Here are some brief instructions on creating and restoring Ghost 9 images over a home network. It’s really not much different from using Ghost 9 on a single computer. The computer being imaged or restored has to be cabled to the router but other computers on the network can be wireless.

( 28 Sept: Imaging can be done from a wireless computer. Non system partitions can be restored to a wireless computer. It's only Recovery Environment procedures that need to be cabled.)

Ghost 9 can only create images from Windows (not from the Recovery Environment) and can only restore system partitions from the  RE. Non system partitions can be restored from Windows or the RE.

It’s worth trying the Map Network Drive feature in the RE just to confirm that the Ghost 9 CD has drivers for your network card. If you can map a drive it’s OK. If you can’t map a drive then you need to use the BartPE/ Ghost 9 CD as you can add your own drivers.

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Creating an image

Before starting Ghost 9, make sure your Mapped network drive(s) is connected and visible in Windows.

Start Ghost 9 and choose “Back Up Drive”
Choose the drive to backup (ie the drive to be imaged)
In Backup Location, select Network file
Don’t click Browse
In the “Network Folder to store backup images” field, type the drive letter of your Mapped drive eg S:
If you get a "Connect As" window, enter your Workgroup in the Domain field and also username and password.
Click Next
Continue the wizard



Restoring an image from Windows

Before starting Ghost 9, make sure your Mapped network drive(s) is connected and visible in Windows.

Start Ghost 9 and choose “Restore a Drive”
In the “Backup Image to Restore” window choose Network file and click Browse
Click the drop down arrow in “Look in”
Choose your Mapped Drive and navigate to your image
Click Next
Continue the wizard



Restoring an image from the Recovery Environment

Boot to the RE
Click Yes for Networking
Click and adjust Time Zone
Click Advanced Recovery Tasks
Click Utilities
Click Map Network Drive (this maps a drive on the other computer)
Don’t click Browse
In the Folder field, add your network share as \\computername\share  (The other computer)
Instead of the computername you can type the NIC IP address of the other computer (if it has a static IP address) eg \\192.168.1.6\share
Enter Username and password when requested
Click “System Restore”
Choose Restore Drives
Choose Single drive (or other choice)
Click Browse
Click the drop down arrow in “Look in”
Don’t click My Network Places
Choose your Mapped Drive and navigate to your image
Choose Restore Destination
Continue the wizard


PS If you aren't using a router to connect your computers for the RE operation, then a few changes are needed. First, have a static IP address for the NIC in your other computer.
After clicking Utilities
Click Configure IP Address (this is for the computer containing the Ghost 9 CD)
Click Modify (for IP#1) and assign an appropriate IP address and subnet mask address (not the same address as the other computer)
If it won't let you modify #1, then modify #2 with an IP address. If your present computer has a static IP address, use that number, but it doesn't have to be the exact same number, just in the same range.
Click Map Network Drive
In the Folder field type the NIC IP address of the other computer eg \\192.168.1.6\share
( \\computername\share doesn't work without a router)
Continue as above

I realize it will be a rarely used technique but a few may benefit. I rarely use it myself although it's nice to know that it is possible.

Thanks Rad. Yes, glorious Lennox Head, Australia. I'm just watching the humpbacks swimming north to spend summer and breed in southern Queensland.

Can any one tell me if I able to download this Recovery Environment CD in any website? thanks for any instruction.

Not with Ghost 9. Symantec has several LiveState Recovery Server versions that probably do what you desire.

I haven't used the Server version. Ghost 9 won't do this.

Bob,

Glad to see someone is trying this.

I have the same username on each computer and the same password on each computer. You know I don't mean that the username is the same as the password. I tried following my instructions tonight and the same window popped up that you described. I haven't see it before. In "Domain" I typed my Workgroup, also typed my username and password and it accepted the info and moved on. I closed Ghost, restarted Ghost and my instructions again but this time there was no popup. It worked as per my instructions. A mystery.

So with your normal username on each computer I'd add the same password to each computer. Reboot each computer. Let us know if that works.

Bob,

I tried it again today and I get the "Connect As" window on the first Ghost attempt after a reboot. I didn't get that window when I wrote the instructions. I'll edit.

I'm using WinXP Pro. I can see the contents of the mapped drive before I open Ghost. Ghost 9 won't image to a shared folder. It has to be a mapped drive. It sounds like you are doing the same as me except that it won't accept your user info.

If you can't sort it out then a work-around is to image across the network with a Reatogo BartPE/Ghost 9 CD. It should only take you 15 to 30 minutes to make the CD. 10 minutes when you are experienced.

http://radified.com/cgi-bin/YaBB/YaBB.cgi?board=general;action=display;num=11192...

The disadvantage is that you have to boot to the CD instead of imaging from Windows, but it does work.



PS Now Ghost 9 will image to a shared folder. Confusing. It's variable.