Boot from C:\prompt?

[NoWay]

I was trying to make a backup copy of my wifes computer - found an old
copy of Norton Ghost 2003 (yes, I've already posted on the
"symantec.coustomerservice.general" newsgroup awaiting an answer....)
and installed it. Things went just swell until it had to reboot to
start the backup process. Asked if I wanted to proceed with Norton
Ghost procedurre or launch Windows - obviously, I chose to continue with
the Ghost operation. Started launching PCDOS and so on...rcvd msg that
"Mouse mot installed", aborted operation. Asked to "Abort, Retry,
Cancel?", but am unable to choose any of the three - appears frozen.
Rebooted, chose "Launch Windows" this time...goes to C:\ prompt and freezes.

Is there any way to:

A) make the puter forget to run Ghost at bootup,
B) launch Windows from the C:\prompt, or
C) reload the hdd with a backup copy I had made with the Windows backup
program just prior to the Ghost fiasco, remembering I can't launch Windows?!

Or any other suggestions would be appreciated!

HP Pavilion a1210n
Windows Media Center OS
AMD Athlon 64 3500+
1GB RAM

TIA,
Fred

 

[Ron Sommer]

Can you boot to your XP CD?
--
Ronald Sommer

:I was trying to make a backup copy of my wifes computer - found an old
: copy of Norton Ghost 2003 (yes, I've already posted on the
: "symantec.coustomerservice.general" newsgroup awaiting an answer....)
: and installed it. Things went just swell until it had to reboot to
: start the backup process. Asked if I wanted to proceed with Norton
: Ghost procedurre or launch Windows - obviously, I chose to continue with
: the Ghost operation. Started launching PCDOS and so on...rcvd msg that
: "Mouse mot installed", aborted operation. Asked to "Abort, Retry,
: Cancel?", but am unable to choose any of the three - appears frozen.
: Rebooted, chose "Launch Windows" this time...goes to C:\ prompt and
freezes.
:
: Is there any way to:
:
: A) make the puter forget to run Ghost at bootup,
: B) launch Windows from the C:\prompt, or
: C) reload the hdd with a backup copy I had made with the Windows backup
: program just prior to the Ghost fiasco, remembering I can't launch
Windows?!
:
: Or any other suggestions would be appreciated!
:
: HP Pavilion a1210n
: Windows Media Center OS
: AMD Athlon 64 3500+
: 1GB RAM
:
: TIA,
: Fred

 

[NoWay]

Can you boot to your XP CD?

I was trying to make a backup copy of my wifes computer - found an old
copy of Norton Ghost 2003 (yes, I've already posted on the
"symantec.coustomerservice.general" newsgroup awaiting an answer....)
and installed it. Things went just swell until it had to reboot to
start the backup process. Asked if I wanted to proceed with Norton
Ghost procedurre or launch Windows - obviously, I chose to continue with
the Ghost operation. Started launching PCDOS and so on...rcvd msg that
"Mouse mot installed", aborted operation. Asked to "Abort, Retry,
Cancel?", but am unable to choose any of the three - appears frozen.
Rebooted, chose "Launch Windows" this time...goes to C:\ prompt and
freezes.

Is there any way to:

A) make the puter forget to run Ghost at bootup,
B) launch Windows from the C:\prompt, or
C) reload the hdd with a backup copy I had made with the Windows backup
program just prior to the Ghost fiasco, remembering I can't launch
Windows?!

Or any other suggestions would be appreciated!

HP Pavilion a1210n
Windows Media Center OS
AMD Athlon 64 3500+
1GB RAM

TIA,
Fred

Well, I tried that just now...I can either reinstall Windows or repair
Windows with Automated Recovery Console.

ACR is a mystery to me, after selecting it and viewing its choices, and
surely I don't want to reinstall Windows, do I? Seems I've heard of a
repair installation, but that didn't seem to be an option.

Further advice?

Fred

 

[Anna]

Fred:
Just to clarify your situation...

1. When you say you were "trying to make a backup copy of my wifes computer"
using Ghost 2003, I assume you're referring to a clone of the source
computer, right? So you're using the Ghost 2003 program for disk-to-disk
cloning, not disk imaging? Is that correct?

2. Assuming we're talking about a disk-to-disk cloning operation, what was
the destination drive? A USB external HDD? Another internal HDD? What?

