Problem: Ghost hangs at "Restoring NTFS MFT table" (that is at 0%) when I use a ghost boot dvd.

Background Info:
SATA HD Drive: Hitachi Deskstar 7K160 160GB
SATA DVD Drive: NEC AD-7170S
OS: Windows XP SP2
Ghost: 2003 Build 793
Ghost Parameters: -noide -fx -rb -sure
Partitions:
C: 40GB NTFS 1:1
D: 120GB NTFS 1:2

BootCD files:
autoexec.bat
command.com ==> MS DOS shell
config.sys
gcdrom.sys ==> "SATA CD/DVD-ROM driver for DOS" version 2.3. oakcdrom.sys doesn't work on my Sata dvd-rom.
ghost.exe ==> version 2003 build 793. Tried build 775 but same problem
himem.sys ==> something with memory
io.sys ==> default MS-DOS device drivers
jo.sys ==> for "press any key to boot from cd-rom..."
mouse.com ==> mouse driver
mscdex.exe ==> for DOS cd-rom parameters
msdos.sys ==> DOS kernel

autoexec.bat:
path=a:\;x:\
mouse.com
mscdex.exe /d:recovery /l:x
ghost.exe -clone,mode=prestore,src=x:\ghost.gho:1,dst=1:1 -noide -fx -rb -sure

config.sys:
device=himem.sys /testmem:off
dos=high
files=20
device=gcdrom.sys /d:recovery /C0
lastdrive=z

PS: When I use the same boot cd to restore an image from D: to C: it works just fine. So I think it has something to do with the cd-rom driver but I am not sure. I can call upon X:\ and I can also see the ghost image on the cd-rom so I really have no clue what is wrong.

please help. I am desperate. I asked this question on many different forums but nobody knows. You guys are my last hope :'(

Thank you for your reply, i am going to try that first thing in the morning.
I don't have a floppy drive but I think I can get one from somewhere.
I will let you know how it went.

hello again,
my nero setting is same except there is no tick in squares (relax restriction....)

the important setting is the boot Tab
the floppy you choose got to be a 1.44 boot floppy
or 2.88 boot image ie 2 floppies (floppt1 and 2)made into a bootable image made with WINIMAGE (google for free down load)

you can extract any bootable images from any bootable Cd using
ISOBUSTER again FREE utility both very powerful tools.

to burn ready made ISO to CD or DVD I use imgBurn (google it)
Free powerful utility much easier ti use than Nero as far as ISO burning is concerned.
I have been out of IT industry for few years so
to advise on things I got to read and go over my old notes, some dated.
but the above info is true and most armatures in bootable CD forum use them.

PS win 98 CD is also bootable and gives you access to CD rom drive.
and makes its own RAM drive so you get A:> prompt
here is a windows 98 boot disk floppy
http://www.postbox.wanadoo.co.uk/boot98se.exe
needs down loading to desk top and double clicking to make a bootable Floppy.

Regards Ben

AdvX

Nice job of reporting your setup and what you've done already!

Based on your testing and results, I suspect the problem is in the DOS SATA CD-ROM driver *gcdrom.sys*, and compatibility with the motherboard SATA controller and your SATA optical drive!

Basically, it looks like you are able to boot to DOS successfully, load the optical drivers and get a drive letter assigned to the drive, and load Ghost.  And once Ghost is loaded, it apparently can pull up the file directory on the optical disc.  It's when Ghost tries to access the file that something is failing--so that's where the troubleshooting needs to take place!

Can you add a HDD that has a FAT partition available--can you do a file transfer from the optical disc to the HDD in DOS, i.e. can the DOS SATA driver handle a straight forward i/o procedure that's unrelated to Ghost?

Have you tried communicating with the source of the driver?  I think you can find him here:  GCDROM for DOS.

You have apparently loaded Ghost manually and attempted the restore with the same results--can you load Ghost manually and test the image file on the optical disc using the *Integrity* check--can Ghost successfully do the *Integrity* check?

Some other things to try:

1.  Do you have to use the *-noide* switch?  Maybe try without that.

2.  Have you tried the *-fni* switch--that has helped some folks with SATA compatibility problems--but that may only apply to SATA HDD's and not optical drives!

3.  You could try *simplifying* your DOS setup by getting rid of the *dos=high* command, and/or eliminating the *device=himem.sys /testmem:off* command.

4.  Perhaps adding additional memory buffers to the *mscdex.exe* command line:  mscdex.exe /d:recovery /l:x /m:16

5.  You mentioned returning to IDE optical drives--is that an option on your system?--but perhaps a different SATA optical drive would work--not all optical drives are the same in terms of compatibility in DOS!?

It will be interesting to hear if you are able to resolve this issue successfully!

Hi NightOwl you don't know how much it means to me that you replied to me, I read so much about your work on boot cd and ghost. I pretty much read just about everything there is to read about Ghost and boot cd's. I even almost memorised the whole Ghost2003 manual. I don't want to give you to much credit but it feels like the Ghost "God" has replied to my desperate call for help.

NightOwl wrote on Nov 1^st, 2007 at 10:09am:

I think you are wright about that. gcdrom.sys is the only dos sata driver out there and there isn't much development being done with the driver. At least the website doesn't say.

NightOwl wrote on Nov 1^st, 2007 at 10:09am:

I can't agree more.

NightOwl wrote on Nov 1^st, 2007 at 10:09am:

That sounds like an awesome idea to test the gcdrom.sys driver. Or I can add a ntfs4dos driver to my bootdisk so I don't have to rearange the partitions again. I will let you know how it went.

NightOwl wrote on Nov 1^st, 2007 at 10:09am:

No, I haven't. I will do so if everything else fails.

NightOwl wrote on Nov 1^st, 2007 at 10:09am:

I just did a integrity check on the image on the dvd, It passed the test just fine. That is weird... so it can read from the ghost image on the dvd... wtf.

NightOwl wrote on Nov 1^st, 2007 at 10:09am:

Yes I have to, every time I don't use the -noide switch, the whole system freezes when ghost starts up.

NightOwl wrote on Nov 1^st, 2007 at 10:09am:

I have tried it. But it the system also freezes when ghost starts up. I have read somewhere on the symantec website that if you have both IDE and sata drives then you should use the "-fni" switch and if you only have sata drives you should use "-noide".

NightOwl wrote on Nov 1^st, 2007 at 10:09am:

Well the funny thing about this is that I started without it. But when investigating the example config of gcdrom.sys, it had those lines in there. So I decided to add "device=himem.sys" and "dos=high" to config.sys later on. but it didn't solve my problem.

NightOwl wrote on Nov 1^st, 2007 at 10:09am:

Same goes for "/m:16", I had it when I started but then later removed it because I didn't think I needed buffers for the cd-rom. What is it for anyway some sort of performance tweak? then why not "/m:30", that is 60kb in place of 32kb for buffers. I have like 2 GB of memory?

NightOwl wrote on Nov 1^st, 2007 at 10:09am:

Yeah I guess other sata drives could work, well my question would be: do you use a sata cd-drive and if yes, which one?

NightOwl wrote on Nov 1^st, 2007 at 10:09am:

It would be a miracle... I am already very gratefull for all the new pointers you gave me.

AdvX

Another option to try that I was reminded of from another thread:

Quote:

Maybe if you have that BIOS option it will solve the problem while using Ghost in DOS:  Re: Bootable cd without floppy