Hi,
    I need some guidance about Norton Ghost for making image file or cloning the drive.

There are options as under

To clone an entire (physical) DISK, select: Local -> Disk -> To Disk

Here if the source disk is of 40 GB then the destination Drive is of 80 GB so in this case is it currect that we can close the source disk into a larger disk so the size should be same.In case of partions in the source disk it will copy the entire partition in the destination disk ?

2- In case of Local -> Disk -> To Image

when we use this option?

3- In case of Local -> Partion -> To Partition

when we use this option ?

4- 3- In case of Local -> Partion -> To Image

when we use this option ?

These points are confusing me and if some one enlight on it with his practical experience then it will be great.

5- Normally when an image is made is there any way to check that the image os not corrupted ?

Thanks

mypass

Hello mypass,
welcome to RADIFIED ... :) ... !

Which version of Ghost? I recognize the options from Ghost 2003. If my assumption is correct, the thread should be moved (by a moderator) to the Norton Ghost 2003, Ghost v8.x + Ghost Solution Suite (GSS) Discussion Board

@ mypass


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Local -> Disk -> To Disk

To my knowledge--those type commands only exist in the DOS versions of Ghost--so I'm moving this topic to the other forum as Christer mentioned...

@ mypass


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To clone an entire (physical) DISK, select: Local -> Disk -> To Disk Here if the source disk is of 40 GB then the destination Drive is of 80 GB so in this case is it currect that we can close the source disk into a larger disk so the size should be same.In case of partions in the source disk it will copy the entire partition in the destination disk ?

Same as *what*--the source drive or the destination drive?

Ghost will offer to expand the size from the original source disk (40 GB) to fill the entire size of the destination drive (80 GB)--but you get a setup page where you can tell Ghost what size you want it to be on the new destination drive.  If you have multiple partitions, Ghost will usually increase the size of all the partitions, keeping the relative size ratio approx. the same as the original source disk--but, sometimes Ghost will offer to change certain partitions at a different ratio--don't know exactly what determines that when it happens.  But you still get the setup page where you can over-ride Ghost's suggested partition sizes and make them whatever size you want--as long as the data will fit in the partition size you are selecting.


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2- In case of Local -> Disk -> To Image

When you want the Ghost output to be a *file* that you can save for future use.  That file can be copied and moved as needed--and restored to a HDD when needed.


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3- In case of Local -> Partion -> To Partition

When you want to clone only a single partition--as opposed to multiple partitions.  Of course, if your source HDD only has a single partition, then the result is essentially the same as *Local > Disk > To Disk*.  The big difference here is that the destination partition has to already exist on the destination HDD--Ghost will not offer to create the partition for you.


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4- 3- In case of Local -> Partion -> To Image

Again, where you want the Ghost output to be to a file instead of copied directly to another partition on the same HDD or to a different HDD.  Of course here, you will only have the partition(s) in the image file that you select to save to that file--any partitions not selected will not be available from the image file for future restoring.


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5- Normally when an image is made is there any way to check that the image os not corrupted ?

Use *Local > Check > Image File*.

thanks a lot for your reply.There is a little confusion about  Local -> Partion -> To Partition

Suppose I have a Hard Disk with 3 partions i.e C,D,E drives. C is 30 GB with NTFS ,D is 70 GB and E is 100 with NTFS vulune. I want to clone  C drive. If i choose " Partion -> To Image " and keep the cline file in E drive then it is clear in mind but is it possible to make " Partion -> To Partition " using C as source and E as desttaion  drive.

2- In our server C drive is occupied for windows server 2003 with RAID 1 .There is no 2ND  parition of Hard Disk .In this situation can I use External USB drive to clone the entire Hard Disk .If yes then which version of Nortion Ghost support external USB Drive?

again thanks in advance

@ mypass


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but is it possible to make " Partion -> To Partition " using C as source and E as desttaion  drive

As long as the E partition already exists, then this should be possible.


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2- In our server C drive is occupied for windows server 2003 with RAID 1 .There is no 2ND  parition of Hard Disk .In this situation can I use External USB drive to clone the entire Hard Disk .If yes then which version of Nortion Ghost support external USB Drive?

Support for USB external HDDs has been available since retail Ghost 2003 (Corporate Ghost 7.5)--but Ghost versions based on DOS have many compatibility issues--some can be worked around while others have not been resolvable--searching our forum will turn up many threads on this issue.

