Update to this post:
I feel so dumb, the post:
"A Better USB 2.0 DOS Driver for Ghost + More!
« on: 17. Sep 2004 at 11:24 »"
appears to have all the info I need to try the better USB2 driver on my Ghost Boot CD. If it works, will delve into the other post that shows how to update the Ghost2003 Windows-XP USB2 driver with the better one.

Original Post follows:
Got tired of using the slow DVD burner image backup process & popped for a 250 Gig Western Digital USB2 external Hard drive with a single FAT32 partition (prices have come down to reasonable level on these little jewels).

The newest of our two PCs (both running WIN-XP) does not have a floppy. So used the Ghost boot floppy with USB2 support to make an "El Torito" Ghost CD boot disk (using Nero6SE on the older PC). I intend to store Backup images of each PC's hard drive on the new external drive.

The new Ghost CD boot disk works perfectly fine on the older PC & I'm able to see the new external drive in Ghost, and verify a Ghost image previously written, to the new external drive, with a Ghost session initiated from Windows-XP.

MY PROBLEM is with the other PC, a new Compaq (with USB2):

On the other PC, the Ghost CD boot disk boots OK and says it assigned a drive letter to the external USB2 hard drive. However, when Ghost2003 opens it hangs. If I remove the external USB2 drive Ghost starts just fine with the new Ghost Boot CD.

The external USB2 drive can also be seen and every thing looks OK when attempting to write a Ghost image to the external USB2 drive using Windows Ghost. Windows Ghost, during the backup setup process, indicates that the new external drive is accessable with USB2. However, in DOS, Ghost opens then also hangs after the DOS re-boot is initiated when coming from Ghost Windows.

Tried moving the external drive between all the different USB ports (thinking I might be on a USB1.1 card reader port) and that didnt work.

The new external USB2 drive can be seen and functions correctly in Windows XP on the new PC.

I've seen the post here on a more universally compatible USB2 DOS driver, but dont see the link on where to obtain it. I'm thinking that I'm missing something in my process here. Does anyone have an idea on how I can get Ghost to write an image to the external USB2 drive?

This is the log file for a failed Windows initiated backup session:

BackupOperation 0

-- GHOST\GSCRIPT.TXT ----------------------------------------------------------

[BackupOperation]
AlreadyProcessedFile = YES
BeginTimeParam = Fri Dec 16 19:32:40 2005
CompressionParam = 1
DestFingerprintParam = 60dc0d2c-096c-43b3-a962-5ab3beb2c00f
DestPartitionOffsetParam = 63
ExecutionStateParam = ExecutionStarted
FileIdParam = 129156
PathParam = \Compaq1\BOTHPA~1.GHO
SourceFingerprintParam = 339cf6e8-65db-485d-b6f9-2623caaf8b9c
UseImageDescriptionParam = YES
UseLFOParam = NO
WindowsPathParam = F:\Compaq1\BothPartns12-16-05.gho

-- GHOST\ARGS.TXT -------------------------------------------------------------

-igb -z1 -imgdescfile=\ghost\imgdescp.txt -wizard

"-clone,mode=create,src=@GF339cf6e8-65db-485d-b6f9-2623caaf8b9c,dst=@FIND[ID:129156]\Compaq1\BOT

HPA~1.GHO" -ghwrap
-- AUTOEXEC.BAT ---------------------------------------------------------------

@echo off
SET PATH=C:\GHOST;C:\
SET PROMPT=To return to Windows, type ghreboot and press Enter.$_$p$g
SET TZ=GHO+08:00
if "%CONFIG%" == "WINDOWS" goto WINDOWS
\GUEST.EXE
MOUSE.COM
CD \GHOST
GHWRAP.EXE
goto EOF

:WINDOWS
\GHOST\GHREBOOT.EXE

:EOF
-- CONFIG.SYS -----------------------------------------------------------------

[MENU]
menuitem=GHOST,Run Norton Ghost Dos Operation
menuitem=WINDOWS,Return to Windows without running Norton Ghost
menudefault=GHOST,3

[GHOST]
LASTDRIVE=Z
DEVICE = \USB\ASPIEHCI.SYS /int /all

[WINDOWS]

After a couple of days pulling my hair out on this one, I found that I can get GHOST to run with the external USB2 hard drive  ONLY when I start out in Windows GHOST and select the "GHOST Advanced" mode and "Run GHOST Interactively in DOS mode" option. So it appears the OEM GHOST USB driver works OK with my new USB2 external HD. Also, when using my GHOST boot CD, I see messages that  the external USB2 drive was successfully mounted,  and its been assigned a drive letter. However, when I run GHOST from the Boot CD it opens and hangs.

