's when you need to consider trying the most recent version to see if that helps.

And then you need to figure out how to get that version onto a bootable CD.

That is a good point, however my CD is version 793, so I hadn't considered that. :) I did just recieve it a few days ago from an online retailer. :)

Quote:

"... Where and how do i use the switches? and this will make a bootable cd (DVD in my case) right? or will it just make a cd that can be used with the bootable norton cd?" michael

I wish I were able to answer the inquiry above, but I remain mystified myself.  I anticipate some kind soul will help out here - but in doing so will NOT take for granted that the viewing audience has had any exposure to Norton Ghost 2003 whatsoever and thus will give a few DETAILED EXAMPLES that go beyond the examples in the Ghost Manual rather than cursory tips.

[glb]El Pescador [/glb]

michael and El_Pescador


Quote:

Where and how do i use the switches?

and,


Quote:

give a few DETAILED EXAMPLES

That's a rather large, general topic--better to work on a specific 'how do I use this switch' type issue?

In the Windows interface, switches are added in the main Norton SystemWorks intro screen under 'Options/Norton Ghost/Ghost Command Line' if you want the switches to be the same for all procedures you set up within the Windows interface--this here makes the switches the 'default' settings.

Or, you can add switches when you reach the 'Advanced settings...' screen during configuration of the Ghost procedure under the 'Ghost Command Line' tab.  Switches added here will be for that Ghost procedure only--one time only.  You can also remove 'default' switches that you have set up in the 'Options' above if you do not want those for this particular Ghost operation.

If you have booted to DOS and Ghost has been automatically called and loaded, you can simply 'quit' Ghost, you will be at the A:\ prompt, type in the Ghost command line (for example--'ghost -bootcd'), press enter, and now Ghost will incorporate the switch's function into the Ghost procedure you are running.  

(In the above example--Ghost now will not ask if you want to make the CD bootable--the command line has already 'instructed' Ghost that you do--but, you have to already have the floppy boot disk in the floppy drive (or you have to have the bootable CD in the optical drive that created the 'virtual floppy boot drive' for Ghost to read--otherwise Ghost will continue without creating the bootable CD, and report an error in the Ghost error text written to the floppy boot disk (if it's a bootable CD that you used--then it can not 'write' the error text file to the 'virtual floppy drive' and you will probably get a critical error, and the Ghost procedure will be aborted with the appropriate error message.))

Most of Ghost 2003 switches and their functions:

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ghost.nsf/8f7dc138830563c888256c2200662ecd/79d3d9ff21211e7a88256d1600730eb3?

You can also list most of the command line switches available by doing the following  (From appendix A of the Ghost 2003 user's guide):


Quote:

To list Norton Ghost command-line switches In the Ghost directory, type one of the following: ghost.exe -h ghost.exe -?

My version of ghost 2003 came included in norton systemworks 2004 (and I am assuming most other peoples did as well). So I can only boot from cd if I want to do a dos virus check... which is almost useless.

My boss told me this one time. When a software problem comes along 99% of the time RTFM works.

Read The F***ing Manual

That's how I learned how to use the switches. The help index in the program plus the online manual are great guides. Just use those.

wrote on Apr 28^th, 2005 at 7:56pm:

Hi, I've read all over the boards here and the net about Ghost 2003, and no where is it mentioned that the original CD is bootable! I read where people have so many problems creating boot CD's or floppies, but why not just use the ghost cd? I'm just wondering why it's not the preferred method? I'm new to Ghost and like it alot, and I had absolutely no problems creating an image using the original CD, I only added -ghostoncd switch, and I could access it and restore fine. Can anyone tell me why this isn't mentioned anywhere I've read?

to NightOwl-:

Hello,
it looks like that you are very good in ghost software so I`d like to ask you for help.
I`m using norton ghost 2003 and I created under Windows XP backup image into DVD with default settings. I don`t have floppy disk drive.
When I wanted to restore image (not under windows) I rebooted the windows and inserted that DVD with backup image.
Ghost started and I started to restore to disk from image file.
Restore will start and message that "Restore NTFS MFT table" appears and after few minutes error message appears that cannot create ghosterr.txt and ghost restore proccess is interrupted.
What should I do? Do i have to install Windows once again and make once again backup image with switch -bootcd ?
Could you please help me? Thx a lot.

steky


Quote:

Could you please help me?

Are you still out there?  I missed this posting when you first posted it.


Quote:

Restore will start and message that "Restore NTFS MFT table" appears and after few minutes error message appears that cannot create ghosterr.txt and ghost restore proccess is interrupted.

If you can post the exact error # and message, that can sometimes help--although Ghost has a bad habit of giving an error message that is not the appropriate error!

When you boot from a bootable CD, Ghost is loaded from the *virtual A:\* that is part of the boot process from an optical disc--by default, if Ghost encounters an error, it writes the error log (ghosterr.txt) to the directory from which Ghost was launched--but the *virtual A:\ drive* can not be written to--so that's why you get that error.

Is your system a laptop?  Even if it's not, some systems need *himem.sys* loaded in *config.sys* in order for Ghost to manage memory correctly--others have posted errors and hangs by Ghost in the middle of an operation without the memory manager.

Thx for help.
Problem was already solved with bootable cd. I created it with your guide. Then I was able to make restore. Thx for that guide.