Good Alternative to NortonGHOST for Windows 2000 ?

[EmperorRob]

I picked up Norton Ghost this past Sunday, b/c the program does exactly what I need: backup system config to a bootable recovery CD-R.

Unfortunately, Norton Ghost is riddled w/errors in both CD-Writing and TCP/IP configs. Most of the errors have no fix or workaround and it happens I'm one of the unlucky with those CDR errors.

So does anyone know/used/recommend a good alternative to Norton Ghost that's compatible with Win2k? Something that allows you to boot from a recoverable CDR.

 

[vash]

<< I picked up Norton Ghost this past Sunday, b/c the program does exactly what I need: backup system config to a bootable recovery CD-R.

Unfortunately, Norton Ghost is riddled w/errors in both CD-Writing and TCP/IP configs. Most of the errors have no fix or workaround and it happens I'm one of the unlucky with those CDR errors.

So does anyone know/used/recommend a good alternative to Norton Ghost that's compatible with Win2k? Something that allows you to boot from a recoverable CDR. >>


If you are looking for a program that backs up your data and creates a 100% fool proof bootable CD, you're pretty out of luck. You can, however, create them seperately to make a bootable CD. Check out bootdisk.com for the bootdisks you need and test them out with your system first.

Once you are happy with how the bootdisk comes out, create your ghost image and you can create a bootable CD via Nero, CDRWIN, Adaptec EZCD Creator, etc. These steps aren't as quick and easy as the 1-stop that you want, but you will definitely have 100% fool-proof bootable CD for all of your needs.

vash

 

[EmperorRob]

You're suggesting I save the .gho file from Norton Ghost to a separate location and then later burning a boot disk? Do I understand you right? It would take some work as I'd have to add a 2nd HD. I'm trying to avoid buying another $100+ device to make any program work.

It seems like I heard someone mention a Powerquest program. Something like BootMagic?

 

[IamDavid]

Drive Image Pro from powerquest. Same as Ghost but a little faster.

 

[vash]

<< You're suggesting I save the .gho file from Norton Ghost to a separate location and then later burning a boot disk? Do I understand you right? It would take some work as I'd have to add a 2nd HD. I'm trying to avoid buying another $100+ device to make any program work.

It seems like I heard someone mention a Powerquest program. Something like BootMagic? >>


Yes, that would be my suggestion. However, if you don't have a second partition to do all of this, then it certainly can't work. Ghost can image directly to a CD and make it bootable, but what part isn't working for you? You list CD-writing itself and TCP/IP issues, but are you trying to boot directly off the CD and run Windows?

What, specifically, are you looking to create with an image application and burning the cd? Do you want to create the image and boot directly off the cd to the image and actually use Windows?

Drive Image Pro will create an image for you, but it won't burn you a bootable CD.

vash

 

[EmperorRob]

What I'm trying to accomplish is Make a bootable CDR backing up the current state (fresh install) of Win2k, that I can use to restore the OS with at a later time.

Ghost will write directly to a CDR. That's where my errors come into play. I've contacted Norton but there's no known fix for the errors I get so I'm stuck that way. There's only 1 HD installed in my Win2k machine so I was going to network via TCP/IP with my older machine and save the *.gho file to its HD. That's not working either. So it looks like my only option w/Ghost is to add a 2nd HD in the Win2k machine, back up the *.gho file to it and then later burn it to a CDR.

Now, would it be easier for me to do this in Drive Image Pro?

I want to be able to just boot from CD and restore a drive; nothing else needed. Make sense?

 

[rcraig]

At work we make .img files of a clean install, then burn them to a cdr. We use a regular Win98 boot disk to initialize the cd, then ghost (the program can fit on the floppy with the 98 info if you remove fdisk and format) the hard drive from the cd. The cd itself isn't bootable, but this is an easy way to image lots of identicle computers or recover from a major problem.

 

[EmperorRob]

rcraig, since that CD you're talking about isn't bootable, do you just use a Win98 startup floppy and then execute Ghost from the CD?

There are some instructions at the www.bootdisk.com site that I'll try but I'll also look into Drive Image Pro.

 

[Antisocial Virge]

I just boot with the 98 floppy and then run Ghost off another floppy. I use version 5.1 I think.

 

[vash]

&quot;Make a bootable CDR backing up the current state (fresh install) of Win2k, that I can use to restore the OS with at a later time.&quot;

Ok, Ghost is not the complete answer to your needs in its current form (because of the CDR errors you are receiving) AND Drive Image Pro will NOT accomplish this specific task (it won't burn the cd).

