Can I use the GHOST to make a backup image of Vista System?

Message

nnyt · #1 Post by **nnyt** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 10:15 pm

As the title!
Thank you!

#2 Post by **rkawakami** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 11:00 pm

I don't see why not. I boot DOS Ghost off a diskette and have imaged both Windows XP and Windows 2000.

mabbas · #3 Post by **mabbas** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 12:26 am

You may need version 10 to do Vista.

#4 Post by **rkawakami** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 12:57 am

Does Vista not use NTFS? I've cloned WinXP systems using NTFS with the DOS program from Ghost 2003 without any problems. I don't have Vista (nor plan to for a while) so I can't claim to have absolute knowledge about using it or imaging a drive with it installed. But if there are no significant changes to the disk file system between WinXP and Vista, then I don't see any issues arising. Am I missing something?

steveg47 · #5 Post by **steveg47** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 6:33 am

Ghost 2003 works fine with Vista. Same options.

chaukap · #6 Post by **chaukap** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 8:14 am

I would be extra cautious using Ghost and double check everything after creating an image, although I had bad experiences with Win XP. I used Ghost to create and image on a ultrabay hard drive. When I booted using that drive, windows logon screen popped up instead of CSS. Instead of taking me to my account, it justed logged off on entering the password. In the end Acronis True image worked the best (product features say Vista compatible therefore support also available).

You can also try the backup program in Vista itselft. This user had good experience on it.
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=40212

Bill Z · #7 Post by **Bill Z** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 12:03 pm

Has anyone tried to build a ghost image and burn it to CD or DVD making it bootable? This way, just in case something happens, you can restore back to factory (assuming you did this just after you got your new machine)?

Here is why: My son is going back to Iraq for his second tour. This time he will be taking a brand new T61 with Vista he just ordered but hasn’t received. I want him to be able to recover from most anything and figure that a couple of CDs stored in different places may be safer than a HD (not to mention much cheaper).

Now if the CD or DVD is bootable and Ghost points to the image on the CD, won’t it work to restore all partitions on the HD?

Is there anything I am missing here? I’d hate to put all of my chickens in this basket and not have any of the hatch.

DirkM · #8 Post by **DirkM** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 8:07 pm

Take a look at imagex and WinPE. Both are free tools from Microsoft and work quite well. If you have a second hard drive (even bootabe USB) you can run PE form that drive and take a full image backup of the drive. You can even put the image on a DVD (or multiple) and restore everything from within PE. It's all command line and sometimes a little tricky but it's quite fast and if you want you can even mount the image as read/write drive under Vista and XP or restore all files without wiping the drive first.

warder · #9 Post by **warder** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:01 am

I used the Vista Ultimate built in 'Complete Backup' the other day to upgrade my HDD.

This is built in imaging software that I can now say works a treat... backup to external usb drive. Fit new drive in laptop. Boot from Vista DVD and restore.

Just suggesting it as an alternative to Ghost.

Bill Z · #10 Post by **Bill Z** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:25 pm

DirkM wrote:Take a look at imagex and WinPE. Both are free tools from Microsoft and work quite well. If you have a second hard drive (even bootabe USB) you can run PE form that drive and take a full image backup of the drive. You can even put the image on a DVD (or multiple) and restore everything from within PE. It's all command line and sometimes a little tricky but it's quite fast and if you want you can even mount the image as read/write drive under Vista and XP or restore all files without wiping the drive first.

So, WinPE is like DOS and you can boot to it to resotore your system? Has anyone done a restore (not a backup) to see if it works? Can a script be written to do most of the tricky stuff after boot?

wallybear · #11 Post by **wallybear** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 3:36 pm

warder wrote:I used the Vista Ultimate built in 'Complete Backup' the other day to upgrade my HDD.

This is built in imaging software that I can now say works a treat... backup to external usb drive. Fit new drive in laptop. Boot from Vista DVD and restore.

Just suggesting it as an alternative to Ghost.

I can confirm that this alternative both WORKS and works well. It's a standard part of Vista Business. Long overdue and very welcome. I keep series of full backups on and external drive and then burn them to DVDs. In other words, if you have Business or Ultimate, you don't need Ghost to make a reliable backup of your entire drive including the OS. Vista even compresses and verifies the data during the backup. Nice.....

Bill Z · #12 Post by **Bill Z** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:09 pm

What Vista comes with the new T61s? I will have what ever comes with it. I'm betting it isn't ether Business or Ultimate.
I am not that lucky.

#13 Post by **ryengineer** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:18 pm

Bill Z wrote:What Vista comes with the new T61s? I will have what ever comes with it. I'm betting it isn't ether Business or Ultimate.
I am not that lucky.

You have a choice to choose from Basic/Home/Business/Ultimate (just +- the $) on lenovo site.

#14 Post by **Kyocera** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 5:59 pm

rye is right you can choose to upgrade, i think the t61's ship with business, in view computer details there is Windows Activiation, you can purchase another product key from MS to upgrade to a different version.

Can I use the GHOST to make a backup image of Vista System?

Can I use the GHOST to make a backup image of Vista System?

Ghost as backup, Just-in-case

Who is online