I DO apologize for this intrusion, but this is my last resort, after Dell’s “specialists” supported me so…
First, I will clarify that since purchase (Mid-March 2004) my Dell Dimension 8300 (P4@3ghz/1gbRAM;120gbHDD; XP home) has been kept carefully as a stand-alone system, not networked, even for the Internet I have been using my old workhorse Dell Dim 4100 = both in their ORIGINAL hardware configuration. Norton Antivirus has been regularly updated by a CD download (their latest file size is less than 6mb). Windows XP Home has been updated via MS’s free distribution CD Service Pack 2. All additional Software Programs have been installed in partitions separate from the C:\ (OSystem) which have been successfully created with PQ Partition Magic8.  No games have been installed on this machine, nor music nor any substantial data burden is littering the HDDrive, for I use it for heavy duty graphical work only, saving to CDs and DVDs. Of course I am keeping all original CDs and manuals that came with the system and am optimistic that in this first instance of Call For Help with your good advice I will be able to get it up and running once again.
The crash occurred the other day when I decided to make a Norton Ghost Image of C:\ Partition (or was the whole HDD? I don’t remember; neither if I was running it from the CD -which is possible - or have installed it -which is more probable) The 2003 version of NSW (Norton System Works) has been reviewed as working flawlessly from within Windows (XP included, for it handles NTFS File System too). I used to be more familiar with the 2002 Version of Ghost which was far more tricky to use; so I was happy to purchase NSW2003 as a step forward and before I applied it to my precious Dim8300 I made successfully a Ghost Image on 10 CDs of the whole HDDrive of my Dim 4100 and restored the image to and old junk HDDrive on a salvaged Gateway Performance 1000. With such experience (and before that with Ghost2002 running from a Floppy I tried to ghost an image of Dim8300 to 3 DVDs but this image fails to decompress: “Abort = 27076, corrupt packet length in compressed .IMG file”) I felt encouraged to try to image it again, with 2003, from the PC DOS (not the MS DOS) interface, as recommended on some forums. The system froze at Ghost’s initial proprietary full screen GUI interface = blue textured background only, without the BUTTONS, even without the “Quit” exit button. Neither reacts to Ctrl+Alt+Del to reset. In the absence of a Reset button on the Dim8300 the only thing to do is switch OFF button. It freezes again and again at every start-up with their long scroll “loading PC DOS ... “ etc. to the options “The previous operation has failed. Please enter the number of the action you wish to take: [1] Exit to Dos. [2] Return to Windows. [3] Retry the operation.” Then, in a few seconds: “Returning to Windows ...” and remains there forever, frozen.
My BIOS is set to boot from: 1.FDD; 2.CD ROM D; 3. HDD. So, I tried the two floppies that PowerQuest Partition Magic 8 recommends to make for a boot-up problems; and usually they really show all partitions and one can set a partition “ACTIVE” ans so on, really useful as such. But this time the response was “Partition table error # 113 found” with the only option the button for “Exit” after which comes the blinking DOS prompt for A:\>_.
I left it at that, afraid to damage other things. Haven’t tried the supplied by you MS WinXPHome+SP1 reinstallation CD for the two reasons: first, I hear MS have what they call “Activation” which is humiliating; second, my carefully customized WinXP with all software will probably get messed-up with a clean install...  Of course the useless MS Windows Rescue FDisks lead to clean install: “Load the original WindowsXP installation CD in drive ...” which I am not prepared to do ... yet. With the legendary Dell support I still hope that someone will think of a more clever way to get me out of this trouble. Please, PLEASE, take your time and advise me competently, I will appreciate this a lot. Thanks, best regards, Peter.

peter s. d.

It's not clear--did you install Ghost onto the system?  And did you run Ghost using the Windows interface to set Ghost up and then start the Ghost procedure?

If 'yes', then sounds like you may be 'trapped' in the virtual partition that Ghost 2003 creates if you run it from the Windows interface rather than from a DOS boot floppy.

See here:

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

and here:

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ghost.nsf/docid/2002102214015625?

and here:

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ghost.nsf/docid/2002092510522725?

and the various links in those FAQ's.

Let us know if this seems to be the problem and if it helps.

peter s. d.

Quote:


I'm pretty sure you're stuck in Ghost's 'virtual partition' based on your additional information.  In the links above it talks about using the 'ghreboot' program and that appears to be in the directory above.  Sounds like you are able to navigate to that directory and list the contents--should be able to run the program once there to see if that lets you out of the 'virtual partition' and back to Windows' partition.

peter s. d. -

When you have successfully squared things away, please share details of how you did it.  Such will add to the Knowledge Base of these forums.

peter s. d.

Good to hear everything's okay.

I got trapped in the virtual partition too awhile back.  But it was before I read about the ghreboot program.

My PartitionMagic v8.xx also did not work--I got an error message too (cant remember which one), and the program exited to the DOS prompt.

But I tried my old PartitionMagic v4.xx DOS rescue disk and although it reported an error, it still booted up and allowed my to switch the active partitiion back to the OS partition.

Since then, I found the information about ghreboot.

Ghost must create a 'non-standard' partition for its virtual partition that PartitionMagic v8.xx can not properly handle.

I spent some more time on the Symantec site and perused the support documents.  Clearly, one should read these documents BEFORE using ghost. 

Symanthec acctually admitts that:
"Ghost terminology can be confusing. For an introduction to terms such as cloning, imaging, loading, and dumping, see the section "Other terms""

Also:
"Ghost Virtual Partition
The Virtual Partition nearly eliminates the need to create a Ghost bootable floppy disk." 
Nearly, huh-ha, ha, ha

And:
"Ability to save image files to NTFS partitions [...]
Norton Ghost 2003 has been written to be able to access NTFS partitions to save image files, and to restore disks or partitions from image files.
Note, though, that Ghost can save only image files to local NTFS partitions, and not other types of files." 
So, the default operation with log files in addition to image files IS NOT compatible with NTSF.

Look also at this hidden deep in troubleshooting:
"Disconnect other USB devices that are connected to the computer. Because of the way the BIOS enables USB ports and the way these devices are detected by the USB drivers that Ghost uses, any additional USB devices may cause conflicts."
Wow, who doesn't use other USB devices?  I guess the USB keyboard/mouse is a recipe for disaster with Ghost.

Well, here is one remedy in an admittedly narrow circumstance - consider it a clue and then follow up on it.  When I wish to retain use of my USB keyboard while forcing USB 2.0 operations using a twin-floppy set of NightOwl's Panasonic Universal USB Driver, I add an to one of his lines in the config.sys file - voila':



As I understand it, '' means 'No reset', i.e., the legacy USB devices are exempted from the '/e' option which is forcing the USB 2.0 mode.

NightOwl -

I cannot recall the exact source, but I picked up on it while doing Google searches on .  While mulling over your inquiry, I found something for you at Response Number 13 pretty far down the thread at:

http://www.computing.net/dos/wwwboard/forum/13447.html

Quote:

Actually, my USB keyboard always works no matter what - despite all the Ghost warnings about it not being kosher.  It works flawlessly with the settings illustrated in my post upstream - and USB 2.0 speeds are consistently demonstated with a single exception involving my ByteccUSA enclosure and the systemboard USB 2.0 ports on my Dell Dimension 8300.