Symantec Ghost 8 and Norton Ghost 2003 (Part 2)

Topics on this page (continued from Part 1):

[4] Running Norton Ghost 2003 in Windows to backup and restore a Windows partition

• [4.1] Backup
• [4.2] Error message
• [4.3] Restore

4. Running Norton Ghost 2003 in Windows to backup a Windows partition

4.1 Backup

In Ghost Basic, choose Backup (fig. above). Then select the disk or partition within a disk and destination format - file on HD or CD/DVD (fig. 1). Click Next.

Fig. 1. Backup Wizard: Select disk or partition and destination

Type a meaningful file name. Browse to the correct folder if necessary. Note that you cannot backup to the same partition you are trying to backup; you must choose a different partition or removable media. The Image description is optional (fig. 2). The first ghost image file has a *.gho extension and any spanned files will start with *001.gho. If you choose backup to CD/DVD, there is no browse option and the file name *.001 is automatically created for you.

Fig. 2. Type an image file name and description.

Next, you will see the windows reminding you to add additional device drivers (such as IEEE 1394 firewire) if they are detected (fig. 3) and advanced settings (fig. 4). These are optional and not normally required. Click OK or Cancel.

Fig. 3. Ghost wizard: Device information

If you need to add drivers, do this in the next window (fig. 4). Click the Advanced settings button to open another window for various custom options.

Fig. 4. Backup Wizard: Advanced settings

Have a look in each tab (fig. 5).

Fig. 5. Advanced settings

Another window prompts you to make a disaster recovery disk, which is the Ghost boot floppy disc and which you should have made already (see above). Click OK or Cancel to bypass them or configure the settings as appropriate.

Another window tells you (and shows you a picture) that Ghost will reboot into DOS to carry out the operation.

Click Next to the Norton Ghost task summary window. Check all the settings carefully before clicking Run Now to reboot into DOS (fig. 6). Click Back to change any settings as necessary.

Fig. 6. Norton Ghost task summary

When this final message comes up you should save any opened data files and close their corresponding Windows programs before clicking OK (fig. 7). When the computer shuts down and reboots itself, let Ghost start and run itself and don't interfere with it. If any interruptions occurs you may end up with incomplete backup and failure to reboot (because of the virtual partition left behind).

Fig. 7. Norton Ghost restart computer warning.

4.2. Error: Unable to find a free MBR slot

Because Ghost (when set up in Windows) needs to reboot and start its operation in DOS, it has to make a temporary virtual small partition and have access to the master boot record (MBR). It requires a small 2MB (the size can be changed in Advanced settings) virtual spare primary partition (and the corresponding entry in the MBR) to do it.

You can only set up Ghost operation in Windows if you have less than four primary or three primary and one extended/logical partition on the first (primary master) bootable hard disc. Whatever partition it backs up, whether it is a Windows partition or not, it needs to reboot and run the operation in DOS.

If you don't have a spare partition you get this error message and can only run Ghost using the bootable floppy or CD directly in DOS (fig. 8). All the settings you have just set up in Windows will be cancelled.

Fig. 8. Norton Ghost error message.

4.3. Restore

The steps are similar to making a backup. In Ghost Basic, select Backup and follow the wizard for the source image location and destination drive and partition. It will reboot and run the operation in DOS. Alternatively, set up and run the whole operation directly in DOS (see Part 3).

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Created 23 Aug 2004; last updated 28 Aug 2004