Ghost or something like it?

[Joe]

OK, my Dell system crashed last week. With help from a Dell tech support
guy, I did a quick format and reinstalled everything. Not doing the format,
that is, just trying to get the Restore disk to do a "fix files" routine
didn't work.

Luckily I had backed up most important stuff, but it still took many hours
to reinstall everything.

So, now I'd like to try a better way- I've heard that Ghost can make an
image of your drive- if it's backed up onto another drive, then you can
restore everything very quickly- or so I'm told.

But, I'd like to know how do you do it? That is, let's say you install a new
drive - and the backup drive. You then format as usual the new drive- can
you then get Ghost (from a floppy I presume) to copy the image off the
backup drive onto the new drive and you're back to where you were?

Would I need to buy the same sized drive that crashed or just an equal or
larger drive?

What else do I need to know to make a Ghost restoration as quickly and
conveniently as possible?

And, what other similar software is available?

Joe

 

[Arno Wagner]

OK, my Dell system crashed last week. With help from a Dell tech support
guy, I did a quick format and reinstalled everything. Not doing the format,
that is, just trying to get the Restore disk to do a "fix files" routine
didn't work.

Luckily I had backed up most important stuff, but it still took many hours
to reinstall everything.

So, now I'd like to try a better way- I've heard that Ghost can make an
image of your drive- if it's backed up onto another drive, then you can
restore everything very quickly- or so I'm told.

Basically that is the idea of an image-backup. You can do it with
various tools.

But, I'd like to know how do you do it? That is, let's say you install a new
drive - and the backup drive. You then format as usual the new drive- can
you then get Ghost (from a floppy I presume) to copy the image off the
backup drive onto the new drive and you're back to where you were?

Yes. Personally I do my backups of Windows with Linux. With this
you boot into Linux (if needed from Floppy or USB stick) and
put partition the new drive. Then you put the image and the
boot-manager on the new drive. Ghost does much the same, but
(I think) using DOS as basis.

Would I need to buy the same sized drive that crashed or just an equal or
larger drive?

The drive size does not matter. The partition size may matter with
some tools, but Ghoist can do image resizing, so even that does
not matter, asl long as the new target partition is large enough.

What else do I need to know to make a Ghost restoration as quickly and
conveniently as possible?

Whether Ghost supports your hardware. If not, you may get a slow
restore or no restore at all. The important thing is the
(S)ATA controller. The rest is not really critical.

And, what other similar software is available?

If you want something free, you can try ''partimage'' under
Linux. Many recovery CDs or USB-Images habe it included.

Arno

 

[Rod Speed]

OK, my Dell system crashed last week. With help from a Dell tech support guy, I did a quick format
and reinstalled everything. Not doing the format, that is, just trying to get the Restore disk to
do a "fix files" routine didn't work.

Luckily I had backed up most important stuff, but it still took many hours to reinstall
everything.

So, now I'd like to try a better way- I've heard that Ghost can make an image of your drive- if
it's backed up onto another drive, then you can restore everything very quickly- or so I'm told.

Correct, but there are better equivalents around.

But, I'd like to know how do you do it? That is, let's say you
install a new drive - and the backup drive. You then format as usual
the new drive- can you then get Ghost (from a floppy I presume) to
copy the image off the backup drive onto the new drive and you're
back to where you were?

Yes, and you dont need to format the new drive, the restore does that.
And the modern imagers dont use floppys anymore, you boot a CD instead.

Would I need to buy the same sized drive that crashed or just an equal or larger drive?

Anything that it will fit on basically. So if the original was only
half full, you wouldnt even need the same size replacement.

What else do I need to know to make a Ghost restoration as quickly and conveniently as possible?

Just dont use Ghost, use True Image instead.

And, what other similar software is available?

I prefer True Image myself. Does everything Ghost does and does
it a lot more safely, particularly with incremental images, and does
quite a bit more than Ghost does too. And its cheaper than Ghost too.

 

[Jimbo]

Basically that is the idea of an image-backup. You can do it with
various tools.


Yes. Personally I do my backups of Windows with Linux. With this
you boot into Linux (if needed from Floppy or USB stick) and
put partition the new drive. Then you put the image and the
boot-manager on the new drive.

No need for any boot manager.

Ghost does much the same, but (I think) using DOS as basis.

Not anymore, it now uses PE.

 

[Arno Wagner]

No need for any boot manager.

Well, I guess this is now hidden from the user. The need is there and
fundamental. The easiest boot-manager of course being a simple,
non-interactive master-boot record.

Not anymore, it now uses PE.

That would be superiour.

Arno

 

[mike]

Correct, but there are better equivalents around.




Yes, and you dont need to format the new drive, the restore does that.
And the modern imagers dont use floppys anymore, you boot a CD instead.




Anything that it will fit on basically. So if the original was only
half full, you wouldnt even need the same size replacement.




Just dont use Ghost, use True Image instead.




I prefer True Image myself. Does everything Ghost does and does
it a lot more safely, particularly with incremental images, and does
quite a bit more than Ghost does too. And its cheaper than Ghost too.

Acronis gave away trueimage 7 a while back.
See if you can find this to download:

trueimage7.0.638_s_en.exe

You had to sign up and they sent you a free serial number.
This may no longer be available, but it seems that they gave everybody
the same serial number, so shouldn't be too hard to find.

Works great.

 

[Jimbo]

Well, I guess this is now hidden from the user.
Nope.

The need is there and fundamental.

Nope, it does everything at the OS level now. No need for any boot manager.

