Best version of Ghost to use for imaging Vista?

[EGOvoruhk]

I'm trying to image a notebook at work with Vista without the need to install Ghost inside the OS. So far I've been using a copy of Ghost 2003 boot disc we have here, but when I backup to a CD or DVD, it wont make it bootable. It gives me the option, but when I click yes, it tells me to put in a bootable floppy to read the files from, heh. No bootable floppy here

Anyway, does anyone know a version of Ghost after 2003 where I can do this? Thanks in advance

[fizban2]

I'm trying to image a notebook at work with Vista without the need to install Ghost inside the OS. So far I've been using a copy of Ghost 2003 boot disc we have here, but when I backup to a CD or DVD, it wont make it bootable. It gives me the option, but when I click yes, it tells me to put in a bootable floppy to read the files from, heh. No bootable floppy here

Anyway, does anyone know a version of Ghost after 2003 where I can do this? Thanks in advance

I believe that the newest version Ghost would allows this. I would ask though why you do not use the WAIK and the WinPE to create a WIM file for Vista (since this is the format used now)

[EGOvoruhk]

I would ask though why you do not use the WAIK and the WinPE to create a WIM file for Vista (since this is the format used now)

I've actually never looked into it. I just figured I'd use Ghost because I had used it in the past

Would you happen to know where I could find a tutorial for doing what you suggested?

[Mordac85]

WAIK is on Technet. However, Ghost has been doing what you ask for years. I think you may have just created a partition image, which does not capture the MBR, rather than a disk image. Just a slight difference in terminology, but a big difference in the results.

[killerb255]

Ghost Solution Suite 2.5. It just came out.

It has ghost32.exe and ghost64.exe, so you can use it from BartPE, WinPE 2.1 x86, or WinPE 2.1 x64 (just make sure you use the right executable).

[joe43wv]

I just purchased the newest ver. 14 for a couple of customers and it says it supports Vista but not sure if it'll do what your needing. This link will take you to the symantec site and get a full 30 day trial.

http://shop.symantecstore.com/store/symnah...Trialware_en_US

[Mordac85]

fwiw, Ghost Solution Suite is the corporate version that has GhostCast server, AI builder, Ghost Console, etc for managing systems in a large environment. Thanks for the head's up on the new version. Unfortunately, Symantec uses the same Ghost name for the commercial version that is intended primarily for home use to backup a system. In this instance, either products will provide the correct executable needed to create an image.

If EGOvoruhk's problem is that it's not bootable, then he most likely created an image of just the partition, which would not include the MBR.

[bober]

i found this for ghost 8.3{not tested by me}

"Just run the following commands (one time only) from a cmd box in Vista under an admin account :"

BCDEDIT /set {bootmgr} device boot
BCDEDIT /set {default} device boot
BCDEDIT /set {default} osdevice boot

"By doing just that, one time, Vista is now set up to always work with your Ghost boot disk;

You can make Ghost images just like you did with all the other operating systems. "

[Mordac85]

Before we go down this long road of possible Ghost/Vista issues, maybe EGOvoruhk could tell us if he is making an image of just a partition or the entire drive? Maybe even list the options/commands he is using so we can see exactly where the problem lies?

[Sonic]

I had some bugs with old ghost exe (8.x and v6 for dos if I remember) ...

Since I have updated to v11 and I have no problems for mbr / disk or partition cloning ...

sure wim format is now free and embedded but not integrated yet in my brain so ghost is always in my winpe usb flash :-p

[EGOvoruhk]

Before we go down this long road of possible Ghost/Vista issues, maybe EGOvoruhk could tell us if he is making an image of just a partition or the entire drive? Maybe even list the options/commands he is using so we can see exactly where the problem lies?

Sorry about the delay. I'm making an image of the whole drive, not the partition

However, I think you're misunderstanding what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to make the CDs (or DVD) with the image Ghost creates on it, bootable. That way, I can have a few copies, and image multiple machines at a time

[Mordac85]

The image file itself cannot be booted from in that state since it is not an image that can be directly used as an OS like an ISO or LiveCD could. Theterm is throwing you I think since it is not an "image" similar to a CD image, but rather is a collection of tokenized data and references to rebuild the mass of files on a drive or partition. Think of it more like a zip file of your drive that may or may not also contain the MBR.

You need to create a bootable media (CD, DVD, USB drive, etc) to boot from initially and then call the Ghost executable to restore the image file to a drive. It's not going to get much simpler than that.

[EGOvoruhk]

I know what an image is, and I know I can't boot from just the Ghost image file. However, there is an option with Ghost, that will allow you to make a bootable disc with the image on it (or spanned across a few volumes). It basically throws Ghost32 on the disc, along with some bootable floppy files

My problem is not having access to a floppy. There's got to be a way to get this done without a floppy

[Tripredacus]

I am not sure if Ghost can manually do this for you, but to make a bootable CD/DVD (I used a DVD) you make it similar to a floppy boot disk. And make an ISO using oscdimg and use the -m command, and also use the appropriate bootloader. Or just make a WinPE CD and put Ghost32 on it, and the image. I don't see why a floppy is required.

[farrina]

Not sure about Ghost but I use Acronis True Image Home with my Vista X64 installation - details here http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/

It has the facility to make a bootable CD that allows one to boot the Acronis program from outside of the OS which loads a GUI of the program. The program does not need to be installed on the actual machine itself (although this give you the more options)

Rather nicely it also loads sufficient drivers from the boot CD to allow you to back up (or restore) an image from a USB connected hard drive, a DVD or even across a network.

Very slick program and the icing on the cake is that you can dowload a free trial of the program for 15 days from the above site (~137MB).

Highly recommended.

Regards

Alan

Edited June 2, 2008 by farrina