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Norton Ghost (Read 152559 times)
shadowjuan
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Norton Ghost
May 18th, 2005 at 1:37pm
 
Hello everybody! I'll explain this shortly, i've asked moments ago to Rad but I'd like to ask litte more questions because as he says "don't know about bootable CDs"

Well, it's easy problem hard solution (to me). I have Norton Ghost and this is what I want to do.

I have two drives (C:\ and D:\, 40 and 120GB), I use the small one for SYSTEM files and the second one (the biggest) for data. I want to do this: usually my PC stops working well and I must format and re-install... it can take LOTS of hours. I chose Ghost as a way to simply restore partition. Now, this is the problem I have: is there any way to (once 'c:-image', c_drive.gho created) have the drive image created, burn it on a bootable DVD, together with ghost.exe (these two files in a DVD, no matter about .gho size) ? Is DVD allowed to boot at startup????? I'd like to insert DVD, start MS-DOS environment, start ghost.exe and restore the image, that's all. What have I got to do? I have tried W98 boot disk and Ghost worked well, so I have the bootable sectors. Well, if that's possible, ok. Is necessary ghost.env ? Ghost worked well wtihout it.
And I'd like to ask a last thing: could it be possible to make in that bootable DVD any kind of file (such as a .bat, .com, .ini) file to 'simply' start ghost and automatically restore my image to drive 2:1 (2nd drive, partition 1, or 0, don't remember) ? if a .bat is useful, I can include too ghreboot to reboot my system too, can't I?

If not possible, simply a boot disk and a Ghost diskette and ready to go but I'd like to know this.

Thanks in advance!

shadowjuan
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Re: Norton Ghost
Reply #1 - May 18th, 2005 at 3:39pm
 
shadowjuan

Which version of Ghost are you using?

Are you wanting to do this from within the Window interface for Ghost?  Or are you wanting to do this from the DOS version of Ghost?

Ghost 2003 will create a simple bootable CD/DVD if you tell it to when asked during image creation if you use Ghost to burn directly to your optical writer.

If you want to create the image to a HDD first, and then burn it to DVD later, then it's a little more complicated.

What have you tried so far?
 

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shadowjuan
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Re: Norton Ghost
Reply #2 - May 19th, 2005 at 6:57am
 
I have the v2003, mainly I'll use the DOS application because "files are active in current partition" (C:\) and don't like how this sounds if I want to backup while using other programs that modify .ini files and so on. So I use DOS ghost.exe.

Now I want burn my_unit.gho + ghost.exe in a bootable DVD. So I ask if a bootable DVD is possible (I've never tried it before and maybe DOS had problems in DVD-Drives recognition? Don't know) and how to make a DVD in this wasy if possible: just insert DVD in drive, and automatically start restoring to an exact partition (C:\ in my HDD1 unit, if HDD0 is my data 'D:\' HDD, but no worry about that now) without prompting. I know this is more complex to do and I'm asking how.
I still have to keep testing ghost.exe options and so on because of my work I have to have my PC always active long time and can't go wandering a lot of time making experiences because I can not exepnd lots of time trying to do things. And, BTW, have to say that backitup from Nero has destroyed several DVDs and ALWAYS returned errors when backing up - so I try Norton now.

TAL!
 
 
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Re: Norton Ghost
Reply #3 - May 20th, 2005 at 3:29am
 
shadowjuan

Quote:
(I've never tried it before and maybe DOS had problems in DVD-Drives recognition? Don't know)


Well, that's the first step--to 'try it'.

Sounds like you have a floppy drive, and can create boot floppy disks.  Try making a Standard Ghost Boot Disk to floppy.  Re-boot to DOS with that floppy which will bring up Ghost's DOS interface.

Choose disk or partition-to image, select the disk or partition as the source, and then you come to selecting a destination--if your optical writer is listed (i.e.--Ghost sees your optical drive and lists it as a possible destination--that means Ghost most likely is compatible with that drive), and you select it, you will be asked by Ghost if you want to make it bootable.  Say 'yes' and Ghost will prompt you to make sure that boot floppy is in the floppy drive.  Continue, and when done, that optical media will be bootable, with Ghost on it. 

Make sure your system is set up to boot from the optical drive, and re-boot and test out the bootable optical disk.

Quote:
how to make a DVD in this wasy if possible: just insert DVD in drive, and automatically start restoring to an exact partition (C:\ in my HDD1 unit, if HDD0 is my data 'D:\' HDD, but no worry about that now) without prompting.


Yes--that is more complicated.  You need to edit the autoexec.bat and config.sys files on your boot floppy disk with Ghost command line switches to automate a recovery image from optical media, or from a HDD image for that matter.  The commands have to be customized specifically to your system regarding how Ghosts identifies each drive--optical and HDD's.  Here are references that point you in the right direction:

http://ghost.radified.com/ghost_4.htm

Read up on 'batch' files.

http://radified.com/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB.cgi?board=general;action=display;num=10976...

