b00h_

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That's exactly what Ghost will allow you to do--if you have done everything correctly, and you have verified the integrity of the image, and made sure all hardware functions correctly with the Ghost software--but, it's a little nerve wracking the first time through--it helps if you have a spare HDD to practice on instead of your main HDD with the OS!

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Restoring the image will be the same as a reformat and restoring of the image files--so the only data that you have when you're done is what was saved to that backup image.

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I'm assuming you are referring to Ghost 2003, and not Ghost 9 or 10--because they do not have a 1.44 DOS boot floppy to run from--the DOS version of Ghost 2003 will do exactly what the Windows GUI of Ghost 2003 will do--the interface will be different--but the functions will be the same.

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Creating an image is benign--Ghost will not cause any harm to any data or settings--but, if you have a hardware/software incompatibility--you could get stuck in Ghost 2003's *virtual partition* if you are using its Windows GUI--see here for being prepared to deal with that: 

How to use GhReboot

Cannot start Windows after starting a Ghost 2003 task from Windows

How to restart the computer into Windows if a problem is encountered after running Ghost 2003

And some systems have SATA HDD's and have had some difficulties with Ghost 2003 in DOS--this may help to be prepared for that possibility: 

Re: Bootable cd without floppy

b00h_

When you restore an image--the partition that you restore to is *overwritten* as if you had just done a *re-format*--a *re-format* will wipe everything from that partition--then the image files will be restored--so any files you added between the time you created the image and the time you restore that image will *be gone*!