Attn: Norton Ghost Fans

[robert213]

After reading "How to Image Your Hard Drive"...
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?p=416893

I have learned that Acronis True Image software is the preferred choice -- especially when preserving the hidden Windows XP Service Partition.

However, I already have a brand-new copy of Norton Ghost 2003 and ver 9.0.

I have IBM T30 with Windows XP Pro. I would like to image copy my internal HDD onto an external HDD using USB 1.1 Apricorn DriveWire adapter.

Someone suggested making copies using a desktop computer and booting Ghost 2003 under DOS...

First get 2 adapters so the drives can be plugged into a desktop. Get a boot floppy of Ghost. Assuming the original drive is the master on primary and the new drive is master on the secondary.

Boot the floppy, run Ghost using these switches

ghost -clone,mode=copy,src=1,dst=2 -ib

Should I use Ghost 2003 under DOS?

Should I use Ghost 2003 under Windows XP?

Should I use Ghost ver 9.0 under Windows XP?

What series of commands do I use?

[rkawakami]

I use a Ghost 2003 bootable floppy with the "-ib" (Image boot) option to image my drives. However, I do not have (or use) the hidden partition; why bother when I've already imaged a complete backup on another hard drive or on DVDs?? Instead of using the command line switches (as in the example you quoted), I use the GUI to copy disk to disk. This way I can see exactly which drive is which - I've seen Ghost get confused as to which drive is #1 and #2. That's most likely because I use an Ultrabay hard drive adapter instead of the slower USB connection. I think that if the system is allowed to be booted from the hard drive in the Ultrabay then the next time Ghost is executed, that's drive #1

How do I get a T23 (or T30) to boot off a floppy AND have an Ultrabay hard drive adapter?? I place the system into a port replicator and use an external floppy drive. This entire procedure does take more hardware to perform, but it's easy enough for my 20 year old daughter to do:

- put system in port replicator
- with the external floppy already connected and with the Ghost boot floppy in the drive
- remove the optical drive and install the HD adapter that always has the backup drive installed
- power up (BIOS has been defined to boot from floppy first)
- Ghost options have already been defaulted to "-ib" in the .INI file
- select Local/Disk/To Disk and confirm the copy
- when done, shut down the laptop, remove it from the port rep and remove the backup drive

[Kyocera]

Been down the Ghost road , that's why I helped dsvochak put together that HD clone FAQ so people wouldn't have to deal with it.

I gave my copies of ghost away to someone and have been using Acronis exclusively. At the time I didn't know about this Forum and didn't have the access to people like Ray though, so I had to try and follow that little booklet that came with the set.

You can download a free trial of Acronis and save your Ghost CD's for future reference, hang them from your rearview mirror.

[robert213]

Been down the Ghost road , that's why I helped dsvochak put together that HD clone FAQ so people wouldn't have to deal with it.

Where is the "dsvochak" HD Clone FAQ?

Is this the FAQ that you are speaking of?
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=27721

[Kyocera]

Is this the FAQ that you are speaking of?

Yes.

[spuddog]

I am a long time Ghost user (currently using 9.0). couple of years ago I heard that Acronis was the way to go, so I tried it. Made a couple of backups, then tried to restore them - unfortunately they didn't work. Now, I know that Acronis fans will say that I did something wrong, but the point I would like to make is that however you make your backups (or choose to not backup). The way that works for you and that you feel comfortable with is the best one. What good does it do to backup your files and not be sure that you will be able to recover them.

Today I switched hard drives in my R51. Formatted and partitioned the drive. Ghosted over the 2 partitions. reset the mbr. was good to go.

Just my experience

Scott

[robert213]

Note to myself...

Before using Norton Ghost 2003 on my IBM T30 w/ WIN XP PRO, I am testing product on my Toshiba Desktop PII-400 w/ WIN 98 SE.

I have learned that Apricorn DriveWire adapter to use USB 1.1 with any external HDD...

- WIN ME, supported and does not require device driver
- WIN XP, supported and does not require device driver
- WIN98 SE, not supported and unable to locate a device driver

I was able to image copy original WIN98 SE HDD,

- boot with any DOS bootable diskette
using command...

ghost -clone,mode=copy,src=1,dst=2 -ib

Then I was able to swap original HDD with image copy HDD,
and successful boot and run WIN 98SE under image copy HDD.

I was NOT able to image copy original WIN98 SE HDD,

- install Ghost 2003 in WIN98 SE
- run Ghost 2003 in WIN98 SE
- [Ghost Advanced]
- [Clone]
- [Next]
- Source "Disk 1"
- Destination "Disk 2"
- [Next]
- [Advanced Settings]
- Ghost Command Line "-ib"
- [Apply][OK]
- [Next]
- [Run Now]
- [OK]

I received...
"11030 - Invalid destination drive"

[Ken Edmonds]

I've been using Ghost for years, always in DOS mode and mainly v6 and 7 until recently when I found they won't clone XP.

I tried 9 and couldn't get on with it, or get it to work properly and 10 needed activating (yes it is legal and mine) which seemed over the top for a utility.

I then found out that 9 and 10 aren't really Ghost, they're Backup Exec System Recovery based.

Since then I've switched to using Ghost 2003 with reasonable success, including on a 750 GB SATA drive. I did have to boot from an XP CD and FIXMBR to get that to work.

That could be as my copy is from Systemworks Pro 2004 and may not be the last release. I've just discovered (from Wiki) that 2003 is included on the 9 and 10 CDs so I'll have to search for them and see if it's true.

[Puppy]

I am a long time Ghost user (currently using 9.0). couple of years ago I heard that Acronis was the way to go, so I tried it. Made a couple of backups, then tried to restore them - unfortunately they didn't work.

Did you verify the archive after backup ? I use version 9.0 without problems but the bootable CD version only. I don't believe in backups made while the operating system is in running state. That's why I prefer Acronis. AFAIK latest version of Ghost no longer offers bootable media version.