Radified Community Forums - Unable to find free MBR slot

airknocker

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	Unable to find free MBR slot May 1^st, 2006 at 9:57am I've done a couple of initial images on a new drive with multiple partitions (using the radified technique). Now I'm getting a message "Unable to find a free MBR slot in the virtual Partition DLL". Increasing the size of the virtual partition doesn't seem to help. Any help would be appreciated.
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NightOwl-

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Re: Unable to find free MBR slot
Reply #1 - May 1^st, 2006 at 10:13am

airknocker

Did you change your partition scheme since your last successful use of Ghost?

A HDD can have up to 4 *primary partitions* (i.e. four slots or positions available in the MBR). If you create an *extended partition*, that will use up one *primary partition*--you can have only one extended partition per HDD--but that partition can hold as many *logical partitions* as you have drive letters available without using up any more *primary* slots.

That error you mention occurs if you have used up all 4 MBR slots on the boot HDD--so Ghost can not create its *virtual partition* that it needs to do Ghosting from the Windows GUI version of Ghost.

You can still use a boot floppy or optical media to Ghost from DOS--because in that case Ghost does not create a *virtual partition* and so an open slot is not needed.

No question is stupid...but, possibly the answers are Wink

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(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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airknocker

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	Re: Unable to find free MBR slot Reply #2 - May 2^nd, 2006 at 2:33pm I had done previous images from the DOS version. I do have 4 primary partitions and didn't realize I needed a free one to use windows. Thanks
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Rad

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	Re: Unable to find free MBR slot Reply #3 - May 2^nd, 2006 at 4:37pm http://radified.com/blog/archives/000141.html
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airknocker

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	Re: Unable to find free MBR slot Reply #4 - May 2^nd, 2006 at 9:23pm Thanks! I'll keep doing my images from the DOS version.
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John.

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Re: Unable to find free MBR slot
Reply #5 - May 3^rd, 2006 at 1:31pm

NightOwl wrote on May 1^st, 2006 at 10:13am:

That error you mention occurs if you have used up all 4 MBR slots on the boot HDD--so Ghost can not create its *virtual partition* that it needs to do Ghosting from the Windows GUI version of Ghost.
You can still use a boot floppy or optical media to Ghost from DOS--because in that case Ghost does not create a *virtual partition* and so an open slot is not needed.

Just to clarify for me (and maybe airknocker) the version(s) of Ghost that create a *virtual partion* are Ghost 8 or 7?

And NOT the current Windows versions of Ghost, Ghost 9, 10, and Save & Restore?

The reason why I asked is because of airknocker's last statement:

Quote:

Thanks! I'll keep doing my images from the DOS version.

Ghost4me Ghost 9, 10, 12, 14, 15. Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7

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NightOwl

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Re: Unable to find free MBR slot
Reply #6 - May 3^rd, 2006 at 6:10pm

Ghost4me

The *virtual partition* is a feature that showed up when DOS based Ghost was given a Windows GUI. I believe that happened with Ghost 2003. Prior to that, I think Ghost did not have the Windows GUI where you could set up your Ghost procedure.

The retail version was Ghost 2003, and the equivalent corporate version is 7.x.

The corporate Ghost 8.x would have probably been the retail Ghost 2004--but that retail version never came out. The next retail version was Ghost 9.x and since then, Ghost 10.x.

The corporate Ghost 8.x appears to be still supported by Symantec for its corporate customers, being as Ghost 8.3 was recently release (well 3 or 4 months ago I think). I do not know if Ghost 8.x still uses the Windows GUI with the option of shutting down Windows, booting to DOS, and then booting back to Windows--if it does, then I would assume it still uses the *virtual partition* in its routine. But I suspect it does being as there is a DOS *ghost.exe* still being updated.

Ghost 8.x also has a 32-bit version that runs under Windows in a *command Window*--but it can not image the current running OS partition--only all other partitions--so no *hot imaging*. That version is not creating a *virtual partition*.

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John.

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Re: Unable to find free MBR slot
Reply #7 - May 3^rd, 2006 at 6:28pm

What I recall is that Drive Image (predecessor of Ghost 9) and older versions of Ghost used the technique you described so you could "setup" the imaging in Windows, but then the mbr was modified, and a reboot triggered to boot from a virtual diskette or virtual partition image to accomplish the actual backup in DOS.

But wanted to clarify that now you do NOT need to use the DOS Ghost versions just because you have all 4 mbr slots in use with Windows versions of Ghost 9, 10, etc.

I think that was airknocker's implied question/statement.

Summary: Even if you have all 4 mbr slots in use, the Windows versions of Ghost 9, 10, Save & Restore can be used. Agree?

Ghost4me Ghost 9, 10, 12, 14, 15. Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7

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NightOwl

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	Re: Unable to find free MBR slot Reply #8 - May 3^rd, 2006 at 7:17pm Ghost4me Quote: Even if you have all 4 mbr slots in use, the Windows versions of Ghost 9, 10, Save & Restore can be used. I can't say for 100 %, but because you do not drop to DOS--I'm pretty sure that no virtual partition is created, and there is no MBR issue of needing an available unused slot.
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Brian

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	Re: Unable to find free MBR slot Reply #9 - May 3^rd, 2006 at 7:25pm I'm pretty sure I used Drive Image 7 on a previous computer with 4 primary partitions.
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John.

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	Re: Unable to find free MBR slot Reply #10 - May 3^rd, 2006 at 7:57pm Airknocker: Quote: Thanks! I'll keep doing my images from the DOS version. Thanks. I just wanted to clairfy for airknocker that even if all 4 of his mbr slots are in use, he CAN use the Windows versions of Ghost 9, 10, or S&R.
	Ghost4me Ghost 9, 10, 12, 14, 15. Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 IP Logged

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