You can use the disc to do BartPE type operations such a copy/paste between partitions and delete files.

Boot from a Win7 DVD
On the Install now window, click Repair your computer
After the search completes, click Load Drivers, plug in your USB drive if needed, click OK.
Navigate to your file. Use Right click menu for Copy then Right click menu for Paste
If it is a big file you will see a rotating ring while it is copying. Just wait.
Cancel "Open"
Cancel "Add Drivers"
Close "System Recovery Options"
Close "Install Windows". Yes to cancel Windows installation


Say Ghost 2003 can't see a .gho file stored on a USB flash drive or external HD and you really want to restore the image. Ghost32.exe is needed. (If you have Ghost 9 or 10 you can extract ghost32.exe) Put it on a USB flash drive.

Boot from a Win7 DVD
On the Install now window, click Repair your computer
After the search completes, click Load Drivers, plug in your USB flash drive and external HD, click OK.
Navigate to ghost32 (no extensions are shown) on the flash drive. Now the secret. Right click ghost32 and choose Run as administrator.
Cancel "Open"
Cancel "Add Drivers"
Close "System Recovery Options"
Minimize "Install now"

Ghost32 is now ready to use.

One of the nice enhancements of a Vista or Win7 DVD is the ability to boot from DVD to a regular command prompt window, from which you can run 32-bit executables.  I've used an alternative approach to Brian's in which I boot to a command prompt window and launch ghost32.exe from the command line.  One of the advantages to this method is you have the opportunity to use command-line options (such as the -split option, which I use routinely).

For those who need something visual, I have a webpage that may help give you a sense of what Brian is talking about.  Although the webpage is about Vista and Dell machines, many of the screens are similar to the Win7 screens Brian is describing.


in re: "Right click ghost32 and choose Run as administrator" . . .

Brian, what happens if you don't run as administrator?  I don't have that option when launching Ghost32 from the command line, yet I haven't had any problems, so I'm curious if that's really necessary when launching via your method.

Brian

Quote:

So, clarify....you have to use the 32 bit Win7 DVD regardless of whether you have Win7 64-bit or Win7 32-bit installed?  Can't use the 64-bit Win7 DVD?

I didn't make it clear. This also works if the installed OS is WinXP.

NightOwl wrote on Nov 22^nd, 2010 at 5:50pm:

The boot environment must be compatible with the application you want to run, so you must boot a 32-bit OS to use a 32-bit application like Ghost32.  It doesn't matter which Windows version -- or any at all -- is installed on the disk partition.  You're not booting into the OS that's on the hard disk, and from the outside the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows look the same -- just a bunch of files sitting on a NTFS file system.  32-bit and 64-bit versions of Win7 and Vista use the same NTFS file system as XP.

(Remember, that's why Ghost 2003 can image/restore a Win7 OS -- it's just a bunch of files on a NTFS file system.  It's only when you'd want it to change one of the files, such as the BCD, that Ghost 2003 would run into trouble.  It understands the file system so it can image/restore the files okay, but it doesn't understand the purpose of some of the files it's restoring so it can't alter them if/when necessary.)

Dan,

I can't get a command prompt to run an exe when using a 32 bit Win7 DVD and a 64 bit installed Win7. I was trying your method. What have I missed?

I can get a command prompt with 64/64 but then the 32 bit exe won't run.

Dan,

There is always a way. Thanks. That works.

NightOwl wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2010 at 12:07pm:

Yes.

NightOwl wrote on Nov 23^rd, 2010 at 12:07pm:

The installed Windows x64 supports it. The WinPE x64 does not include the necessary support for x86 programs (just like Windows x64 won't run 16-bit programs).

Personally, I find this makes the x64 DVD a lot less useful. I would prefer being able to run both x86 and x64 programs. However, I doubt Microsoft will add the 32-bit subsystem anytime soon.