Thanks Anna for your offer!
I have been using Ghost too many times but most often in a software
testing environment where I first have installed a number of Windows
versions onto the first partition of a disk on a PC. Then after it is
configured properly but with no extra software on I have used Ghost
(probably 2003) to create an image of the root partition on the second
(larger) partition of thta disk. So we have in the end about 10-12
different Windows versions.
Then for testing we use a boot *floppy* on that system to start up
Ghost and then we write a selected image on to the root partition so
we have a fresh Windows PC to test on. This has been going on for
several years (2-3 at least). Recently we have switched to using
VirtualPC2004 instead so we do not use Ghost as much anymore.
Anyway, my experience has always been with IDE connected drives, never
before USB connected ones. The test PC is a tower unit.
Now we have those laptops that need enlarged drives and I would very
much like to do it so that they can use the whole 160 Gb as one
logical drive. However also partitioning to 60+100 Gb may cut the
mustard if I can clone the system drive onto the 60 Gb partition.
But, the laptops have no way to attach both drives via IDE, one has
always to be through USB as far as I can see.
Several years ago I faced the same hell when I tried to clone a laptop
drive and make it bootable, the final solution was to do sa follows:
- Connect both drives on a separate PC with IDE cables
- Partition the new drive into two partitions
- Format the second partition so Ghost can store data on it
- Run Ghost to create an image of the laptop drive on the second
partition.
- Then install the drive in the laptop
- Boot with the Ghost 2003 CD
- Write the image file to the root partition of the single disk
Now the darned thing could boot!
But cloning the drive on the separate PC and then installing in the
laptop *always* failed! I did not understand why at the time, but here
we go again.
There MUST be something I am doing totally wrong, but what?
PS (after rambling..), yse I do have a system with a floppy (my wife's
HP at home). How can I use that?
Note: I need to have decent USB2 support on the boot CD, so that the
USB2 connected drives can be accessed!
Thanks!
Bo Berglund
bo.berglund(at)nospam.telia.com
Bo:
Well you certainly sound like an experienced Ghost 2003 user so I don't know
if the following will be of any real help to you in your present situation
since these are basic instructions for using the program. But look it over
anyway and give it a shot if you think it will be of any help...
Since you do have access to a PC with a floppy disk drive, install the Ghost
2003
program onto that machine. I hope the version you're using is the Ghost
2003.793 version - the 793 "build" being the latest (and apparently final)
version of that program. Earlier versions of the Ghost 2003 program did have
some compatibility problems of one sort or another but particularly with
cloning to a USB external HDD. Ordinarily even if you had an earlier build
it wouldn't be a problem since by using Symantec's LiveUpdate feature you
could download/install the latest version. But Symantec has recently
apparently stopped supporting Ghost 2003 and no further updates are
available a/f/a/i/k.
Here are step-by-step instructions for using the program...
Creating the bootable Ghost floppy disk.
1. Install the Ghost 2003 program on your computer.
2. Insert a blank floppy disk (it need not be formatted) and access your
Ghost program.
3. Click on Ghost Utilities.
4. Click on Norton Ghost Boot Wizard.
5. Select Standard Ghost Boot Disk. A dialog box will appear.
a. Select the USB 2.0 Support option.
b. Select the Assign DOS drive letters option and click Next.
6. Select the Use PC-DOS option.
7. Complete the process following the screen prompts.
8. Remove floppy and label accordingly.
That's it. Now you have a Ghost bootable floppy disk which you can use to
undertake your cloning operations now and in the future. Now when you want
to clone the contents of one HD to another HD you simply insert the Ghost
bootable floppy disk in your floppy drive and boot up with both drives
connected.
NOTE: After creating the Ghost bootable floppy disk, you can create a Ghost
bootable CD from it using the Roxio or Nero CD burning programs, or most
other CD burning programs that allow you to create a bootable CD.
Unfortunately I know of no way to *directly* create this bootable CD from
the Ghost program (as you can do, for example, with the Acronis True Image
program).
Before undertaking the cloning operation ensure that the only storage
devices connected are the two HDDs that will be involved in the cloning
process, i.e., your source and destination disks. Disconnect any flash
drives, ZIP drives, etc.
Here's how to perform the cloning operation...
1. With both drives (the internal and USB external HDDs) connected, boot up
with the Ghost bootable CD). You'll get an initial screen that displays
"License
agreement warning". Right-arrow (or tab) over to the "Continue without
marking drives" button and press Enter.
2. The "About Norton Ghost" screen appears. Click OK.
3. Right-arrow twice over to the "To Disk" button and press Enter.
4. The next screen will list both your drives - the Drive 1 (source disk)
and Drive 2 (destination disk). MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN Drive 1 IS INDEED
YOUR SOURCE DISK, I.E., THE DISK YOU'RE CLONING *FROM*! Drive 1 will be
highlighted. Press Enter.
5. The next screen will have Drive 2 (destination disk) highlighted. AGAIN,
ENSURE THAT Drive 2 IS YOUR DESTINATION DISK, I.E., THE DISK YOU'RE CLONING
*TO*! Press Enter.
6. The next screen is the "Destination Drive Details" window, and reflects
your ultimate destination disk, i.e., your current Drive 2. Press your Tab
key to highlight the OK button and press Enter.
7. The "Proceed with disk clone?" dialog box will open. Left-arrow over to
the Yes button and press Enter.
8. The cloning process will begin. The data transfer speed will depend upon
the speed of your processor and the HDDs involved.
9. After you get the "Clone Completed Successfully" message, left-arrow over
to the Continue button and press Enter.
10. Down-arrow to Quit and press Enter.
11. Click Yes at the "Are you sure you want to quit?" message.
12. Remove the Ghost CD and shut down the computer.
13. I think you said that if all went well your plan was to install the
cloned HDD currently in the USB enclosure as an internal HDD in the source
machine. When you initially boot up with the newly-cloned HDD a Windows
"Found New Hardware" message will probably appear in the Desktop's
Notification Area shortly followed by a "System Settings Change"message
window informing you that new hardware has been found and asks "Do you want
to restart your computer now?" Click Yes for the reboot.
14. BTW, the reboot of the newly-cloned drive usually takes a longer time
than usual, so one must be patient. On rare occasions the system will fail
to reboot - the system will hang before reaching the Windows XP Welcome
screen. It's a rare occurrence, but it does happen. If so, simply do a
reboot.
Hope some of this helps.
Anna