It appears my next step is to figure out how to do the "Interactive" start up of GHOST when using my GHOST Boot CD (that I create from a GHOST boot floppy that is imaged to CD using the "Create an El Torito Boot CD" option on my copy of NeroBurner).

I went thru the GHOST2003 manual section on invoking GHOST with command line switches, hoping I could find a ~"Start GHOST in interactive mode from DOS" option and no such luck!!

MY NEW QUESTION:
Do you or anyone on this board have an idea of how I can get GHOST to start in DOS in this "interactive" manner as it does when initiated from Windows GHOST.
I know this question literally sounds absurd, because GHOST normally opens in DOS and works interactively.

Thank you for getting back to me on this.  I will do everything you suggest and report back so that others may learn. Will check and compare the log file.

Answering your questions:

Yes, the Standard GHOST boot floppy (created with Windows GHOST) used to create the GHOST Bootable CD (for the flopply-less newer machine) works OK booting and running GHOST in DOS on the machine with a floppy. It fits on one floppy because I removed the config.sys device calls to the firewire driver which I also removed and dont need.

KEY PIECE OF INFO: The Ghost Bootable CD created from the Standard GHOST boot floppy ALSO boots and runs GHOST correctly on the slightly older machine with a floppy.
Also, created a second GHOST boot floppy (fits on one floppy, uses no himem.sys) and Boot CD (using the info in the post here) that uses the Panasonic USB2 driver and the external USB device driver. The second GHOST bootable CD also works correctly on the machine with the floppy.
However, NEITHER GHOST boot CDs work on the newer Compaq machine without a floppy. On the machine without floppy I'm getting error messages (that fly by the screen & cant read) on the GHOST Bootable CD that uses the Panasonic driver.
On both GHOST Bootable CDs, on the machine without a floppy, I get confirmations that the external USB2 hard drive has been "successfully installed" and a drive letter is assigned as F:, yet when GHOST opens it hangs.

The BIOS was set to "Floppy Not Installed", and 1st Boot Device was "Floppy". 2nd boot device was CD-ROM, then HDD.

Changed BIOS 1st boot device to CD-ROM, then tried enabling Floppy.  Got floppy read error at boot-up and it halted.  So, changed back to "Floppy Not Installed".

Got the GHOST CD Boot Disk created with Windows GHOST to work!!!

Not sure why, and I need to look into it further and clean up the autoexec.bat,...it appears that there might be a hardware timing issue where a small delay is needed so that GHOST can see the external USB hard drive when it starts. If it doesnt get this delay, GHOST hangs.  It may also be related to the other "do-all things for all devices" stuff in the GHOST "Standard Boot Disk" that is getting in the way.
Strange, the other PC, with a floppy, is not affected, and both GHOST CD Boot disks work without a hitch (different hardware timing, or??).

Tried the 2nd GHOST Boot CD with the Panasonic USB driver, and it still didnt work. Had to quit, before had time to figure out why it was still not working. Have to "pull the plug" & get to bed for work tomorrow.

I will look into this and report back by early next week.

You were a tremendous help, and I thank you for your patience. This is a really great Forum on GHOST, happy I found it!!

johnm

Quote:


*Set Time Zone=Gho+05:00*

The *GHO* can be any three letters, the next character is a plus or minus, and the last 4 characters are the number of hours different from Greenwich time.

Can be left off the boot disk--apparently the time/date stamp for the Ghost files, especially if being saved to NTFS partitions,  will be off by a certain amount if the system's BIOS time is not read correctly by Ghost.

Probably will not have any effect on the boot CD.

If you create that file system you have outlined in the last post on a floppy disk, does the floppy hold everything okay--i.e. less than 1.44 MB's?  I did a quick calc. and it seems that the floppy will probably hold it okay.

