Recommendations for Ghost or Image software tools.
Recommendations for Ghost or Image software tools.
I need a bootable imaging tool.
Long ago I relied on Norton Ghost to create ISO files for Windows 98/XP systems, which helped with quick recovery. Now I want to do the same for Windows 7/10 PCs, but my old Norton Ghost doesn’t support NTFS.
Can anyone suggest a reliable imaging program?
It should be able to boot from a CD.
Each PC has two HDDs, so the image will be saved and read locally, not over a network.
There are many choices from simple searches, but they mostly seem to be Windows tools, antivirus software, or error-checking utilities.
I’m looking for something straightforward, just like Norton Ghost used to be—simple boot from CD, save or load images.
Thanks!
So the steps you want to follow are....
1: Put a bootable CD in, then switch off the PC (just need power to open or close the CD-ROM).
2: Turn on the PC, boot from the CD and wait for the imaging program to start (not Windows or Command Prompt).
3: Use the imaging program to either create an ISO image or load an existing ISO file.
That was what I liked about Norton Ghost, it was really simple...
just insert the disk, boot to it and decide whether to save a drive as an ISO or write an ISO to another drive.
The actual image ISO file isn’t bootable by itself—it’s just a huge backup of the Windows 7/10 partition, probably too big to fit on a DVD. That’s why a bootable CD with the imaging software is necessary.
You start from the software, point it at the image file, or specify where to save it.
Is this clear or am I getting mixed up?
aomei backupper is considered the top choice for ease of use and UEFI backup capabilities.
Nothing to do with being "old", I'm 77 and still up to date with PCs.
CDs and making backup in an ISO file has been replaced by fully configurable programs like Macruim Reflect and USB connected devices. I suggest you read instructions for it.
Basically, you install MR and configure it to back up anything from whole disk, just partitions, folders or even individual files. That includes disk with OS.
It makes one file .MRIMG (instead of ISO) which doesn't include empty disk space so it's already smaller than whole disk and is also condensed so it's about 70-75% of whole data.
That file can be mounted just like an ISO into a virtual disk and manipulated just like it was real disk drive.
In addition you can make it to manually or automatically back up just difference between full backup and present data (incremental or differential) which is just small percentage of original.
Program also helps you make an bootable USB (or CD if you want) from which you can BOOT. do same operations and more like fix BOOT problems, clone disk and it's main function to restore contents to any other disk.
Norton Ghost Personal handles NTFS without issues, supporting both full partitions and disks, as well as NTFS partitions within files. By default, the CD or floppy drive lacks an NTFS driver, which prevents Ghost from placing or accessing files on NTFS partitions. An example of a suitable NTFS driver for DOS is NTFS4DOS, enabling DOS to read and write NTFS partitions. You might also consider installing additional DOS drivers for your network card, allowing Ghost to function with external USB drives on NTFS. Alternatively, you could install DOS drivers for your network card to save files to a network drive where the format isn't a concern, as DOS doesn't recognize it—possibly even using Ext4.
It's crucial to note that restored images for Windows Vista and newer require a bootable setup from an active Windows system via an administrator command prompt. This includes commands such as:
BCDEDIT /set {bootmgr} device boot
BCDEDIT /set {default} device boot
BCDEDIT /set {default} osdevice boot
This process helps prevent boot-related problems and ensures Ghost remains functional, even on Windows 11, particularly with MBR disks.
Using Ghost on 4TB disks is generally discouraged since it struggles to display or handle such large capacities properly, though it can still copy them correctly. Additionally, the software is outdated and may not recognize certain SATA controllers unless your BIOS allows changing the native SATA mode from "enhanced" to "compatible" or "IDE." In such cases, only four devices can be recognized at once, and one must remain the CD drive unless you're using a Ghost floppy.
Modern alternatives like Minitool Partition Wizard offer similar partition and disk cloning capabilities without these limitations. However, unlike Ghost, it doesn<|pad|> to write the image as a .GHO file. Still, with ample storage now available, it's reasonable to allocate space across partitions if it simplifies management.
Other BCD settings should be temporarily disabled before taking an image, such as System Restore (which may appear missing afterward but will disappear if you disable it) and hibernation. For Windows 7, a convenient option is to use the built-in tab to disable hibernation via command prompt:
powercfg /hibernate off
After restoration, you can re-enable it with:
powercfg /hibernate on
People have used Ghost on Windows 3.1 and 9x by cloning from a running system using the built-in File Manager—simply dragging io.sys and msdos.sys before any other files, ensuring it boots. This method was convenient when permissions and file locks were minimal.
Macrium Reflect is even more straightforward.
It can generate a complete drive image from an active Windows session.
My setup does this automatically each evening without any input.
Simply launch the program, specify the location for saving the image. In my setup, it stores it in a folder on my NAS.
To restore using that image, boot from a previously made Rescue USB or CD and provide the image location and target drive.
Complete.
I find it useful to understand how to operate a tool that doesn't depend on Microsoft's Volume Shadow Copy Service or Linux, especially in situations where those methods fail. I've often had to use Ghost as a fallback when other options didn't work, which is why I'm familiar with the complex steps needed to apply it on newer operating systems. This approach might be suitable for creating a single clean backup, but for differential or incremental backups that are needed regularly, it would be significantly more efficient. Always remember to verify your setup to ensure reliable restoration.