Radified Community Forums - Help with ghost 8.0 please

teddyz3737

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Help with ghost 8.0 please
Jul 22^nd, 2007 at 8:20pm

Hi all

Great to be a member of this forum. I am a ghost lover. Been using ghost ever since 6.0 came out, but never had to use switches before. Here is where my problem is....

About two weeks ago, my sister, on my moms Dell Dimension 3000, wiped out the partition. I did what I should not of done and repartition the drive more then once and also reformated the drive more then once(first partition 3.2gig FAT32 and second 36gig NTFS). Then I decided to take the drive out and connect it to my ASUS puter as an slave drive and try to get the ghost files back. I lucked out. I used the FAT32 version of GetDataBack and was able to get the Dell recovery back.

Now here is what I want to do to make it easy for my mom to recover here puter(she knows nothing about puters). I want to take the two spanned ghost files and put them on a boot DVD(I know how to do all of that) along with Ghost 8.0 and an autoexec.bat file. That way, when she puts the DVD into her drive, it will automatilly do the restore. Im not sure what the switches is to do that. I been looking all over the net for a long time now and no luck on the switches I need to use. So far here is what I got...

Two files....

FI.GHO
FI000001.GHS (these files is from version 8.0)

Inside of the recovery.bat file that I was able to get is....

ghost -clone,mode=prestore,src=c:\img\FI.GHO:1,dst=1:2 -batch -sure -quiet (I been working with these switches for a few days now and no luck).

What I want to do....

1. I want to repartition the HHD ( drive C: ), one partition and format it NTFS (I prob dont have to do that).

2. I want to put (edit) the switches in the autoexec.bat file.

3. I want to take ghost.exe, the 2 ghost files and the autoexec.bat file and put them in the root dir of the DVD ( drive D: ).

Can someone please help me out with this (the switches I need to type out in the autoexec.bat file)??? Im not sure what to type out. Im lost on this one.
I already know how to make the boot DVD (done it lots of times).

Please help.

Thanks,
TeddyZ

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NightOwl

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Re: Help with ghost 8.0 please
Reply #1 - Jul 22^nd, 2007 at 10:23pm

teddyz3737

Need to define the results you want more clearly.

It looks like you have Ghost 8.x to work with.

Do you know what's in the image set--i.e. is it of a single partition--or multiple partitions?

Quote:

Now here is what I want to do to make it easy for my mom to recover here puter(she knows nothing about puters).

Using that Dell *recovery* Ghost image will presumably take the computer back to the state it was when it was first purchased--you loose all your data and other programs that you have created and installed since you last restored--most folks would not consider that an *easy recovery*--is that really what you want to do for her?!

Quote:

1. I want to repartition the HHD ( drive C: ), one partition and format it NTFS

When you restore a Ghost image, the file system will be what was in use on the original source partition--so if the source was FAT 32, then the restored partition will be FAT 32 regardless of any formatting you do before hand.

Quote:

2. I want to put (edit) the switches in the autoexec.bat file.

That will be easy!

Quote:

3. I want to take ghost.exe, the 2 ghost files and the autoexec.bat file and put them in the root dir of the DVD ( drive D: ).

*autoexec.bat* can not be placed in the root directory of the optical disc--it has to go in the *hidden* boot sector of a bootable optical disc.

Quote:

ghost -clone,mode=prestore,src=c:\img\FI.GHO:1,dst=1:2 -batch -sure -quiet

Your *src* (source) has to be the DOS drive letter of your optical drive--you can control the drive letter of the optical drive using a command line switch for your *mscdexe.exe* program line.

*dst=1:2* says disk #1, partition #2--what is the layout you are planning? If you're going to use *partition to partition* restoring, you have to partition the HDD ahead of time.

Post your *config.sys* and your *autoexec.bat* along with the partition layout of the drive and I'm sure we can work through the details.

Do you know the original partition layout of the Dell--you might have to edit *boot.ini* for a different boot partition than what was on the original HDD.

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teddyz3737

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Re: Help with ghost 8.0 please
Reply #2 - Jul 23^rd, 2007 at 5:46am

To make things more understandable, I uploaded the complete recovery that GetBackData found, to rapidshare (all files except the two ghost image files. I dummied them instead. I got the original saved on my puter).

