I have previously only worked with Ghost 7 boot CDs but started having problems recently with it when I tried to use an external USB drive to store images - folders were repeating and it could never find the image files.

I was looking at Ghost 14, the latest retail, but was told by Symantec support that I couldn't just boot from the disc and create an image or restore an image of a drive unless I had Ghost installed on the drive prior to it.  That seems utterly stupid.

They recommended getting the enterprise suite, but that only comes in 5 user licenses...

So, do you have any suggestions?  I need a simple solution that can read and write to NTFS, FAT32, linux, etc for what ever I choose to use as a storage device.

Thanks!

No version of Ghost since Ghost 2003 will be able to create an image from the recovery environment cd.  If you really want to shut down and boot from a CD to create a backup image, try either Ghost 2003, Acronis True Image 11, or ShadowProtect Desktop 3.1.  My recommendation would be ShadowProtect since it has the best driver support.

But there is nothing wrong with imaging a drive while your system is still running using Ghost 14, Acronis 11, or ShadowProtect 3.1.

They want you install it as a form of protection against piracy.

If all you needed were a boot CD, many would not buy the program. (Rather just copy their friend's Recovery CD.)

Ghost 2003 still does what you want.

Hi Ryan,
    Greetings !!!

Then go with the latest version Norton Ghost14.0

Regards,
Ajay
Skype - Ajay

Okay, so if I buy Ghost 14 - how do I RESTORE an image that I have saved on an external hard drive to a new blank hard drive without first installing an OS and then the Ghost software??

Ryan,

If you already have a Ghost image (.v2i, not .gho) then you just boot to the Ghost 14 CD and restore the image to a blank HD. No problem there. No OS needs to be installed on the blank HD. Ghost 14 can't restore .gho images and can't create .v2i images from the CD.

You can restore from the CD but not image from the CD. You need Ghost 14 installed to create images.

Ah, so you can only CREATE an image with Ghost installed.  But you can RESTORE with the bootable disc just fine?  

If so, that is pretty much acceptable makes more sense.  :)

That's correct. You can create your images at scheduled times so you never know it's happening. You can even continue to use your computer while the image is being created. It's easy.

Ah, okay, cool!  Does it by chance have support for network images?  IF we have a local FTP server can it back up images to that and does the boot CD have network support for it to load images from FTP?

You can create images over a wired and wireless network. You can restore images over a wired network.

Also...


Quote:

File Transfer Protocol, or FTP, is the simplest and most secure way to copy files over the Internet. Norton Ghost serves as an FTP client to copy your recovery points to a remote FTP server as a secondary backup of your critical data. The Options dialog box lets you configure basic FTP settings to help ensure that your recovery points are copied to your FTP server.

Awesome !  I really appreciate the help!  

Does that mean the boot cd has the ability to copy data from an FTP to the new drive?  That's the process I am used to using G4L right now...

One of the reasons I am looking to move from G4L is that it does a full bit by bit image of the drive - if its a 400 GB drive that can take a long time.  I assume Ghost 14 makes images in a much smarter way than that, taking up less disk space, but more importantly, taking less time to create and restore those image files?

I haven't use FTP with Ghost.


Quote:

Does that mean the boot cd has the ability to copy data from an FTP to the new drive?

I don't think so. I assume it copies it to a local HD first.

ftp://ftp.symantec.com/public/english_us_canada/products/ghost/14/manuals/ngh_14_user_guide.pdf

This is the user guide. It should help.