Drive Image Pro will create an image, but it WON'T burn your CD for you. Here is my suggestion:

1. Get Partition Magic (or a similar application).
2. Partition your drive so that D: will be able to hold the image for your partition (Win2k can get pretty big, so make it bigger than 1.0 gig).
3. Have Ghost dump the image to your D: drive.
4. Use any CDR software you have to create a bootable CD, but make sure to load CDrom drivers and Ghost onto the image of the floppy.

I have a similar setup, but I use a bootdisk to log onto my TCP/IP network and load/restore Ghost images across a network. Ghost/Drive Image Pro can snapshot your system, but without having a second partition is not going to help you much.

One thing you may want to try on the bootable CD thing is to install ASPI32.EXE (find from Adaptec.com's site). Installing the latest ASPI is required for some CDR applications and its generally helps when CDR software has problems burning CDs. Perhaps this is the fix you need so that burning the CDs will work.

vash

 

[EmperorRob]

Thanks vash, I'll give it a shot. I'll try the ASPI32.EXE and try once more w/Ghost. If that doesn't resolve the Ghost burning problem I'll try the steps outlined on the www.bootdisk.com website.

I was afraid if I divided my 30G drive into 2 partitions then when I restore I would be limited to the original size of that partition. I will throw in a 2nd HD from my other system and then burn it.

 

[vash]

<< Thanks vash, I'll give it a shot. I'll try the ASPI32.EXE and try once more w/Ghost. If that doesn't resolve the Ghost burning problem I'll try the steps outlined on the www.bootdisk.com website.

I was afraid if I divided my 30G drive into 2 partitions then when I restore I would be limited to the original size of that partition. I will throw in a 2nd HD from my other system and then burn it. >>


Ghost won't do that with any image -- limiting the size of the partition afterwards. Trust me (I've used Ghost plenty), Ghost won't care if you divide up the partitions into many partitions. As long as you have enough space to restore/backup, Ghost won't care much on how you use up the space.

What are you doing with such a large C:? With that much space, I tend to split drives into two partitions. The first is typically 4 gig and the second is the rest of the space. I don't like the idea of formatting my entire disk if I just want a reinstall, so that's why I partition it.

vash

 

[EmperorRob]

I prefer 2 physical drives. I'm not big into partitioning. I originally got it for program growth. Another thing I thought of is how useful will the ASPI.EXE drivers be under Windows 2000?

 

[vash]

<< I prefer 2 physical drives. I'm not big into partitioning. I originally got it for program growth. Another thing I thought of is how useful will the ASPI.EXE drivers be under Windows 2000? >>


I prefer 2 disks as well (my main setup). The first is still partitioned into two, but the second drive is not partitioned to one drive.

ASPI is really only for CDR software. CDRWIN uses it and sometimes Nero has problems if ASPI isn't installed. It won't hurt to have ASPI installed, it'll only help if you have CDR problems. ASPI is the most generic layer for CDROMs to talk (remember loading ASPI in DOS days?) and it is still used as the standard medium for CDRs to talk to the system.

vash

 

[skoka]

<< I picked up Norton Ghost this past Sunday, b/c the program does exactly what I need: backup system config to a bootable recovery CD-R.

Unfortunately, Norton Ghost is riddled w/errors in both CD-Writing and TCP/IP configs. Most of the errors have no fix or workaround and it happens I'm one of the unlucky with those CDR errors.

So does anyone know/used/recommend a good alternative to Norton Ghost that's compatible with Win2k? Something that allows you to boot from a recoverable CDR. >>



If you have a second HDD or Partition and Easy CD creator, this will work.

1) Boot to DOS or Windows command prompt.
2) Ghostpe -auto -split=630 -n3 (To create a 630MB files of image automatically at compression of 3)
3) Follow ghost's procedure to create the image.
4) Start windows and then start Easy CD creator.
5) Insert a bootable floppy into the FDD.
6) Click create CD in Easy CD creator.
7) In CD layout (generally empty CD Layout), right click and select New | bootable.
8) Burn your CD.

This will automatically create a bootable CD with approprite CD drivers. If you do not have Easy CD creator follow the instructions on www.bootdisk.com

 

[Mday]

i have never bothered with making a bootable CD myself, but what has been said of ghost, the good things are true.


ghost does have short comings, but meh. it works, but it's not perfect. the program has been relatively unchanged for years.

 

[EmperorRob]

I used the instructions on www.bootdisk.com and got a bootable CD to work for me, although it took many tries. The command line they give for ghost in the autorun.bat file is a little outdated but with some common sense I made it work.