All these files that you will see, are off of an FAT32 3.2gig hidden partition (if im right, it was the first partition).

The boot.ini file that I think you are taking about (I got it from the inside the ghost file), looks like this...

[boot loader]
timeout=0
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

I hope you can help me figure this out and help me get some type of recovery for my mom.
I'm sorry for not being understandable. I got an learning disability and is a little slow on figuring things out sometimes. If you can figure it out for me, maybe a step by step tutor will help me out alot (understanding what I read is a big prob for me).

Here is where I uploaded the file to (it will be there for only a few days and I will have to delete it)...

h??p://rapidshare.com/files/44519230/MomsPute.zip

I will be here off and on to help.

Thank you alot,
Soft hearted TeddyZ

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NightOwl

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Re: Help with ghost 8.0 please
Reply #3 - Jul 23^rd, 2007 at 9:43am

teddyz3737

Quote:

To make things more understandable, I uploaded the complete recovery that GetBackData found

Two things--1. your stated goal probably has nothing to do with these other files you recovered using *GetBackData*, so I doubt they will help with understanding how to reach your goal, and 2. it's not considered *safe Internet surfing* to download files that are posted to the Internet unless one has a high level of confidence of the source--no offense meant, but we've just met Wink

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Quote:

The boot.ini file that I think you are taking about (I got it from the inside the ghost file), looks like this...

So, you must have used Ghost Explorer to mount that image file set--correct? What is the the *layout* seen when the image is mounted--does it show just one drive letter (i.e. one partition--probably C:\ -- and is the file system shown as NTFS?

Have you already recovered you mom's computer using that Ghost image set by running Ghost manually? Before attempting to create an *automated* recovery setup, you might want to know if a manual recovery even works!

Quote:

[boot loader]
timeout=0
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

It looks like the the OS is on a second partition based on the above *boot.ini*--and probably the recovery partition was, as you have stated, the 1st partition.

So, you want to create a new setup on your mom's computer where there will be a single partition--correct?. In this case you would run Ghost after booting to DOS, restore the Ghost image using *Local > Image > to Disk*. The system will not boot successfully because the *boot.ini* is telling the boot process to find partition #2--and you have eliminated that first recovery partition at this point--so there is no partition #2!

So, you need to edit the *boot.ini* file. You can use this free DOS program that will load and allow you to edit the *boot.ini* file form DOS: TeraByte Unlimited Freeware--See *EditBini*

Edit *boot.ini* so it points to partition #1:

Quote:

[boot loader]
timeout=0
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect

Save the changes, and now try re-booting the system--if all works as planned, now you have the system in the factory fresh setup, with the correct *boot.ini* file, so everything boots successfully.

You should then make a Ghost image of this HDD disk: *Local > Disk > to Image* before you do anything else--this will be the image file you want to use on your *automated* restore DVD! If you use the Ghost image you recovered from the original Dell recovery partition, its *boot.ini* will always need editing to point the correct boot partition.

Now, after completing the above steps, you need to post the *config.sys* and *autoexec.bat* boot files to this forum thread that you plan on using to boot the *auto-recovery* DVD, and then we can figure out the needed switches for Ghost to run from that disc.

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teddyz3737

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Re: Help with ghost 8.0 please
Reply #4 - Jul 23^rd, 2007 at 2:11pm

Quote:

So, you must have used Ghost Explorer to mount that image file set--correct? What is the the *layout* seen when the image is mounted--does it show just one drive letter (i.e. one partition--probably C:\ -- and is the file system shown as NTFS?

Have you already recovered you mom's computer using that Ghost image set by running Ghost manually? Before attempting to create an *automated* recovery setup, you might want to know if a manual recovery even works!

Yes I used ghost explorer, its one partition drive C:\ and it is NTFS. Something happens when I open the spanned ghost image in ghost explorer, a warning window shows up saying...

An NTFS partition is spanned over 2 segments of the image. Unless all segments are available at once, this may lead to excessive disk swapping. Do you wish to load this partition? Yes or No and I press the yes button.

And yes I did load dos up using my boot DVD and used ghost 8 to do a manual recovery(at that time I had two partitions on the HDD. But next time I redo the HDD I'm only going to do just the one NTFS partition the full size of the drive). It did work and the puter worked fine. I checked all the apps in Xp to make sure everything worked all right. But mom won't know how to do a manual recovery if my sister deletes the partition again.