3. In using Ghost 2003, were you using Ghost's GUI to undertake the process,
or were you using a Ghost bootable floppy disk (or Ghost bootable CD)?

I could step you through the disk cloning process using the Ghost 2003
program with a bootable floppy disk or bootable CD if you want. We do not
use Ghost's GUI to undertake this operation for a variety of reasons. And we
do not use that program for "disk imaging".

If you're interested, answer the above and we can go on from there if you
want, making a fresh start. I'm assuming in all this that your wife's
computer boots without incident and functions without any problems. We
certainly do not want to clone "garbage", right?
Anna

 

[NoWay]

Fred:
Just to clarify your situation...

1. When you say you were "trying to make a backup copy of my wifes computer"
using Ghost 2003, I assume you're referring to a clone of the source
computer, right? So you're using the Ghost 2003 program for disk-to-disk
cloning, not disk imaging? Is that correct?

2. Assuming we're talking about a disk-to-disk cloning operation, what was
the destination drive? A USB external HDD? Another internal HDD? What?

3. In using Ghost 2003, were you using Ghost's GUI to undertake the process,
or were you using a Ghost bootable floppy disk (or Ghost bootable CD)?

I could step you through the disk cloning process using the Ghost 2003
program with a bootable floppy disk or bootable CD if you want. We do not
use Ghost's GUI to undertake this operation for a variety of reasons. And we
do not use that program for "disk imaging".

If you're interested, answer the above and we can go on from there if you
want, making a fresh start. I'm assuming in all this that your wife's
computer boots without incident and functions without any problems. We
certainly do not want to clone "garbage", right?
Anna

Hi, Anna,

Thanks for replying - I'll try to answer your questions as well as I can.

1. Yes, a clone - a complete "full" backup - I wanted to have that in
case anything should happen to her computer....guess I should have left
well enough alone!
2. Destination was a SimpleTech USB 2.0 external hdd.
3. I had used the GUI to start the process of creating the Ghost
backup...after completing the initial setup, it then wanted to restart
the computer and start the backup process (from PCDOS), which where the
ugly problems began... But, yes, the computer had been functioning just
fine before all this.

Where do we start?

Fred

 

[Anna]

Hi, Anna,
Thanks for replying - I'll try to answer your questions as well as I can.

1. Yes, a clone - a complete "full" backup - I wanted to have that in
case anything should happen to her computer....guess I should have left
well enough alone!
2. Destination was a SimpleTech USB 2.0 external hdd.
3. I had used the GUI to start the process of creating the Ghost
backup...after completing the initial setup, it then wanted to restart the
computer and start the backup process (from PCDOS), which where the ugly
problems began... But, yes, the computer had been functioning just fine
before all this.

Where do we start?

Fred

Fred:
As I mentioned in my previous post, when we use Ghost 2003 we use the
program for disk-to-disk cloning using a Ghost 2003 bootable floppy disk
that can be easily created from the program. (A Ghost bootable CD can also
be used, but you need to first create the Ghost bootable floppy disk and
then use a disk burning program such as Roxio or Nero to create a Ghost
bootable CD from the floppy. There's no way that I'm aware of that one can
create the bootable CD *directly* from the Ghost 2003 program).

Can you go that route? I can provide step-by-step instructions for creating
that bootable floppy disk from the Ghost 2003 program.

If you can, fine. But first, do you know the version ("build") of your Ghost
2003 program? You said it was an "old copy". That might pose a problem
because the earlier versions of Ghost 2003 did have some incompatibility
problems - particularly with respect to cloning to an external HDD, such as
you want to do. Check Help > About Norton Ghost 2003 and indicate the
version. Hopefully, it will be 2003.793.

Generally this wouldn't be a problem even if your version was an earlier one
since by using Symantec's LiveUpdate feature you could automatically
download/install that latest "build" - 793. But we recently learned that
Symantec may no longer be providing any updates to the Ghost 2003 program.
We've contacted Symantec about this and we're awaiting their response.

