Create Copies Of Windows Images...

[WeaponX 0]

We're using Norton Ghost 2003 in the office to create Windows images for the Dell laptops we have. One problem I encountered is trying to copy the CDs. I think the office used Nero, CloneCD and other major CD cloning/copying software, but none worked. Nero 7 gave a unreadable data error when we tried to copy it.The 2 CD set image is a good copy. We tried loading it into another similar Dell laptop and it worked without any errors. But now we need to duplicate these images for all the techs.Any idea on how to create extra copies of this image without having to do this through Ghost each time (takes approximately 30 minutes to create the image through external CD burner - laptop can only support either floppy or cd drive one at a time, thus the need for the external).Thanks.

[beatgammit 0]

There are programs that copy a CD directly from one to the other without bothering what the data on the CD says, so I would look at some of those solutions. I did a quick search and came up with this. According to the site I got it from, this does basically the same thing as Ghost does.

I hope this helps!!

[WeaponX 0]

The techs in the office couldn't figure out why these programs can't copy the bootable CDs directly. They actually just copied the single .GHO file that was on the CD instead and burned it to a CD. Now it works, but the CDs are not bootable. No biggie...we just need to insert the Ghost 2003 CD we have and that will continue the process from there.They could make a backup of these images (bootable ones) for another Dell model laptop, but not this one. So if anyone has a solution to this, let me know. Otherwise, we'll just deal with an extra CD off hand to boot from it first.Thanks

[Markymark2 0]

Ok I think I get what you need, Ive done this in the past a few times myself.What you need first is a good boot floppy, head over to bootdisk.com and pick the flavour of bootdisk you want.Then you need to make a floppy from the exe file that you downloaded.Now depending on which burning sofware your using these next steps might be diff but just google around or look on the onsite help or FAQ for the burning software on how to make a boot CD.I know that Nero can do this NP, but I  use an old version of WinonCD.In my software I just say Make boot CD and then fill up the cd as normal with the .GHO file..the DOS Ghost  program, and if I can all the drivers and also a service pack for the OS if it will fit.Then It asks for the files to make it bootable..they are on the floppy (make sure that you have got a bootdisk with generic drivers for the CD and or DVD drives that the Ghost file is to be deployed on ) and I can use a windows explorer box to locate the A: drive then it copies the floppy into the cache then writes the CD.If you REALLY get funky you can write a .bat file menu system so that when it boots from the CD/DVD it gives you choices..ie. I made one that had Fdisk, Ghost , Boot from LAN etc all on menus so you could sort out partitions then reboot then go right into ghost then reghost it all with the CD just sitting in the draw.Then when DVDs came out I got even funkier I made a DVD with dual ghost on it so we could rebuild the companies Compaq pcs with with a choice of XP or Win2k depending on the user, we also used to put all the usefull apps that most ppl use on the disk too so it would have stuff like Winrar, Acrobat etc and ofc all the drivers for each models in seprate folders.Using these disks really cut down on support calls cos we knew if the fix took longer than 30 mins..might as well Ghost the pc and start again afresh instead of spending too much time on a problem.Good Luck and post back how your getting on.Marky;)

[WeaponX 0]

Thanks for the tip Marky. I have no idea why they didn't do that in the first place. These guys pretty much know what they are doing, but I guess when the manager is on your "you know where", they just want it done quickly LOL.I will definitely play around with this and give this a try. I have the ghost boot diskette with me so that should be no problem.

[ethergeek 0]

If you want to create a bootable iso, you just need to extract the boot sector from the bootable cd. I restore my machines all the time with clean copies of the freshly installed OS and all the drivers...it's somehow faster than a windows reinstall. Anyway, acronis produces a file containing the disk image (like the GHO files) and puts it onto an external drive. I take that image, put it on an iso, copy the acronis loader from an acronis boot cd and the eltorito boot image, and create a dvd iso, all of this using UltraISO. The DVD boots the machine with acronis, AND has the image file on it as well.I've never used Ghost, but I'd bet a similar procedure is possible.