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What and how to make an image back up

Discussion in 'Other PC Software' started by clubECGR, 2008/10/29.

  1. 2008/10/29
    clubECGR

    clubECGR Inactive Thread Starter

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    Can someone tell me what program is better in making a complete image file of a PC. im sick of Norton Ghost, I cant seem to make an image of my sis's laptop. I really need it. Thank you for your time

    if you can teach me how norton ghost make an image, then it'll be appreciate. the one im stuck is that norton ghost WILL copy the files not make an image. or am i missing something here? how do you make an image and what's the different with back-uping files (copying the exact file not making it as one file or reduced)
     
    clubECGR,
    #1
  2. 2008/10/29
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    clubECGR,
    there are many flavours of Ghost. Which version are you trying to use?

    It helps if the hard disk is split in two partitions, one for the system and another for user data. That minimizes the size of the image of the system partition. User data are backed up using a different program, not an imaging program but one that copies the files to a backup location. The target can be two separate partitions on a hard disk dedicated to backups.

    Christer
     
    Christer,
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  4. 2008/10/29
    clubECGR

    clubECGR Inactive Thread Starter

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    My sis originally has Norton Ghost 14 (though I'll search for it due to being lost). My sis's laptop originally has no partition but I re-formatted it and made another one. I guess that I cant use Norton Ghost as my expectations. I thought it would make an image just like what laptop manufacturers are doing with their Recovery cd/partition.

    What I used in NOrton and what i first know is that it copies to a partition or a cd. copying it into cd will be like....what....30 dvds? just kidding on the amount of the cds but that many? i thought i can back-up on 1 dvd? im new in this project and i really want to back up my sis's laptop (and mine) but how does backing up actually do?

    Yours truly,
    Chris
     
    clubECGR,
    #3
  5. 2008/10/29
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    I have only worked with Ghost 2003. It can be installed an be run from a Windows interface but when doing the actual imaging/restoring, it shuts down the computer, restarts in DOS, creates or restores the image and restarts Windows. Ghost 2003 can also be run from floppies which is what I prefer. The image is an exact copy of the partition that was imaged and when restored, it over writes everything on the partition to which it is restored.

    The above has no bearing on your situation, other than telling you that I have no personal experience of Ghost 14. I know that it runs from within Windows and creates images. The first one is a "base image" and the subsequent images are "incremental images" to add changes. The base and incrementals together are an exact copy of the imaged partition and just like Ghost 2003, restoring it will over write everything on the partition to which it is restored. I don't know for sure but I believe restoring an image is done when booted from the Ghost 14 CD.

    A recovery CD or Partition works differently. You can often select to do a "non-destructive" recovery which means that all user files are left untouched. The other option is to do a "destructive" recovery which wipes the partition and takes you back to square one (everything from updates to programs and user files are lost in the process).

    If you check out my signature, there is a good site with people who know "a bit" about any flavour of Ghost.

    Christer
     
    Christer,
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  6. 2008/11/02
    visionof

    visionof Inactive

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    the older versions of ghost - 2003 is one
    It creates a diskette
    You generally boot from a windows 98 disk ( even if you have windows xp)
    Then place the ghost diskette that you generated and type on the a dos prompt - "autoexec "
    You may need your liscence key
    If you do not have a diskette on the computer /computers you would use a cd
    You may have to go into your bios to tell the computer to start first with that device as opposed to your hard drive
    Once you start the process you will be given several options to back up to
    - most common is to create the backup
    - usually people do not choose compression
    You can make the ghost file on a cd / or a dvd or an old hard non used hard drive ( fastest)
    You can also choose to copy or clone the hard drive as well as opposed to making a ghost file
    To restore its basically the reverse
    This works in xp but not in vista
    As per the partition what the experts are saying is that if you had a free partition and made and kept the ghost file there the file is there for easy and convenient access
    One most important point - with the process just outlines you will overwrite your data and destroy and data you have on the hard drive areas that you restore to
     
    visionof,
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