Anyway, indicate the version of your program. If earlier than the 2003.793
version, try the LiveUpdate feature and see what happens. We'll go on from
there.
Anna

 

[NoWay]

Fred:
As I mentioned in my previous post, when we use Ghost 2003 we use the
program for disk-to-disk cloning using a Ghost 2003 bootable floppy disk
that can be easily created from the program. (A Ghost bootable CD can also
be used, but you need to first create the Ghost bootable floppy disk and
then use a disk burning program such as Roxio or Nero to create a Ghost
bootable CD from the floppy. There's no way that I'm aware of that one can
create the bootable CD *directly* from the Ghost 2003 program).

Can you go that route? I can provide step-by-step instructions for creating
that bootable floppy disk from the Ghost 2003 program.

If you can, fine. But first, do you know the version ("build") of your Ghost
2003 program? You said it was an "old copy". That might pose a problem
because the earlier versions of Ghost 2003 did have some incompatibility
problems - particularly with respect to cloning to an external HDD, such as
you want to do. Check Help > About Norton Ghost 2003 and indicate the
version. Hopefully, it will be 2003.793.

Generally this wouldn't be a problem even if your version was an earlier one
since by using Symantec's LiveUpdate feature you could automatically
download/install that latest "build" - 793. But we recently learned that
Symantec may no longer be providing any updates to the Ghost 2003 program.
We've contacted Symantec about this and we're awaiting their response.

Anyway, indicate the version of your program. If earlier than the 2003.793
version, try the LiveUpdate feature and see what happens. We'll go on from
there.
Anna

Yes, I do have Nero installed and, if I had a bootable floppy, I'm sure
I could burn it to a cd - b ut I don't have a bootable floppy. I don't
have a bootable floppy for the same reason I can't tell you the version
I have of Ghost - the computer containing the Ghost install is the one
that won't boot up or run the Norton backup. Same reason I can't run
LiveUpdate...

Now - I do have her old pc sitting around - it has Norton System Works
already installed on it, but I'll uninstall that and try installing the
Ghost 2003...if that works, we'll be sitting in much better shape - right?!

Be a few minutes...

Fred

 

[NoWay]

Fred:
As I mentioned in my previous post, when we use Ghost 2003 we use the
program for disk-to-disk cloning using a Ghost 2003 bootable floppy disk
that can be easily created from the program. (A Ghost bootable CD can also
be used, but you need to first create the Ghost bootable floppy disk and
then use a disk burning program such as Roxio or Nero to create a Ghost
bootable CD from the floppy. There's no way that I'm aware of that one can
create the bootable CD *directly* from the Ghost 2003 program).

Can you go that route? I can provide step-by-step instructions for creating
that bootable floppy disk from the Ghost 2003 program.

If you can, fine. But first, do you know the version ("build") of your Ghost
2003 program? You said it was an "old copy". That might pose a problem
because the earlier versions of Ghost 2003 did have some incompatibility
problems - particularly with respect to cloning to an external HDD, such as
you want to do. Check Help > About Norton Ghost 2003 and indicate the
version. Hopefully, it will be 2003.793.

Generally this wouldn't be a problem even if your version was an earlier one
since by using Symantec's LiveUpdate feature you could automatically
download/install that latest "build" - 793. But we recently learned that
Symantec may no longer be providing any updates to the Ghost 2003 program.
We've contacted Symantec about this and we're awaiting their response.

Anyway, indicate the version of your program. If earlier than the 2003.793
version, try the LiveUpdate feature and see what happens. We'll go on from
there.
Anna

Followup - Ghost 2003 is version 2003.775, LiveUpdate didn't change the
version. Have created a boot floppy from Ghost 2003, now will try
burning it to a CD..

Fred

 

[NoWay]

Fred:
As I mentioned in my previous post, when we use Ghost 2003 we use the
program for disk-to-disk cloning using a Ghost 2003 bootable floppy disk
that can be easily created from the program. (A Ghost bootable CD can also
be used, but you need to first create the Ghost bootable floppy disk and
then use a disk burning program such as Roxio or Nero to create a Ghost
bootable CD from the floppy. There's no way that I'm aware of that one can
create the bootable CD *directly* from the Ghost 2003 program).

Can you go that route? I can provide step-by-step instructions for creating
that bootable floppy disk from the Ghost 2003 program.

