Vista and Norton Ghost 12

[Sam]

I just picked up Norton Ghost 12 to use with Vista and I'm thoroughly
confused. Before I contact (and probably have to pay for) support I thought
I'd see if anyone here had used it and could answer my questions.

All I want to do is use the boot disk and backup the system partition, but
it looks like they've changed the way it works.

The boot disk is only giving me recovery options and no backup ones. Is
everything done from the "client app" now?

My Dell E521 has two recovery partitions (the Dell Utility and Vista
recovery) that I'd also like to backup but they aren't showing up in the
list of drives. Can I not select raw partitions on the disk? Am I limited
only to drives that are mapped by the OS?

In case of 100% disk failure I expected to be able to boot from the recovery
CD and restore the two recovery partitions, the OS, (and an additional
files/games partitions on Disk 0) on a replacement disk. How am I supposed
to recover a failed disk?

I like the old way because it operated outside the OS. I'm not sure I like
this whole "recovery service" idea. If all I wanted was an suped up version
of Vista's System Restore I wouldn't have bothered.

[Paul Randall]

I haven't tried Ghost 12 yet, but have you tried searching the manual for
the word boot? You may be able to create a set of boot floppies like the
2003 version could. I managed to get what I needed from the boot floppies
and burned a bootable CD set up so that I could run the DOS Ghost.exe and
GDisk.exe. I found that my older Ghost.exe did not save or restore the new
Vista master boot record, so I included the freely downloadable MbrWizD.exe
on my bootable CD. This can save the Vista MBR as a small file and later
restore it.

Anyhow, with a similar bootable CD set up to install DOS USB drivers and
Firewire drivers, you should be able to back up your partitions to an
external USB or Firewire hard drive or possibly to DVDs. For my WXP laptop,
I did the same thing, and wound up creating a bootable DVD that could
restore the laptop to its 'out of the box' condition. Vista is somewhat
bigger, so even with full compression, it doesn't all fit on one DVD-DL.

See whether your Ghost 12 still has the boot disc wizard and post back if
you want help setting up a bootable CD/DVD.

[Adam Leinss]

I've used the Ghost32 executable version 12 to image Vista without
issues. Search your disc for Ghost32. If you have that, make a
bootable CD from www.ubcd4win.com. Copy Ghost32 to this CD and go to
town.

This executable might only come with the corporate version...my memory
is shaky.

Adam

[sarah smith]

I did a "full disk" backup of a new Vista laptop using Ghost 2003. Since Partition Magic would not work, I repartitioned the hard drive using Gdisk. The full disk restore using Ghost 2003 ran fine, but the system would not boot. Would replacing the Vista master boot record fix it? If yes, can I just use a copy from any Vista computer?

Thanks for your responses to this list. They were very informative.

Sarah Smith

I haven't tried Ghost 12 yet, but have you tried searching the manual for
the word boot? You may be able to create a set of boot floppies like the
2003 version could. I managed to get what I needed from the boot floppies
and burned a bootable CD set up so that I could run the DOS Ghost.exe and
GDisk.exe. I found that my older Ghost.exe did not save or restore the new
Vista master boot record, so I included the freely downloadable MbrWizD.exe
on my bootable CD. This can save the Vista MBR as a small file and later
restore it.

.....

-Paul Randall

>[/color]

[Bepps]

Hi Sam,

I'm after the same thing as you.
Working with lots of computers for all kinds of users I need a program that I can boot from CD and create images of laptops, as well as restoring from usb-drive etc.

Lately I tried Norton Ghost 10 (an older version than the new 12).
The Norton Ghost 10 CD is by default bootable.
Although I learned this:
1. It takes almost 5 minutes to boot it and get to recover console.
2. It can't create an image, only restore.

Yesterday a work colleague told me Norton had a new version out; 12.
So, I read a few lines on their web site and I read on one of the news: "Lights Out Disaster Console - no need for boot CD".
OK - I wont ever get a boot CD that works, I thought to myself, and continued to google for Norton - and found this Forum.

I got really dissapointed when your post confirmed it - not even Norton Ghost 12 can by default boot from CD and create Image.

Why do I want to create an image from a bootable CD?
Becasue I handle lots of computers and I dont want to smear the OS with a software that is not needed. The end user will not ever use it. Only me.

I don't like the idea to download and customize my own bootable CDs and load 5 years old executables on it, and then later add drivers to operate USB disks etc.

So, I must now recommend the software True Image, from Acronis.

This is how you work with that program, and these are the benefits I've come to like about it.

Buy it, and install to whatever computer you want, I've read about not so skilled persons that have problem installing it, but that can't possibly be the softwares fault.