I'll go ahead and recover the puter again using ghost (Local > Disk > from Image) and re edit the boot.ini using EditBini in dos and see if the system will re-boot. If it does, i'll make a new ghost image of the HHD (Local > Disk > to Image). Wait...Don't I have to change some options before I do this??? I know this new ghost image is going to be close to 3gigs. What options do I change???

And yes, i'll grab the config.sys and autoexec.bat file from my boot DVD and post them so you can see them and fix. I need to re edit some stuff in them before I post them. I got two files setup for my ASUS puter to format the D: drive I want to get rid of and the fdisk command I want to get rid of too.

Anyway, I got to goto bed and get some sleep. I work graveyards but I got tonight off. When I wake tonight, i'll check back.

Thank you,
TeddyZ

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teddyz3737

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Re: Help with ghost 8.0 please
Reply #5 - Jul 24^th, 2007 at 4:14am

I'm back awake now.

Ok...I did repartition the drive to a single partition (full size) and did a manual recover.
Then I edit the boot.ini and reboot the puter. Everything seems to be working fine.

From my last post yesterday:
Quote:

I'll go ahead and recover the puter again using ghost (Local > Disk > from Image) and re edit the boot.ini using EditBini in dos and see if the system will re-boot. If it does, i'll make a new ghost image of the HHD (Local > Disk > to Image). Wait...Don't I have to change some options before I do this??? I know this new ghost image is going to be close to 3gigs. What options do I change???

I'm going to wait before I create another ghost image.

Here is the autoexec.bat file (I used Winimage to extract this from the boot.ima file):
Quote:

@ECHO OFF
cls
MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001
cls

IF "%config%"=="GHOST" GOTO GHOST
IF "%config%"=="PROMPT" GOTO QUIT
echo.
GOTO QUIT

:GHOST
mouse
ghost
echo.
GOTO QUIT

:QUIT
echo.

Here is the config.sys file (I used Winimage to extract this from the boot.ima file):
Quote:

device=himem.sys /testmem:off
device=oakcdrom.sys /D:mscd001

[menu]
menuitem=GHOST, Recover Windows
menuitem=PROMPT, Exit and Goto Prompt
menudefault=PROMPT
menucolor=14,1

[GHOST]

[PROMPT]

[COMMON]
files=10
buffers=10
dos=high,umb

And I think you mite need to know what files is in the boot.ima file:
Quote:

Autoexec.bat
COMMAND.COM
Config.sys
DRVSPACE.BIN
Fdisk.exe
Format.com
ghost.exe
Himem.sys
IO.SYS
mouse.exe
MOUSEDRV.INI
Mscdex.exe
MSDOS.SYS
Oakcdrom.sys
Restart.com

Thanks,
TeddyZ :)

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NightOwl

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Re: Help with ghost 8.0 please
Reply #6 - Jul 24^th, 2007 at 8:21am

teddyz3737

Quote:

Wait...Don't I have to change some options before I do this??? I know this new ghost image is going to be close to 3gigs. What options do I change???

That amount of data will fit easily on a single DVD disc--so, no--you do not have to change anything from the default. You will get the *.gho* file that is about 2 GB, and the second spanned *.ghs* file with the rest of the data. Also, you do not appear to have any *special* use data in the HDD boot sector--so no special switches to backup or restore the boot sector are needed.

Based on what's been said previously, there are no partitions that DOS will assign a drive letter to when you boot your mom's system--so the first available drive letter for the optical drive should be *C:\*--is that the drive letter you wish to use for your Ghost command line? You can assign any other available drive letter using a switch in the *autoexec.bat* file for this line:

MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001

So, to make the optical drive *D:\*, which I presume it is assigned in WinXP, you could add this switch:

MSCDEX.EXE /D:mscd001 /L:D

You can change *D* above to any other drive letter that is not used by DOS during this boot session.

Quote:

And I think you mite need to know what files is in the boot.ima file:

All those files fit in the 1.44 MB boot sector for a bootable optical disc? Or, have you modified the boot sector to be a non-standard size of 2.44 MB or some other value?

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