Quote:

In DOS, that's how it's going to be--the optical will not be assigned a drive letter unless you are loading DOS drivers to mount and assign a drive letter to an optical drive--for example--*oakcdrom.sys* in *config.sys* and *mscdexe.exe* in *autoexec.bat*.

Quote:

This is one of the 4 *SCSI CD/DVD* optical drive DOS drivers--not needed if you do not have *SCSI CD/DVD* drives.

You might want to try to edit out that line in the *config.sys* and see if that solves the error message that you have to abort out of:

Contents of Config.sys are:

DEVICE = usb\aspiehci.sys /int /all
DEVICE = aspi8u2.sys
LASTDRIVE = Z

I have similar prob, but different.

Only ASPIEHCI.SYS seems to work.
It works with no ASPI cd drivers.
Works without MSCDEX.EXE.

The external drives are found when drivers are loaded from floppy, but when Ghost is loaded, only the 2 internal CDRW?DVDRW drives show up (and hard drives). Internal drives are there, but not the USB drives.

Running MSCDEX just asigns letters to my CDROM drives (and the USB DVDRW), otherwise Ghost just labels them as @NEC 12345 (forget model) DVDRW

and @Liteon 12345 CDRW

MSCDEX also letters the USB DVDRW, but it doesn't show up in
Ghost.

ASPIEHCI.SYS finds both my USB 2.0 HDD case (I/O Magic)
   from windows device manager: VID_067B&PID_2507
(Internet search gave me "Prolific Technologies, Inc.")


and my I/O Magic USB 2.0 DVDRW Dual-Layer drive
   from windows device manager: VID_046E&PID_3005
(Internet search gave me "Dynexproducts" and "Behavior Tech Computer Corp")


I have tried different driver files, and even Ghost 8.0!

Ghost 2003 only sees NTFS partitions on my PC
Ghost 8.0 sees NTFS and Fat32.

This is not a typo, Ghost 8.0 read NTFS!
Ghost 2003 CAN NOT see FAT 32 in this configuration for some reason.

Of course I have 4 internal Hard drives installed:

SCSI\DISK&VEN_MAXTOR_6&PROD_L200P0&REV_BAJ4
(my newest installed drive. No Maxdrive on it, all NTFS)


SCSI\DISK&VEN_MAXTOR_6&PROD_Y160P0&REV_YAR4
   (uses Maxtor "Promise SATA"  card. LBA48 "Big Drive")
3 partitions with 133GB as NTFS,  30GB as FAT32, and 8GB FAT32.


IDE\DISKWDC_WD102AA (paid $120 new way back when!)
partitioned 9.5GB FAT32, 4GB unallocated (shows up in Ghost as E:[]  and can't write to it)


IDE\DISKWDC_WD800EB (my System Drive)
all 80GB as NTFS


Hard drive in USB case is:
USBSTOR\DISK&VEN_MAXTOR_6&PROD_L120P0&REV_BAJ4\0&0

Partitioned at  92GB NTFS and 22GB as FAT32


I have tried many different driver combinations, with partial success.

I have been using DROP2DOS as my default menu selection while testing.

Here is my Autoexec.bat:

@echo off
SET TZ=GHO-08:00
;GUEST.EXE
LH \MSCDEX.EXE /D:cd1
;LH \MSCDEX.EXE /D:cd2 /L:Y
LH \MSCDEX.EXE /D:USBCD001 /L:Y
MOUSE.COM OFF > NUL:
MOUSE.COM
;CD \GHOST
;GHWRAP.EXE

echo Loading...
cls

if %config% == FROMCD goto CDBOOT
if %config% == DROP2DOS goto DROP2DOS
goto FAILED

:FLPYBOOT
echo Insert Ghost boot disk 2 (containing Ghost.exe)
pause
if exist a:\ghost.exe goto GHOSTFND
goto FLPYBOOT
if exist X:\ghost.exe goto GHOSTFND
if exist X:\ghost\ghost.exe goto GHOSTFND
echo can't find ghost.exe... try another cd?
echo (first replace the cd, then hit a key)
pause
echo one more try, then exiting to DOS
echo so you can search for ghost.exe manualy.
if exist X:\ghost.exe goto GHOSTFND
if exist X:\ghost\ghost.exe goto GHOSTFND
goto DROP2DOS