The above thread has a fairly complicated menu batch file starting from reply #10 and onward.

http://users.pandora.be/satcp/ghostresq01.htm

Towards the end of the above webpage, there is an outline on automating a restore.
 

No question is stupid...but, possibly the answers are  Wink !
(This is an old *NightOwl* user account--not in current use.  Current account is NightOwl without a dash at the end.)
 
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shadowjuan
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Re: Norton Ghost
Reply #4 - May 20th, 2005 at 9:35am
 
I'll try to make several things and will post here results, anyway Cheesy
 
 
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shadowjuan
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Re: Norton Ghost
Reply #5 - May 23rd, 2005 at 9:01am
 
Well, I know many people has solved this already, but here are my experiments' results:

a) I made an image (.gho+.ghs) of my HDD, correctly, in a extra partition.

b) burned a DVD -bootable (with a mixed but efficient boot disk) with: the .gho and the .ghs, and ghost.exe. (from Nero)

C) Did not worked Sad Ghost said "this is not a Ghost image" or "Not created with Ghost" Sad

d) Tried burning the image with ghost.exe but said me "media error", try with another kind of media Sad:(Sad:( Today I must go and buy various types of DVD, some brands, to see which one works... I can tell you that BulkPaq "oreange DVDs" don't work, neither Princo 1x-4x "white" Sad

bye2
 
 
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Re: Norton Ghost
Reply #6 - May 23rd, 2005 at 11:26am
 
shadowjuan

Quote:
b) burned a DVD -bootable (with a mixed but efficient boot disk) with: the .gho and the .ghs, and ghost.exe. (from Nero)


Explain '
(with a mixed but efficient boot disk)
'?  What drivers are loaded by the boot disk?  You need to be sure the DOS CD-ROM driver 'mscdex.exe' is loaded in autoexec.bat and a 'universal' CD-ROM drive mounting program is loaded by configs.sys--such as 'oakcdrom.sys'.

Quote:
C) Did not worked  Ghost said "this is not a Ghost image" or "Not created with Ghost"


This is a Ghost program limitation that is not well explained in the documents.  If you use Ghost to directly burn an image to optical media, then the Ghost program using the 'Standard Ghost Boot Disk' will recognize and use the image file.  Ghost's built-in ability to access the optical drive functions correctly.

But, if you save an image to the HDD first, and later burn that image to optical media with a third party burning program, Ghost can not use it's internal optical drive mounting ability.  You have to use a boot disk that has DOS drivers that 'mount' the optical drive (example--oakcdrom.sys), and then assigns a drive letter to the mounted drive (example--mscdex.exe).  Once this is done, that image on the optical media can be read by Ghost just fine!

Instead of the 'Standard Ghost Boot Disk', you have to use the 'CD/DVD Startup Disk with Ghost'--this two disk set will load 'universal' drivers to mount optical drives and assign drive letters to those mounted drives.

If you are comfortable with editing a couple files and copying files to a floppy, you can modify the 'Standard Ghost Boot Disk' on the floppy so it loads those DOS drivers, and keep the boot disk a single boot disk, and not a 2-disk set.

I'm assuming you have installed Ghost 2003 into Windows--

1.  Using Windows Explorer, in WinXP, look here for the needed DOS drivers:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Symantec\Ghost\Template\common

You will find 'oakcdrom.sys' and 'mscdex.exe' in that directory.

Copy those two files to the 'Standard Ghost Boot Disk' in the floppy drive.

2.  Using Windows' NotePad program, open the CONFIG.SYS file on the 'Standard Ghost Boot Disk', and 'copy-and-paste' the following text line into the CONFIG.SYS document on its own separate line before the last line that should read 'lastdrive=z':

device=oakcdrom.sys /d:nightowl

Save CONFIG.SYS back to the 'Standard Ghost Boot Disk'.

3.  Using Windows' NotePad program, open the AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the 'Standard Ghost Boot Disk', and 'copy-and-paste' the following text line into the AUTOEXEC.BAT document on its own separate line before the line that says 'CD Ghost':

mscdex.exe /d:nightowl /l:x /m:16 /v

(The above line will assign the drive letter 'X:' to the first optical drive the system sees.  If you have additional optical drives, they will get 'Y:' and 'Z:'.  If you wish to have your optical drive start with a different letter, change the '/l:x' switch to a different letter.  For example, if you want your optical drive to be E:, change '/l:x' to '/l:e' instead.)


Save AUTOEXEC.BAT back to the 'Standard Ghost Boot Disk'.

This modified 'Standard Ghost Boot Disk' should be able to mount and read Ghost images burned by third party burning programs, and is still a single boot disk solution.
 

No question is stupid...but, possibly the answers are  Wink !
(This is an old *NightOwl* user account--not in current use.  Current account is NightOwl without a dash at the end.)
 
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shadowjuan
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Re: Norton Ghost
Reply #7 - May 24th, 2005 at 1:20pm
 
Thanks for the instructions; I'll try to do that at home (i'm not there now).

