Ghost 2003 problem

[kktk]

I have a SATA drive on my machine with XP installed.
I have used this feature before many times.

However, this time, ghost rebooted the system as it always does to create an image file for the C partition.---but its hung. After rebooting again, it brings be into a DOS window(loading its PC-DOS) and I am given the choice of exiting to DOS or rebooting into windows.

Rebooting does not work......so basically I am stuck in this loop where it wont let me get back into windows NOR will it finish(or start) the imaging process.

So how do I get back into Windows? Use some command line switches? Modify some files so that Ghost doesnt think it needs to start?

Thanks
K

[pam123]

Can you switch to MS-DOS?

[kktk]

I dont know how to do that....I know I can get to the PC DOS menu that you can launch because of Ghost. So I can access the autoexec.bat, config.sys etc....

I dont know if that helps though

[pam123]

First , there is a problem with SATA drives and Ghost, I'm surprised you didn't encounter it sooner but, if it helps, you're not alone.

Read through this carefully : Wally
Junior Member

Posts: 1
Registration: Jan 2005

posted January 10, 2005 02:43 profile • edit • reply w/quote • IP
I found this on Amazon.com shortly after i purchased ghost 03 today
For those who have "Coolstar's" problem (where the backup fails for some reason and you're not able to boot into Windows) here's the fix (the same thing happened to me and I figured out how to fix it by trial and error):

Boot your computer using a startup floppy disk (created using Windows 98/ME for example) and run FDISK (a copy of this program has to be on the startup disk, of course).

If your computer ignores the floppy, you'll have to change the startup order in the BIOS so that it tries to boot from the floppy before the hard disk or CD-ROM (done by pressing a certain key immediately after booting up - this key depends on the motherboard manufacturer... in many cases it is "delete").

Once in FDISK, if you examine the partitions (option 4) you'll notice that in addition to your normal partitions, there is also the virtual partition that Ghost made "active" (so that the computer boots from it).

To boot into Windows, choose option 2 ("Set active partition") and make your system partition - where your operating system's boot files are located (C: drive 99% of the time) ACTIVE. Don't worry about making the wrong drive active - if you get it wrong, just run fdisk again and choose a different drive.

Where you DO have to be careful is if you go exploring option 3 - "Delete Partition or Logical DOS drive." You will lose all the data on whatever partition you delete so don't fool around here unless you know what you're doing!

After making the system partition active, hit escape until you're back at the DOS prompt, eject your floppy, and then reboot.

If you've made the correct partition active, you should boot directly into windows. If you've made the wrong partition active, reinsert your floppy, run FDISK again and try again.

At this point the virtual partition is still there. If you want to get rid of it, you can delete it using "Disk Management" (if you have Windows XP Professional you can find it in the "Computer Management" snap-in, right click "My Computer" and select "Manage"... I'm not sure if XP Home has Computer Management) or some other partitioning software (FDISK might be able to do it too - I didn't try it though).

Be VERY careful with deleting partitions!

If you delete the wrong partition you will lose EVERYTHING on it!

To make things easier (if you have a hard disk with multiple partitions), I suggest giving your different partitions/logical disks unique names (I also made mine different sizes).


As for Ghost...
Yep, the DOS interface is old and clunky but it's nuclear-grade protection. Make an image when you're system is in good working condition. Then...

Got a virus?
Restore the image (it overwrites the boot sector as well on the hard drive).

Run into ANY kind of software problem?
Restore the image.

Hard drive failed?
Restore the image (you DID put it on a different physical disk, didn't you?)


To learn how to the program, google the terms "radified ghost" and you should see a link to a guide at the top. It's the best "How-To" guide on it I've seen (the same site's FDISK guide is also awesome).

Note - Ghost 9.0 (recently released) no longer uses the core that Ghost 2003 uses. Instead it uses the core based on PowerQuest's "Drive Image" - so for those of you who like the old Ghost, 2003 is the last you'll probably see of it. From what I've heard, Ghost 9.0 includes Ghost 2003, though.

Be careful about how you name your images!

I suggest limiting your image name to *5 characters* (even though they can be longer) - in certain cases new image files you create can overwrite segments of old image files.

For example, C1609 (for an image of C drive made on the 16th of September)

EDIT:
Ghost 9.0 doesn't seem to include the full version of Ghost 2003 - the most I've been able to find (looking at a friend's copy) is a utility that you can use to restore images made on Ghost 2003 (you can access it if you boot from the 9.0 CD). I haven't found an executable that you can use to make *.GHO images.

This page should help as well : http://www.digit-life.com/forum/0005/000061-4.html

Two ways to fix the problem.
You may not chose to dump Ghost but if you haven't before check for updates before you use it again.

[kktk]

First of all thanks for the reply.

I did come across a similar solution posted on Symantec's website where they mention how to disable the virtual partition that Ghost creates and activate the XP partition.

I tried doing what was mentioned using the GDISK command.

Gdisk 1 /act /p:X where X is the partition I want to activate.
I was hoping this would work...but this command just hangs.

I didnt think about the FDISK as an option. But now that you mentioned it, it makes sense.
So once I do this...my XP partition will be working as it was before?
Does Ghost make amy change to it that could cause me problems?

On a side note....do you prefer Ghost 9 or 10 over Ghost 2003?

Thanks
K

[pam123]

With a little care, don't try deleting things at random (That sounds too weird to be believed but people do strange things when they get frustrated enough.), you should have no problem.
As for back ups, I do those manually for indivdual files or I recommend Acronis if you have to clone and/or back up alot of data : http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing...cts/trueimage/

[kktk]

Just another thought....if I do this(deactivate the ghost virtual partition), do I still have to fix anything in the MBR?

[pam123]

Originally Posted by kktk Just another thought....if I do this(deactivate the ghost virtual partition), do I still have to fix anything in the MBR?

Nope, those instructions are sound.

After making the system partition active, hit escape until you're back at the DOS prompt, eject your floppy, and then reboot.

[kktk]

Thanks I tried this and it let me get back into Windows.

I was gunshy about deleting the Virtual Ghost partition so I let that be.

I have one more issue though...when I check the status of my drive in Partition Magic, it shows the whole drive as "BAD". It doesnt even show the diff partitions that I had on it.

I can however see them in explorer and access the data fine.

How do I resolve that "BAD" status in partition magic?

[pam123]

You can't really with that virtual partition still in place.
Also there's the fact that you have run Ghost successfully before and ran into trouble this time and the question why still remains.
Like I said there have been issues with SATA drives and Ghost but is that what got you in trouble this time ?
In your place I'd put the back ups on a USB drive or burn them to disk and run a full drive diagnostic, download it to a floppy from the manufacturer's web site (follow their instructions).
If you get back a clean bill of health with the virtual drive as the only exception you'll have to decide what to do about that failed partition. Sooner or later it will cause trouble.

[kktk]

Well that's what I am not so sure on why Partition Magic calls it a bad partition...I can boot, see my partitioned drives in explorer, access my data etc fine.

Strange!
K