:CDBOOT
echo Insert Ghost boot disk 2 (containing Ghost.exe)
pause
echo Looking in root directory...
if exist A:\ghost.exe goto GHOSTFND
if exist A:\ghost\ghost.exe goto GHOSTFND
if exist X:\ghost.exe goto GHOSTFND
if exist X:\ghost\ghost.exe goto GHOSTFND
echo can't find ghost.exe... try another cd?
echo (first replace the cd, then hit a key)
pause
echo one more try, then exiting to DOS
echo so you can search for ghost.exe manualy.
if exist X:\ghost.exe goto GHOSTFND
if exist X:\ghost\ghost.exe goto GHOSTFND
goto DROP2DOS

:GHOSTFND
echo Loading...
GHOST.EXE
goto END

:DROP2DOS
echo unable to find "ghost.exe"...
echo or you selected "DROP2DOS" from the boot menu...
echo Dropping to DOS prompt.
goto END

:FAILED
echo Unknown boot menu selection
goto END

:END
echo type dir/p for directory list
echo type cd:\foldername to change folders
echo type driveletter: to go to that drive. Example A:
echo or C: or D: or E: or F: or X:


Here is my Config.sys:

[menu]
; red letter on black background!
menucolor=4,0
menuitem=FROMFLPY, This computer was started from a Ghost boot floppy.
menuitem=FROMCD, This computer was started from a Ghost bootable CD.
menuitem=DROP2DOS, Go directly to the DOS prompt, and not run Ghost.
;menudefault=FROMCD,10
menudefault=DROP2DOS,8

[DROP2DOS]
DEVICEHIGH = ASPIEHCI.SYS /int /all
;DEVICE = ASPICD.SYS /D:CD1
DEVICEHIGH = USBCD.SYS /D:USBCD001
;DEVICEHIGH = OAKCDROM.SYS /D:cd1

[FROMFLPY]
LASTDRIVE=Z
DEVICEHIGH = ASPIEHCI.SYS /int /all
DEVICEHIGH = OAKCDROM.SYS /D:cd1
devicehigh = DI1000DD.SYS
devicehigh = USBCD.SYS /d:USBCD001

[FROMCD]
LASTDRIVE=Z
DEVICEHIGH = ASPIEHCI.SYS /int /all
DEVICEHIGH = \OAKCDROM.SYS /D:cd1
devicehigh = DI1000DD.SYS
devicehigh = USBCD.SYS /d:USBCD001

[COMMON]
DEVICE = MOUSE.SYS

THAT IS ALL OF IT. It has changed around some but this is how it is now.

I alternated between USBCD.SYS and ASPICD.SYS with no noticable difference. DI1000DD.SYS won't find anything.

with no ASPI drivers at all, my USB hard drive is found by ghost.

Legacy USB is turned on in bios. I have used both PS2 mouse and USB wireless optical mouse. Same results.

Yep, I loaded the mas$ storage first then atapi cd driver.

I tried disabling USB in BIOS last nigh (this morning? I went to bed at about 1:30 AM) and my floppy would not boot!

Well, I tried disabling ALL drivers in autoexec and config sys, and Guest loaded automaticly! I have guest on the floppy, also in virtpart. Guest command was rem'd so should not have loaded, unless Ghost actually called it.

OK, I'll list my files and alternate sys and bat files.


original autoexec:

@echo off
SET TZ=GHO+08:00
LH \MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001 /L:X
\GUEST.EXE
LH \MSCDEX.EXE /D:cd1 /D:cd2
MOUSE.COM OFF > NUL:
MOUSE.COM
;CD \GHOST
;GHWRAP.EXE
MOUSE.COM
echo Loading...
cls

if %config% == FROMFLPY goto FLPYBOOT
if %config% == FROMCD goto CDBOOT
if %config% == DOS_PROMPT goto DOS_PROMPT
goto FAILED

:FLPYBOOT
echo Insert Ghost boot disk 2 (containing Ghost.exe)
pause
if exist a:\ghost\ghost.exe goto GHOSTFND
goto FLPYBOOT