If you can, fine. But first, do you know the version ("build") of your Ghost
2003 program? You said it was an "old copy". That might pose a problem
because the earlier versions of Ghost 2003 did have some incompatibility
problems - particularly with respect to cloning to an external HDD, such as
you want to do. Check Help > About Norton Ghost 2003 and indicate the
version. Hopefully, it will be 2003.793.

Generally this wouldn't be a problem even if your version was an earlier one
since by using Symantec's LiveUpdate feature you could automatically
download/install that latest "build" - 793. But we recently learned that
Symantec may no longer be providing any updates to the Ghost 2003 program.
We've contacted Symantec about this and we're awaiting their response.

Anyway, indicate the version of your program. If earlier than the 2003.793
version, try the LiveUpdate feature and see what happens. We'll go on from
there.
Anna

Further update: Got the bootable disk copied to a CD, ran it, with no
success. It does recognize my external hdd, but after a blurb about
mouse drivers, states no mouse found and halts. A functioning PS/2
mouse IS installed...

*sigh*

Fred

 

[NoWay]

Fred:
As I mentioned in my previous post, when we use Ghost 2003 we use the
program for disk-to-disk cloning using a Ghost 2003 bootable floppy disk
that can be easily created from the program. (A Ghost bootable CD can also
be used, but you need to first create the Ghost bootable floppy disk and
then use a disk burning program such as Roxio or Nero to create a Ghost
bootable CD from the floppy. There's no way that I'm aware of that one can
create the bootable CD *directly* from the Ghost 2003 program).

Can you go that route? I can provide step-by-step instructions for creating
that bootable floppy disk from the Ghost 2003 program.

If you can, fine. But first, do you know the version ("build") of your Ghost
2003 program? You said it was an "old copy". That might pose a problem
because the earlier versions of Ghost 2003 did have some incompatibility
problems - particularly with respect to cloning to an external HDD, such as
you want to do. Check Help > About Norton Ghost 2003 and indicate the
version. Hopefully, it will be 2003.793.

Generally this wouldn't be a problem even if your version was an earlier one
since by using Symantec's LiveUpdate feature you could automatically
download/install that latest "build" - 793. But we recently learned that
Symantec may no longer be providing any updates to the Ghost 2003 program.
We've contacted Symantec about this and we're awaiting their response.

Anyway, indicate the version of your program. If earlier than the 2003.793
version, try the LiveUpdate feature and see what happens. We'll go on from
there.
Anna

Anna??? Heeellllloooooo, Anna???!

Another idea - if I reinstall Windows, will the files (other than
Windows) be preserved? Even if not, would I then be able to use the
Windows Backup/Restore function to reinstall the original configuration
using the backup I made with the Windows Backup tool after reinstalling
Windows?

Just stumbling around looking for hope...

Fred

 

[Anna]

Anna??? Heeellllloooooo, Anna???!

Another idea - if I reinstall Windows, will the files (other than Windows)
be preserved? Even if not, would I then be able to use the Windows
Backup/Restore function to reinstall the original configuration using the
backup I made with the Windows Backup tool after reinstalling Windows?

Just stumbling around looking for hope...

Fred

Fred:
I'm afraid I'm getting a bit lost here. Have you abandoned the idea of using
the Ghost 2003 program to clone the contents of your wife's PC to a USB
external HDD?

We rarely use the XP built-in backup utility because of its limitations and
(in our opinion) its awkward interface. But I know others do use that
program for general backup purposes and are quite content with it. I would
rather have those users who are more familiar with that program respond to
your latest query.
Anna

 

[NoWay]

Fred:
I'm afraid I'm getting a bit lost here. Have you abandoned the idea of using
the Ghost 2003 program to clone the contents of your wife's PC to a USB
external HDD?

We rarely use the XP built-in backup utility because of its limitations and
(in our opinion) its awkward interface. But I know others do use that
program for general backup purposes and are quite content with it. I would
rather have those users who are more familiar with that program respond to
your latest query.
Anna

Guess it has been confusing - in my original post, I said (was trying to
say?) that I had tried to make a backup of my wifes computer, and in the
attempt, Ghost failed to launch after the requisite restart following
setting up the job. So, yes, at this point, Ive given up the idea of
backing up her hdd since I can no longer access it! My goal at this
point is to get it running again...either by voiding the current backup
job which will not run and hoping I can then return to Windows, or by
finding if a reload of Windows will preserve the current files, or, if I
reload Windows, will I then be able to install (reinstall?) the files to
her computer from the external usb hdd where I placed a backup of her
files via Windows backup utilty?
Fred

