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Message started by Ryan Keller on Jun 5th, 2006 at 11:45am

Title: Image on Boot disk (Norton Ghost '03)
Post by Ryan Keller on Jun 5th, 2006 at 11:45am
Hello,

I work for a school district and I use Ghost to image district machines.  I have several different images specific to various schools on an external HD, and I'm trying to create a boot DVD with the image on it as well.  I know I can have Ghost burn a bootable CD with the image on it, but I need to put the image files I already have created on a bootable DVD outside of Ghost.  

I use Nero 7 for burning, and I've tried using Ghost's bootable files and using NightOwl's bootable CD on steroids guide.  I've tried making a boot CD (or DVD) with the bootable disk and adding the Ghost image file to the disk, but when ghost starts in DOS, it won't pick up anything on the disk other than the boot files.  I thought I could make a massive boot disk with the Ghost image files as part of the boot sector, but WinImage won't allow this (since it's creating a fake 1.44mb floppy boot).  Is there a way around this dilema??   The machines I need to image only have one optical drive, by the way.  Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!  I hope this makes sense!

Thanks!

-Ryan

Title: Re: Image on Boot disk (Norton Ghost '03)
Post by NightOwl on Jun 5th, 2006 at 12:18pm
Ryan Keller

You don't want the Ghost image files to be on/in the boot sector of the optical media--you want those image files on/in the *data* portion of the optical media.

Once you have everything set up in Nero as far as creating a bootable data disc, before proceeding to burning, you would add the image files that you have on the HDD to the lower window in Nero showing what data files to burn to the optical media--you could create *meaningful* subdirectories to separate the image files for different systems (but, remember, in DOS you will not see *long filenames* without the *abcdef~1* names.

If Ghost is properly accessing your optical drive and media, you should see the data when you run DOS Ghost and select the optical drive as the *source* disk.

Does this help?  Questions?

Title: Re: Image on Boot disk (Norton Ghost '03)
Post by Ryan Keller on Jun 5th, 2006 at 3:59pm
Thanks for the reply!

I tried adding the Ghost image file and spans to the data area of the boot DVD I was trying to make after I pointed it to the boot image, just like you suggested.  

However, when Ghost boots up from the DVD, it won't pick up the .GHO file.  All it sees on the disc is the boot files, nothing else.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Ryan

Title: Re: Image on Boot disk (Norton Ghost '03)
Post by NightOwl on Jun 5th, 2006 at 4:59pm
Ryan Keller


Quote:
when Ghost boots up from the DVD, it won't pick up the .GHO file.  All it sees on the disc is the boot files

Not sure what your meaning here is--when you boot from optical media, you will not see any boot files in the data portion of the optical media--and Ghost will not *see* any of the boot files in its User Interface (is Ghost loading to its User Interface?)--you will only see the boot files when at the A:\ prompt and do a directory listing (type 'dir' and press enter)--but that's reading the *virtual floppy drive* that the optical boot sector creates when booting from optical media--but, that's not the data portion of the optical media.  What are you doing to make this observation/comment?

When booting from the optical disk, after the system's initial *post*, and it begins to load the boot files--press *F8*, and select to boot in a *step-by-step* confirmation of each command line in the boot files.

Does *oakcdrom.sys* load without error messages?

Does *mscdex.exe* load without error messages?

What drive letter is assigned to your optical drive?

Assuming the drive letter is X:\, at the A:\ prompt, type:

x:

and press enter.  Are you able to switch the the X:\ drive?--and can you type 'dir', then *enter* for a listing of X:\'s root directory?

Title: Re: Image on Boot disk (Norton Ghost '03)
Post by Ryan Keller on Jun 7th, 2006 at 10:29am
Nightowl -

Thank you!  I've got it working now, just like you said it would!  It works like a charm.  Thanks!!!  

-Ryan

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