After installing it, look for a menu that is called "Create Resque Media".
Insert an empty CD, check all options and complete the burn process.

Out comes a very nice bootable CD that loads quickly, and holds all the kind of driver you need and with a very nice interface.

Now you can do this:
1. Boot on the CD (or with guides on the net, create a bootable usb memory).
2. Connect and disconnect usb-devices, the program finds them.
3. Eject the Boot CD and insert an other DVD with images, the program is loaded to the memory, so no need to keep the Boot CD in.
4. Access a LAN, by typing some ip-adress and admin passwork for a share.
5. Create an Image of the computer and save to usb, another partition or whatever device.
6. Restore from whatever.
7. Read SATA disk drives (I'm not Sure Norton can do that).
8. It works FAST! A normal XP-install @ about 3 GB takes 2-3 minuts to restore from usb2 drives.
9. When done, just reboot the computer.

The version I've tried is Acronis True Image Home. But there is also Corporate editions, but with the needs you have, I don't think you need it.

If you decide to google on Acronis True Image Home, beware that people tends to have messed up computers that can't install advanced software. So, don't mind those people or what they write.
Just install to a vanilla XP and create the CD.

Personally, I use this software at home and I use Windows XP SP2, that is 2 years old, never reinstalled. Software works very very fine. I tend to keep away from stupid software and my system is not smeared with sharewares.

So, what I will do now is to try the old Norton Ghost 2003-executable and see what it takes to make a bootable Nortin CD that handles usb drives, sata disks and how fast it is.

Maybe Norton does it with charm, maybe not.

But I hope my information was good for you.
I've used Disc Cloning since about the year 2000; Norton Ghost, Drive Image and PowerQuest's Deploy systems, as well as FreeBSD boot cds and now lately Acronis, since version 9.

I can easily say Acronis beats them all by far.
I recon your need was to first backup the new laptop before you tried to make new partitions, and now that you have - the restored disk is not bootable?

Why didn't Parition Magic work?
By the way, isn't that program very very old?

What I would have done is to, if the system is not configured and filled with personal files, restore it with the Restore-CD/DVD that came with the new laptop.

After that, use Acronis Partition Expert to make new partitions.

If the computer and system is configured and important, I'm sure there is a simple solution to get it to work again. Maybe Windows Vista DVD has some repair option? Try also boot at the Norton CD and look at the Utility tools.

Another thing to do is to hook the disk to another computer via USB.
And from that computer use some Disk Partition program.

Yet another is to download and make a Repair/Resque/Disaster boot-cd (there are a few out there) that have multiple tools on them, one which should help you.

By the way? Have you looked for any option called "Make disk Active"?
I know some clone program is acting smart and makes the "source" (your laptop disk) inactive (not bootable) in some clone operations.

That is smart, according to the clone program, because the destination disk is what should be booted from (not in your case).

After such, you have to manually switch the disk and/or partition to active to make the bios want to boot from it. The MBR is there, the partition is primary, but it is not active. Might be the thing actually. Try it.

I don't like Norton that much, but maybe they have it on your cd? ;)


Good luck!
/Bepps




[QUOTE=sarah smith;3417476]I did a "full disk" backup of a new Vista laptop
using Ghost 2003. Since Partition Magic would not work, I repartitioned the hard drive using Gdisk. The full disk restore using Ghost 2003 ran fine, but the system would not boot. Would replacing the Vista master boot record fix it? If yes, can I just use a copy from any Vista computer?

I did a "full disk" backup of a new Vista laptop using Ghost 2003. Since Partition Magic would not work, I repartitioned the hard drive using Gdisk. The full disk restore using Ghost 2003 ran fine, but the system would not boot. Would replacing the Vista master boot record fix it? If yes, can I just use a copy from any Vista computer?

Thanks for your responses to this list. They were very informative.

Sarah Smith

[Ed.]

I use the products from http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/index.htm

You would be interested in IFD (Image For DOS). I have used their products
now since 2001.
You can try the trial version. You extract it after you download it. You run
the makedisk.exe file and creates a bootable floppy or a bootable CD since
some computers don't have a floppy drive. If you make a CD and are going to
send the image to CD or DVD and the computer only has one ROM drive, you can
still use it. When you get to the point where it asks you insert a blank CD
or DVD, you then take out the Image For DOS CD and then insert the media you
are using and continue.

After it boots, you can create an image to another partition, to a DVD or
CD, external USB drive.

When you want to install or restore the image, just put in the DVD or CD it
made and it will boot to it and start the restore. Not really sure if the
trial version can do a restore after 30 days.

So check it out and I think you will be pleased with it. Sure beats Ghost
and all the others and plus you can't beat the price.

Good Luck,