More recent versions of Ghost are more likely to have greater compatibility with newer hardware--so Corporate Ghost 8.x, 11.0 and 11.5 (all have built-in USB support as opposed to DOS drivers loaded during boot) have a greater possibility of success.

You never answered Christer's question--what version of Ghost are you using?

thanks a lot for the detail reply "NightOwl " and "Christer " as well .I appriciate for your guidance. Sorry I forgot to mention the norton ghost version in my last post. Well i am using Norton Ghost 11.5

At the end thanks to radified.com that it help me a lot in Norton Ghost. :)

@ mypass


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Well i am using Norton Ghost 11.5

Well, that's the most recent version--and it gives you a variety of possibilities.

You should have the DOS version of *ghost.exe* which must be loaded after booting to DOS.  The *ghost.exe* program is much larger than what fits on a 1.44 MB floppy disk--so the boot media had to be able to hold the program that's over 2.xx MB in size!  I think the *Ghost Boot Wizard* in v11.5 has the ability to create boot optical discs as well as boot flash drives--which if configured correctly will allow for boot to DOS from the boot sector--and then load *ghost.exe* from the data portion of the boot media.

There is also *ghost32.exe* which is the Ghost program designed to run from within Windows in a *command window*.  You can do all the Ghost procedures using that program, except restoring the OS partition from which you are running the *ghost32.exe* program.

I would be interested in knowing--does the Ghost Boot Wizard give you the option of creating a Windows PE boot disc (Pre-install Environment--i.e. like Barts PE or the Windows installation program that runs from the installation CD) that allows you to use *ghost32.exe* from that Windows PE environment--you have to be able to boot to either DOS and use the *ghost.exe* program, or boot to the WinPE in order to restore the OS partition using *ghost32.exe*.

Compatibility with USB can vary--as I mentioned before.  If your system is newer and the BIOS has the ability to boot from and/or mount USB storage devices (i.e. HDD or flashdrives), then there could be conflicts between the Ghost built-in USB DOS support and the BIOS's attempt to provide USB support.  You may have to make adjustments to the BIOS settings and/or turn off the Ghost USB support--only testing will show the problems--and then the trial and error setting of parameters begins!

Also, if you are going to *clone* the OS C:\ partition to another E:\ partition on the same HDD--I would do testing on a *non-production* machine, or use spare HDDs installed on the machine in question before going *live* on an important system!  Ghost, in some instances, if it is *cloning* a partition with the OS on it either to another partition on the same HDD, or to another HDD on the same machine, will set that cloned partition as *active*--in the past, having two active OS partitions on the machine had the potential to cause conflicts--the machine and Windows had an identity crisis that lead to corruption of the OS registry--I think Symantec has resolved that issue--but I would always want to be sure before assuming it will not be a problem.  I think the problem occurred on systems where the BIOS can boot from any HDD and/or any partition on a HDD--on older machines, that was not possible--only the first active partition on the *primary* HDD was bootable.  Just be prepared to recover from such an event!

Let us know how things work out!

thnaks "NightOwl" once again for the detail reply. Well the version of Norton Ghost which i am using i.e 11.5 works only in Dos mood by using a bootable cd. For windows xp or for windows server 2003  i doesn't know how which version of Norton Ghost should I buy.

   On the web I saw Ghost 14.I think it should be install on windows environment What do you suggest me for Norton Ghost that it is batter install on windows or use bootable cd to boot ghost from outside windows ?

Yes for testing for server I should 1st work on a separate Hard Disk .

The last thing I want to know is there any website from where I can download a free  bootable CD of Norton Ghost 11 or 12 version?

Thanks in advance for your valuable suggestions.

mypass

ghost11 and 14 both got ghost32.exe find it using search utility of windows
put it on a usb stick.
download vista PE from here or boot from your vista installation CD/DVD
http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download/
vista pe is hot plug so browse to usb drive(memory stick)and type ghost32.exe on command line
or better still if you down load A43,exe file manager and put it on your memory stick and double click that
and find ghost32.exe and double click it.
ghost32 .exe works without plugin in VistaPE

Microsoft have got their own imging software called imagex.exe (WAIK)and dism.exe (deployment image manager in windows7
it is file base imaging not like ghost which is sector base imaging
stick to ghost32 as it is better.if you mount vista pe and drop ghost32.exe in system32 folder
there is a way to call it from there some were
for mor info check 911cd forum .

regards Ben
:)