:CDBOOT
echo Insert Ghost boot disk 2 (containing Ghost.exe)
pause
if not exist b:\ghost\ghost.exe goto CDBOOT
b:
goto GHOSTFND

:GHOSTFND
cd \ghost
echo Loading...
GHOST.EXE
goto END

:DOS_PROMPT
X:

:FAILED
echo Unknown boot menu selection
goto END

:END



first config.sys:

[menu]
menucolor=4,0
menuitem=FROMFLPY, This computer was started from a Ghost boot disk
menuitem=FROMCD, This computer was started from a Ghost bootable CD
menuitem=DOS_PROMPT, Go directly to Dos and do your own thing!

[FROMFLPY]

[FROMCD]

[DOS_PROMPT]

[COMMON]
LASTDRIVE = Z
DEVICE = ASPIEHCI.SYS /int /all
DEVICE = ASPICD.SYS /D:cd2
DEVICE = OAKCDROM.SYS /D:cd1
DEVICE = MOUSE.SYS

kd6aaj

Quote:

Okay--several things:

1.  Ghost 2003 can both read and write to NTFS partitions--and to FAT 32 partitions!  I think you may be dealing with the *bug* in Ghost 2003 drop down scroll function box!

When you attempt to choose a source or destination drive or partition and you use the mouse to click on the down arrow for the selection box--it drops down--on my system, I get a max of eight drives or partitions listed, and has a scroll bar on the left side (if there are actually more than eight drives or partitions on the system), but dragging it down and/or clicking on the down arrow at the bottom of the scroll bar will not change the drive or partitions listed.

After clicking the down arrow to get the drop down menu box, you have to use the keyboard's *down arrow* key to get the highlighted drive or partition to proceed past the first eight items.

Ghost 2003 lists the NTFS partitions first, using a [drive #:partition #] designation--so like this:  1:1, 1:2, 2:1, 2:2, 2:3....etc..

Then if Ghost mounts any optical drives that it recognizes using its built-in ability to recognize compatible optical drives without using the DOS optical drive drivers, then they come next with *@CD-Rx drive name* designation where *x* is 1, 2, 3,... for the order that the optical drives are seen by Ghost.

Then any floppy drive(s) are listed next.

Then any FAT partitions.

And finally, if you have mounted any optical drives using DOS drivers that assign drive letters to the optical drive, they then come last.

That scroll function *bug* was fixed in Ghost 8.x!  I don't know if it existed in the Corporate equivalent to Ghost 2003, which was Ghost 7.5.

So, I'm betting your FAT 32 partitions are just too far down the list to be seen unless you use that *down arrow* keyboard key.

2.  I have started a new thread asking if anyone has used a USB Optical Writer to successfully create images from Ghost to optical media--

Ghost2003-Save image in DOS to USB-CDR

.

I'm betting that though the Ghost User Guide suggests that a USB optical writer drive can be used to create and store an image--I'm betting you can not actually write from Ghost in DOS to a USB optical writer.

If you read the User Manual on creating images to optical media, you will find a statement that say to the effect *reading from optical media vs writing to optical media are different functions that use different drivers*.  So, even if you can *read* from optical media--you may not be able to *write* to optical media on the same optical drive--if the drivers are not compatible with Ghost and the drive.

Only optical drives that show up in the *Destination* drop down selection box designated with *@CD-R1...drive's name* will be able to write a Ghost image--that designation means Ghost has identified that its writing driver is compatible with that optical writer drive.

But, your optical drive may show up in the image *Source* drop down box using the *@CD-R1...dirve's name* if Ghost's internal optical driver is able to *read* from that drive.

If your optical drive does not show up in either the *Destination* or *Source* drop down box, then your optical drive has not been seen by Ghost's internal optical drive driver as being compatible--and then you must use the DOS boot drivers for optical drives which assign a DOS drive letter to your optical drive--and then your optical drive should show up as that assigned drive letter--but only as a *Source* for an image--but not in the *Destination* for writing to--only drives seen by Ghost and given Ghost's *@CD-R1...drive name* designation can be written to.

Quote:

3.  Must be a USB floppy?