Well, I know that if I create an image to HDD then burn it to DVD it does not work... Sad

With a 'mixed' boot disk I mean, I created a WXP boot disk. I saw autoexec.bat actually doesn't load certain files (in my case, keybXXX.??? and keybXX2.??? (don't remember names now) and two or three more files. I simply deleted them, and placed an old mouse.com driver to be loaded to have a mouse in ghost (this mouse behavior sux, but before this i had no mouse), and now I have space enough to place ghost.exe, all in a diskette.

Well, I have bought a DVD-RW (my drive should support it, but I don't know why Nero says "no disk" :_  ) and a Verbatim DVD-R 4x but Ghost still says wrong media... WHY????? Sad Now I'll try to follow the instructions just gave me and if not, wth, I have already done a partition with a C:\ image and I'll keep it there, without letter in order to not appear in My Computer, and if I need anything, just start my Ghost diskette and go. A last question, what do you think that is more practical, having a 5GB image -no compressed- and restore it in 5', or have a 3 GB image -high compression- and restore it in 25', if my HDD is a 37 *real* GB drive...?
 
 
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Ian Wilkinson
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Re: Norton Ghost
Reply #8 - Nov 8th, 2005 at 11:42am
 
Here is a solution to creating Bootable System Restore DVD's using Norton Ghost any Version. and Ahead Nero Burning Rom.
Not Nero Express.

========================================
1. Start with a Windows ME boot disk and keep only these files

AUTOEXEC.BAT
CD1.SYS
CONFIG.SYS
MOUSE.COM (get this from disk 1 of a ghost boot floppy)
MOUSE.INI (get this from disk 1 of a ghost boot floppy)
MSCDEX.EXE
IO.SYS
MSDOS.SYS
COMMAND.COM

========================================

2. Change your autoexec.bat using notepad to match the following:

@echo off

MSCDEX.EXE  /D:tomato /L:R
SET TZ=GHO+08:00
prompt $p$g
MOUSE.COM
for %%i in (r:\*.gho) do set image=%%i
echo Loading...
\ghost\ghost.exe -clone,mode=load,src=%image%,dst=1

3. Change your config.sys using notepad to match the following:

FILES=30
BUFFERS=20
DEVICE=cd1.SYS /D:tomato
LASTDRIVE=Z

4. Make an image of your floppy using WinImage
a. Open WinImage then click on Disk | Read Disk
b. Click on Image | Change Format and select 2.88
c. Drag and Drop the Ghost folder including ghost.exe from disk 2 of a ghost boot disk set
d. save your image as a .ima image

MAKING CD1 YOUR BOOTABLE DVD
===========================
1. Open Ahead Nero Burning ROM and choose bootable DVD "DVD-ROM (Boot)"
2. From the boot tab put a check in image file and browse to your .ima file
3. Put a check in "enable expert settings" and change emulation to 2.88
4. Click on new
5. Drag and drop the *.gho image from ghost
6. Burn your DVD

This works great for me everytime.

Kind regards
Ian
 
 
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Re: Norton Ghost
Reply #9 - Nov 8th, 2005 at 1:41pm
 
This looks like something that should go in the guide no?
 
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Re: Norton Ghost
Reply #10 - Dec 29th, 2005 at 1:31pm
 
I get a write failure error to A drive when I use this process.
Any thoughts?

 
 
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Re: Norton Ghost
Reply #11 - Jan 8th, 2006 at 3:11pm
 
I get General failure reading drive A

If I Retry(r) I get Program too big to fit in memory

I wonder if instead of cd1.sys we need a different .sys for DVD drives reading DVD discs? Beats me *shrug*
 
 
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Re: Norton Ghost
Reply #12 - Jan 8th, 2006 at 4:03pm
 
I figured it out. Find a dvd drive driver for dos (a *.sys) and put it into your *.ima file. Make sure you change the config.sys file to DEVICE=dosdvd.sys(or whatever yours is) instead of DEVICE=cd1.sys
 
 
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Re: Norton Ghost
Reply #13 - Nov 18th, 2007 at 8:22am
 
Quote:
Here is a solution to creating Bootable System Restore DVD's using Norton Ghost any Version. and Ahead Nero Burning Rom.
Not Nero Express.

========================================
1. Start with a Windows ME boot disk and keep only these files

AUTOEXEC.BAT
CD1.SYS
CONFIG.SYS
MOUSE.COM (get this from disk 1 of a ghost boot floppy)
MOUSE.INI (get this from disk 1 of a ghost boot floppy)
MSCDEX.EXE
IO.SYS
MSDOS.SYS
COMMAND.COM

========================================


I can't seem to find the files in Windows ME startup disk. Any can sent me a copy of those files?

Thanks
 
 
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Re: Norton Ghost
Reply #14 - Nov 18th, 2007 at 8:58am
 
nemo1

You can find WinME boot floppy disk creator file in Rad's download page (it's the *FDISK floopy* file:

Downloadable Files


And *bootdisk.com* has files that will create the WinME boot floppy disk:

Boot Disks

Here's a new source that has both floppy disk creating files and bootable CD ISO files:

Boot floopy disks and ISO files for bootable CD discs from Allbootdisks.com

 

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