 

[Bo Berglund]

Guess it has been confusing - in my original post, I said (was trying to
say?) that I had tried to make a backup of my wifes computer, and in the
attempt, Ghost failed to launch after the requisite restart following
setting up the job. So, yes, at this point, Ive given up the idea of
backing up her hdd since I can no longer access it! My goal at this
point is to get it running again...either by voiding the current backup
job which will not run and hoping I can then return to Windows, or by
finding if a reload of Windows will preserve the current files, or, if I
reload Windows, will I then be able to install (reinstall?) the files to
her computer from the external usb hdd where I placed a backup of her
files via Windows backup utilty?
Fred

Just curious,
if you werre cloning your wife's computer how come your own computer
got screwed up???
Normally the procedure would be one of these:
1) Cloning system drive of computer
- Install Ghost on computer
- Create boot disk (floppy or CD with needed drivers)
- Shut down PC
- Attach blank drive to PC (either in IDE bay or via USB2)
- Start up PC with Ghost2003 bootable disk
- Set ghosting to occur between local system drive and new drive
- Wait until ready
- shut down and mount new drive in place of old drive
- start PC

2) Cloning disks other than own system drive
- Install Ghost 2003
- Create boot disk (floppy or CD with needed drivers)
- Shut down PC
- Attach blank drive and disk to clone to PC (in IDE bay or USB2)
- Start up PC with Ghost 2003 boot disk
- Set ghosting to occur between the two attached external disks
- Wait until ready
- Shut down and remove boot disk
- Start PC into Windows
- Do whatever with cloned disk

In none of the scenarios is the system drive of the PC used as the
clone tool affected, so why do you have problems to start it? Did you
by accident select your own C: drive as the target for the cloning
maybe?


Bo Berglund
bo.berglund(at)nospam.telia.com

 

[NoWay]

Just curious,
if you werre cloning your wife's computer how come your own computer
got screwed up???
Normally the procedure would be one of these:
1) Cloning system drive of computer
- Install Ghost on computer
- Create boot disk (floppy or CD with needed drivers)
- Shut down PC
- Attach blank drive to PC (either in IDE bay or via USB2)
- Start up PC with Ghost2003 bootable disk
- Set ghosting to occur between local system drive and new drive
- Wait until ready
- shut down and mount new drive in place of old drive
- start PC

2) Cloning disks other than own system drive
- Install Ghost 2003
- Create boot disk (floppy or CD with needed drivers)
- Shut down PC
- Attach blank drive and disk to clone to PC (in IDE bay or USB2)
- Start up PC with Ghost 2003 boot disk
- Set ghosting to occur between the two attached external disks
- Wait until ready
- Shut down and remove boot disk
- Start PC into Windows
- Do whatever with cloned disk

In none of the scenarios is the system drive of the PC used as the
clone tool affected, so why do you have problems to start it? Did you
by accident select your own C: drive as the target for the cloning
maybe?


Bo Berglund
bo.berglund(at)nospam.telia.com

Knew this was getting out of hand and confusing....

Never said MY computer was screwed up.

As to 1), did install Ghost 2003 on HER computer, created a backup job
for HER computer using an external USB hdd as DESTINATION. Ghost 2003
then prompted me to restart HER pc to run the backup job. THAT is where
it went to HE double-toothpicks in a handbasket. First came a choice to
run Ghost backup or return to Windows - obviously I chose to run the
backup job. Ghost then launched PC-DOS and attempted to run backup job.
Failing to detect a mouse (functioning PC/2 mouse IS connected), Ghost
canceled the operation (with "Abort, Retry, Fail" options, and then to
"C:\" prompt. Rebooting and choosing "Return to Windows" resulted in a
"carriage return" (cursor moved down one line and then to far left
margin) and sits there blinking.

As for 2), doesn't apply.

I can't start HER computer because it's locked in a Ghost backup loop
and I can't get out of it. And, no, I didn't (couldn't) select MY OWN
C: drive as the target because it was not an option - only HER computer
as source and the external USB hdd a destination.

Than ks for your interest - gonna beat this thing if it kills me!!

Fred