Was having some issues with a SAN system, the vendor suggested a Windows reinstall (XPsp2), so before doing so, I used Ghost 2003 to image the drive before starting the reinstall (trying non-destructive).  

27 files written to the other hard drive (reserved for backup space), 26 at 2+gb and the last a lot smaller, but within the expectations of backing up 54+ gb.

The reinstall actually pooched the configuration (would not boot), so I pulled out my handy ghost boot disk, and attempted a restore.

At 57% I get a 25002 error, MFT corruption.  
PANIC!  FEAR!  DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY!

Used Ghost 2003 and Ghost 8.0 (borrowed) and the image files test clean.
Ghost Extract gives me corrupt error at 38%

Tried extract with -corrupt and still see the error
Tried extract with -ignoreindex - corrupt and after a couple of hours I get the error
Copied (dos with /V) the image files to a different drive (external USB), image tests clean but problem persists.



I am hoping if I can round up a copy of 8.2 that I can use the -NTEXACT switch and maybe the the image restored so I can at least recover documents.  The version of 8.0 I've borrowed doesn't have that switch.

I'll install everything else if I have to, but there are files I can't easily rebuild buried in that ghost.  Thankfully not my 11 GB of photos, or my email archive.

Any pointer or clues I'm missing?  I've been reading forums and tech support sites for the last 3 days.  I can get SOME files using Ghost Extract, but not the important ones.

Does Norton SystemWorks Premier 7.0 include Ghost 8.2?  I'd hate to throw $100 into a package which won't help.

The bad part is I used to do this all the time at work as a PC tech.  That is why I went this route.

I was restoring instead of troubleshooting the boot issue because a restore should have taken 20 minutes and let me try the rebuild another day.  SO much for THAT idea.

The original drive is an 80gb PATA unit, and I was trying to restore back to it, when that failed I turned to a 500gb External USB unit I have, I've tried restoring multiple times using 2003 or 8.0 to either drive.  I can tell you that going from USB with 8.0 is a lot faster than 2003.

I did the INTEGRITY check before trying the windows reinstall, which tested fine, and after the failure, and it still checked fine.  So I'm pretty sure the archive is ok.

I meant GHost Explorer.  On the version I've been using (the 8.0 version) I can watch the load status in the status bar at the bottom of the screen.  After the first attempt gave me a corruption dialog (I wasn't watching it directly, I was on the internet desperately trying to find a solution - and found this resource), I restarted it and watched it closely.  At "LOADING 38%" in the status bar the Explorer will pop up a "corrupt" error: 

"Corruption in image file, or media not present.  Not all files are shown"

This is the same with or without the -CORRUPT command line option.  It does a partial mount, I can see some of the files.  So I tried -IGNOREINDEX, and then both options.  Other than -ignoreindex caused the time to the error to take something like 2 hours, it is the same.

I noticed a change in the sound of the HD containing the image files about the time the error occurs (quiet click, like a reseek), so I formatted the 500gb USB drive (since it had a failed restore on it) and copied the image files over there from a command window using /V to verify the copy, verified the *integrity* of the archive with Ghost 8.0 and tried again restoring (worth a shot) and exploring from the USB drive, with the same result.

One one of the symantec commercial support forums I found mention of possibly using the -ntexact command line option to workaround 25002 errors.  The vesion of 8.0 I borrowed is too old to have that option, so I was thinking about somehow purchasing 8.2 *if* that will do the trick.

I do have access to a large (250GB) drive from another machine.  I can slave it and try to restore there, or I can pull the 80gb and replace it with this drive.

The PC had an 80gb drive (C) with all of the lost files.  The other drive was also an 80, instead of mirroring I was using it to keep ghost images (every month) and backing up my emails as a simple file copy every night.  Should've mirrored and taken the performance hit.

Unfortunately since it got to about 57% on the restore, I have little chance of recovering any of the files which were originally on the drive.

I will try again with Ghost 8.2 this evening. 

If that does not work, I've extracted what I can from Ghost Explorer (I will see if this version works better), and will have to chalk up the inaccessible files as *lost*, and stop trying to restore it and move on.  In that case I guess I will be doing a complete reinstall.  What a pain.

Then I think it's off to Microcenter for another 80gb drive, to CLONE instead of making image files, which ever way it goes. 

Ok, here's the good news.  Ghost 8.3.0.1331 restored the image file from the source on the USB external drive in around 30 minutes.  And there was much rejoicing!  The machine booted right back to exactly where it was when I backed it up in the first place, which is the point of ghosting for me anyhow!

I didn't even have to try the -ntexact switch.

As soon as NDD finshes and gives me the all-clear, I'm going to shut the thing down, go get a drive to use as a real clone, and clone the thing and NOT just image it.  I have a removable drive bay, and that clone will get pulled and stored in a fire-safe.

Thanks to you all for having the forum, and having all of these resources where they can be read!

Now I have to find where I can obtain a copy of 8.3.  Me Like!

cwatters

Good to hear you were successful!

Quote:

Most users of Ghost use image files for *backup* purposes--cloning disk-to-disk less often except when upgrading to a newer, larger HDD--image files can be moved via various methods, can be archived to optical media, and are compressed and take up less storage space, etc.

Your testing shows that images work on your system--but there was/is something else going on that is creating a *problem* during the restore to the destination HDD--probably a mis-match of data flow from one hardware device to another.  You could try other Ghost switches to alter the flow of data and how Ghost access the HDD controller such as *-fni*, etc.--see here:  Switches: Drive detection.

Quote:

I would swap the newly cloned HDD for the original HDD, removing the original source HDD and placing it in the *fire-safe* and using the new HDD going forward--proves that the cloned HDD is functional and protects the original until the next *backup* cycle--yes, more work, but....just how I would do it to make sure the *clone* is a good usable backup!--and, I would also use images for safe keeping, as well!