Hello
I have an Asus G2S notebook. I need a new and larger harddrive, but I would like to avoid having to reinstall the whole notebook. It is running Windows Vista Ultimate.

Here is what I have been doing:
1) Booting from a Bart PE-disk, running a normal DOS-version of Ghost from there (I think it's version 7.5). Local --> Disk --> To Image. This procedure usually works with all the notebooks I have had.
2) I create a Ghost image on an external USB disk.
3) Shut down the computer, exchange the harddrive to the new larger model.
4) Boot up on the Bart PE-disk, run Ghost --> Local --> Disk --> From Image - still no problems.
5) After rebooting, the computer just loops - runs for a few seconds, reboots, runs for a few seconds, reboots etc. ad nauseum.

I suspect that the utility partition on the original disk somehow is involved in this problem. I would like to keep that partition so I can do a quick factory reinstall if the need arises.

Are there any tricks for accomplishing my task?
I have heard of people with new Lenovo ThinkPads with the same problem...

Any help is very much appreciated.

Thanx
/Simon

sgatke001

System with *hidden* restore or utility partition can be a problem with Ghost procedures--here's references about Dell systems:

Dan Goodell's *Inside the Dell Utility Partition*

Inside the Dell PC Restore Partition

How to fix the Dell System Restore (DSR) feature


Quote:

1) Booting from a Bart PE-disk, running a normal DOS-version of Ghost from there (I think it's version 7.5). Local --> Disk --> To Image.

Could you share how you are doing that?!  I didn't know you could run a DOS program from the Bart PE disk!!!!  Now there is a *ghost32.exe* that would run from the Bart PE--it's a Windows ported version of DOS *ghost.exe* that looks like the *normal* DOS program--but it's Windows dependent!

Probably should load Ghost with this command switch (-ib) = *image boot* to make sure any special programing in the *boot tract*, and not just the first absolute sector 0 boot information, is included in the file:  ghost.exe -ib or ghost32.exe -ib

And, use *Whole Disk* and not just a *Partition* back up procedure--like you mentioned above!

And see this discussion:  Ghost 2003/Ghost 8.2 and Windows Vista , especially starting here:  Vista and Symantec Ghost 8.x

Let us know how things work out!

Thank you for your reply.

Hmm perhaps you're right about the DOS/Windows version. Let me check that when I get home.

I have read most of Goodell's documents, but I am not sure how much of it applies to an Asus computer (even though most of it seems relevant).

I have found info on the "-ib" on another forum and will try that also. Should I use it both for creating AND restoring the image, or just when I create the image?

I thought doing the whole disk would be the way to do it, but when I ran into this error, I also tried just cloning the partitions one at a time - so I have spent quite some time on this little job *lol*

I will check my Bart PE disk - I am not sure if it starts ghost.exe or ghost32.exe, but it should be easy enough to find out. It's been a while since I created that CD, so I have forgotten the small details :-)

I will also keep you posted about my progress in this "game" - would definitely like to see next level  8-)

Alright, I got it fixed now.

Here is what I did:
1) Booted on my Bart PE CD
2) Start ghost32.exe -ib and local --> disk --> to image
3) Exchange drives
4) Boot on Bart PE again
5) Start ghost32.exe -ib and local --> disk --> from image
6) Reboot - Computer will not boot, keeps restarting after a few seconds
7) Boot on Vista install CD - select Repair

After reboot, things are working.

Thanks for your suggestions and help - much appreciated.
As you can see, you were right about the version of Ghost being used. It is indeed ghost32.exe that is being used.

Regards,
Simon

sgatke001

Thanks for the report back with your results.

Did you review this thread:


Quote:

And see this discussion:  Ghost 2003/Ghost 8.2 and Windows Vista , especially starting here:  Vista and Symantec Ghost 8.x

You might avoid having to do the *Repair* by using the Ghost switch *-FDSP*:  ghost32.exe -ib -fdsp


Quote:

Should I use it both for creating AND restoring the image, or just when I create the image?

Don't know for sure, but I think if the image is created using the *-ib* switch, Ghost will probably only allow a *whole disk* restore and will default to restoring the whole boot tract.  I think you get an error message if you try any other *partition only* procedure.  But using the *-ib* switch for restore, as well, will cause no harm--and avoid any possible issue.

If you Got UBCD4Win (a Bart sophisticated bootable Cd)
http://www.ubcd4win.com/
it has Drive Image XML on for Free and is very stable and useful
tool for cloning and imaging Disks and partitions.
an instruction how to use it is here:
http://www.darkchip.com/DriveImageXML/index.html
also there are Bart plugins for Acronise 10 and 11 (during Custom setup)
a free version of it is available for Seagate and maxtor hard disks :

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=20220

both above software have ability to extract individual files and folder from
the whole disk image.

regards Ben
:)