Norton Ghost

[CWBillow]

Does anyone use Norton Ghost (preferable v10) that can tell me:

The backup process seems to be done while Windows is running (as opposed to being started from a boot CD), and if so, how can it image the whole partition or disk?

Regards,
Chuck Billow

[bigaldoc]

What, you don't believe 'em, Chuck? Or are you thinking about writing your own version? <img src=/S/grin.gif border=0 alt=grin width=15 height=15>

Well, I don't know if you'll ever find the bit-by-bit answer, but here's someplace you can start reading. Radified Guide to Norton Ghost - A Tutorial on How to Create & Restore Ghost Images. This page, which is about V. 10 will lead you to another page that goes back to V. 9 which is the product Symantec bought from PowerQuest - Drive Image.

[CWBillow]

Al:

You the man, even if you do heckle poor little me. What's all the hoopla about not being able to back up open files, then? The older (~ v8?) versions booted to dos and worked from there... but this one never leaves Win (XP), so... I guess I'll find out the first restore I try, what?

>>
What, you don't believe 'em, Chuck?
<<

I learned my lesson believing that Windows worked when they said it did! <img src=/S/burnup.gif border=0 alt=burnup width=31 height=31> But then who am I anyway...

Thanks for the link, Al.

Chuck

[bigaldoc]

You know, of course, from many other threads that my personal choice these days is Acronis TrueImage ( http://www.acronis.com/ ) but I used Drive Image for several years before it was bought by Symantec. I don't know what the split among Loungers is, but it may be pretty closely divided between the two products. Of course, there are others. I don't plan to investigate 'how' they do it, but I suppose it's not much different than collaborative document editing on a network. The only precaution I take, other than checking resulting backups, is that during a backup imaging session I leave the machine alone, with no other applications running except my AV and firewall.

[CWBillow]

Al:

After reading the link(s), I'm a bit more skeptical, not less... as stated in the missive: "Glad to see Ghost 2003 is included.". 2003, recall, actually worked from a boot-time premise, closing all the pertinent files...

Since you've been down this road a bit with me Al, here's a bit of filler:

I'd used Ghost for years, and was pretty happy. But I did so as part of SystemWorks, and I got tired of the bulk about the same time they Norton started screwing around with something I thought had worked just fine thank you... anyway...

You might recall a previous discussion you took part in about backups, and you had mentioned TrueImage. I tried it, was real happy with the way it worked -- except that it will not back up to DVD/R's on RW's, and pre-formatted at that. They don't seem to anxious to change this, so....

I've come back around to Ghost (sans the other SytemWorks pieces), and am just a bit apprehensive after the changes they made... me being an old DOS boy, liking the command line et al.

Anyway, didn't mean to bore you, rather just a little peek at my process.

Regards,
Chuck

[viking33]

Chuck,

Just for your info, the Version of Ghost that comes with Systemworks is a "LITE" version of the the full Ghost program and doesn't have all of the features of the full version.

Also, True Image version 9.0 WILL backup to DVD media if you have DVD UDF recording software installed for burning images on DVD. ( like Roxio DirectCD or Ahead InCD ) Burning backups to DVD will take longer than backing up to another HD.

[bigaldoc]

And I've always (tried) to avoid saying this, for fear of offending anyone, but I don't understand why folks want to do their backups to CD or DVD disks anyway. What with the ease of use and low prices of hard drives these days, including USB externals, a hard drive is awful hard to resist and so easy as well. From other threads you know that I'm tickled with my new Seagate 100 gig USB drive and 10-13 minutes for a backup is beyond my wildest dreams.

[Howard Kaikow]

There are two kinds of backup:

a. "image based": In this case, the backup program does not work thru the file system, rather it backs up either ALL sctors on a drive or just the ones that are identified by the NTFS or FAT32 or ... file system as belonging to files. Matters not whether the files are open, as th file system is not use dto access the files.

b. "file based": These actually use the file system to access each file. DEpending on te OS and the file system, it may not be possible to copy an open file.

Examples of image based backup are Ghost 10 and True Image 9, as well as the new Norton Save and Restore.

Examples of file based backup are REtrospect anf True Image 9 (using its files and folders option), as well as the new Norton Save and Restore (using its files and folders option)

[JoeP517]

Chuck,

If you want something that backs up outside of Windows check ou TeraByte Unlimited - Boot Manager, Partition Manager, Drive Image, Disk Copy and Drive Wipe Utilities.

Joe

[CWBillow]

Bob:

>>
True Image version 9.0 WILL backup to DVD media if you have DVD UDF recording software installed for burning images on DVD.
<<

Not according to Acronis... Not DVD/R, only DVD/RW

Chuck

[CWBillow]

Howard:

"Norton Save and Restore" is of interest to me, except you can't get the Restore CD without purchase... not even for trial... so I don't know...

TI 9, which won't write to DVD/R's, I have and Ghost 10 (standalone) I just looked into...

Chuck

[CWBillow]

Joe:

I'm off to the link. Thanks.

Chuck

[CWBillow]

Bob:

What's the difference between the "lite" and the full versions? What was left out?

Chuck

[CWBillow]

Howard:

Also, I d/l the trial of Ghost 10... and the imaging is done completely within windows...

Help me here: How you it back up everything is a good deal of the files are open?

Chuck

[CWBillow]

I hate to ask what may sound like a dumb question (now, now...) but why, if Norton Ghost 2003 did/does full imaging, both inside and outside of the Windows environment, what would be any advantage for the user to upgrade, outside of course of keeping Symantec in business?

Regards,
Chuck Billow