Image C Drive using Norton Ghost?Need Help ....

[dizarludba 0]

Hi

 

I think this will be a very long question from me.The scenario is I frequently formatting my C: (Windows xp Partition) after about 3 months or so ,since I want to have a clean registry etc.However I read some websites that saying that we can use Norton Ghost to make images of any partition into DVD-R media(s).So I am thinking rather than re-installing windows each time after formatting C: why dont I install the whole programs and games that I used to have ,and after that make an image using Norton Ghost ,and burn the image into DVD-R Media .And if I want to reformat the C: next time I just have to restore it from the DVD-R media.Just in case if someone ask me if I want to use this method for legit use,the answer is yes.I only have one PC and I just want to use this image for this PC only.In fact if I am not mistaken,if someone want to use the image to the other PC,the person must have the same hardware configration.

 

I just bought Norton Ghost 2003 and try to follow the guidence(tutorials) and so on.But the problem is after the computer rebooting and go into PC-Dos mode,the driver for USB2 loading(Iomega EH-CI Drive something ,I dont remeber the exact name) and it detected two USB2 media in which 1D2=NEC 2500 DVDRW and ID4=160xxxX <---- My external Hard Drive.And it hangs over there.It seems like nothing happen.Is it running the PC-Dos in the background or something wrong?I follow each steps from the tutorials and still the same thing happens all over again after the reboot.Is there anyone can help me through this please.

 

One other thing,let say I succesfully burn the image .gho to the DVD-R media,hoe can I restore it to fresh/raw partition?Or do I have to install fresh windows and norton ghost,and use restore option,and the files from DVD-R media will replace the windows in C: ?

 

My PC specifications

 

Celeron 2.4 Ghz

768 Mb Ram

NEC 2500 DVDRW , use USB2 external adapter from startech.com

 

My fresh C:

Size: 18 Gb

Used Space : 9Gb ( I plan to have 2 DVD-R to backup it)

Free Space : 9Gb

 

And hehehe if any of you do not understand my word I do really sorry for that,my english is quite crap.Btw , Thanks very much for the help.I really wish I can get over this problem.I already invested £30 for Norton Ghost 2003 .Thanks again.

 

Ps: If anyone want to caontact me personally,my email dizarludba@yahoo.com ,

[peterh 1]

Sounds like some sort of conflict with the hardware. I use Ghost 2002 with no problems.

 

When, restoring, just boot off the Ghost boot floppy (or CD if you elected to make your image disk bootable) and then you can restore the image on a blank hard disk. Nothing else needs installing before hand. It certainly makes reinstalling Windows quicker....

 

 

[daffy66 0]

The easy doing things would pop the side of hook spare IDE hardrive with your image on put it onto the slave channel

 

1 It easy

2 Quick

3 It cheaper

[helpifyoucan 0]

it can and in most cases will take atleast 3-5 min. before the installation of the Drivers is complete so just kick back and chillout......

 

however if you chose to create a bootable CD/DVD image (and you should have), then when you boot from this CD/DVD it will install the EXT. USB drivers with the quickness

less than 5 sec.....

Dont ask me why

just let me know if it holds true with you

[packman 0]

Mine's Ghost 2003 as well. Never had a problem with it yet.

 

Why waste DVD-Rs? Why don't you backup to a DVD-RW? Keep two such backups at a time, up[censored] one each per session. DVD-RWs or DVD+RWs can be erased and re-used (eg. use the Erase function in Nero).

 

Backup all your core software on to the DVD-RW/DVD+RW - operating system, essential utilities, OS security updates, firewall/antivirus updates,etc. Load your apps and personal files each time separately. This will ensure you always have a clean workable restore, and will certainly reduce the time to a full restore.

 

Re USB devices, do understand that you must configure Ghost appropriately before starting a backup process. You'll find that there's a configuration setting that you must make, for external USB devices, in the Options part of Ghost.

 

Something else worth considering - in addition to backing up to a writeable external medium - is to keep aside a separate partition of your main hard drive and to keep a Ghost backup of C: in that. (It'd need to be at least the size of the used part of your C: partition). As long as you know that, at any one time, it contains 100% good data, you can restore from that partition instead, and very quickly! All in all, for backup, it's best to keep a number of options around.