The easiest boot-manager of course being
a simple, non-interactive master-boot record.

That aint a boot MANAGER, that is just the first part of the boot phase.

XP has a boot manager, no need for Ghost to add anything when it operates at the OS level now.

That would be superiour.

They choose not to do image creation from there now tho, just restores.

That means that you have to install Ghost before creating an image, and
that means you cant do a safety image from the booted CD with a system
that is in a dubious state, or just for safety before doing anything to it.

True Image is much better in that regard, you
can do anything from the booted 'rescue' CD.

 

[Arno Wagner]

Nope, it does everything at the OS level now. No need for any boot manager.

That aint a boot MANAGER, that is just the first part of the boot phase.

Wit regard to the boot-process, it is the same thing. Stop nit-picking....

XP has a boot manager, no need for Ghost to add anything when it operates at the OS level now.

A blank disk does not have a boot-manager on it..

They choose not to do image creation from there now tho, just restores.

That means that you have to install Ghost before creating an image, and
that means you cant do a safety image from the booted CD with a system
that is in a dubious state, or just for safety before doing anything to it.

True Image is much better in that regard, you
can do anything from the booted 'rescue' CD.

Ok. I have no experience using PE. As I said, I can restore without
installing anything using a memory stick with Linux on it. I remember
that True Image got good reviews in the c't magazine, though. Better
go with True Image then, if you want a commercial product....

Arno

 

[Jimbo]

Wit regard to the boot-process, it is the same thing.

Wrong again. The difference is that a boot MANAGER allows the
selection of what to boot. The boot LOADER thats in the MBR doesnt.

Stop nit-picking....

Stop trying to bullshit your way out of your predicament.

A blank disk does not have a boot-manager on it..

Never said it did. An imager doesnt have to put any boot MANAGER
on a blank disk, all it has to do is restore the image to that disk.

Ok. I have no experience using PE. As I said, I can restore
without installing anything using a memory stick with Linux on it.

Irrelevant to what Ghost does.

I remember that True Image got good reviews in the c't magazine, though.
Better go with True Image then, if you want a commercial product....

TI does actually use linux on its 'rescue' CD. It uses its own
code to do the restore and imaging once the CD is booted tho.

 

[Arno Wagner]

Wrong again. The difference is that a boot MANAGER allows the
selection of what to boot. The boot LOADER thats in the MBR doesnt.

There is not difference, when viewed from the OSes side. Rather
obvious, even if this abstractiondoes not fit into some small
minds....

Stop trying to bullshit your way out of your predicament.

Hi, Rod. Trying to be listened to again? Your problem
is not your name, but your lack of competence and
communication skills....

Arno

 

[Joe]

So, the obvious question- if True Image is that good, why is it out of
business while Ghost continues? Better marketers?

Joe

 

[Keith]

So, the obvious question- if True Image is that good, why is it out of
business while Ghost continues? Better marketers?

It isn't OOB, it's up to v10.

Keith.

 

[Arno Wagner]

So, the obvious question- if True Image is that good, why is it out of
business while Ghost continues? Better marketers?

Joe

What else? Why is MS so large with their abysmally bad technology?
Why did VHS make it?

Arno

 

[Jimbo]

There is not difference, when viewed from the OSes side.

Wrong again, with a boog manager you get a choice of what to boot.
You dont with the MBR boot loader.

Rather obvious, even if this abstraction does not fit into some small minds....

Hi, Rod. Trying to be listened to again?
Your problem is not your name, but your lack
of competence and communication skills....

Never ever could bullshit its way out of a wet paper bag.

 

[Rod Speed]

So, the obvious question- if True Image is that good, why is it out of business

It isnt.

while Ghost continues? Better marketers?

Or your pig ignorance.

 

[Dave C.]

OK, my Dell system crashed last week. With help from a Dell tech support
guy, I did a quick format and reinstalled everything. Not doing the
format, that is, just trying to get the Restore disk to do a "fix files"
routine didn't work.

And, what other similar software is available?

I am using XXClone which makes a bootable copy of your hard drive. Any
other users of XXCopy?

Dave.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

"Dave C." asked:

I am using XXClone which makes a bootable copy of your
hard drive. Any other users of XXCopy?

I used it once. It took 4 hours to copy 20 GBs. The author
said that it would take much less time with incremental backups.
Since I don't do "incremental" clones, I looked elsewhere.

*TimDaniels*

 

[Dave C.]

I meant any other users of XXClone? not XXcopy?

Dave C.

 

[John Turco]

What else? Why is MS so large with their abysmally bad technology?
Why did VHS make it?

Arno

Hello, Arno:

VHS "made it," because it offered more recording time than Betamax did,
and at a nominal hit in video quality. There's nothing "abysmally bad"
about it...not even remotely so.


Cordially,
John Turco <[email protected]>

 

[Joe]

I emailed True Image and asked if I could install it on more than one home
computer- they wrote back that I must buy a copy for each computer. But, if
I try to install it on more than one home computer (not that I would <G>)-
but if I did, would they all work? The reason I wonder is that you can't get
away with doing that with MS stuff since you need to register MS's OSs and
Office or they'll stop working- and they'll catch you- unless you're a
hacker and know how to get away with it.

What about Ghost? If I buy it, can I install it legally on more than one
home computer?

Heck, such utility software should give us a break and let us legally
install on more than one computer- and yes, it would be fair to charge extra
per computer, but not the full price per computer- a fair charge per
computer I can handle.

Joe