[Damsel]

I have a laptop with no floppy drive and I would like to make a Norton Ghost Boot Disk on a bootable CD. I cannot find instructions on how to do this on the Symantec site or doing a Google search or reading the manual. :-(

My HDD is partitioned and one of the partitions is for the backup ghost files so I will not be backing up from a CD but I might need the CD to start the backup.

Would anyone know how to do this?

Thank you!

[raybro]

I've not actualy done this, but I recall in the process of making a Ghost image to a CD, it asks if you want the CD to be bootable. I would assume that would do it for you.

What version of Ghost do you have. Mine is 2003.

[jbcalg]

check the ghost utilities area
there's a 'boot wizard'

it's right in the ghost manual

section 6 Creating boot disks with the Ghost Boot Wizard
Boot disks with CD-ROM and DVD support

pg 81 in my version (in systemworks 2003 pro)
"To create a boot disk with CD-ROM and DVD support
1 In the Ghost Boot Wizard window, click CD/DVD Startup Disk with Ghost."

[Damsel]

Originally posted by jbcalg:
check the ghost utilities area
there's a 'boot wizard'

it's right in the ghost manual

section 6 Creating boot disks with the Ghost Boot Wizard
Boot disks with CD-ROM and DVD support

pg 81 in my version (in systemworks 2003 pro)
"To create a boot disk with CD-ROM and DVD support
1 In the Ghost Boot Wizard window, click CD/DVD Startup Disk with Ghost."

I went through the exercise and it creates a floppy that allows you to start a CD ROM or something like that. BUT it ONLY creates floppies!!!

To answer Ray's question, I am using Nortson Systemworks 2004 which includes Ghost.

Thanks!!!

[raybro]

Near as I can tell you are SOL without a floppy drive. I read through the Ghost manual and all I could find was in the Command line switch section that talked about bootable cd. It didn't make any sense to me relative to doing it without a floppy.

One other alternative. Radified has developed a Ghost manual that is said to be much easy to undersatnd. Haven't looked at it myself. It's a PDF document you download. Might be worth a look.

You can download it Here

[Damsel]

Originally posted by raybro:
One other alternative. Radified has developed a Ghost manual that is said to be much easy to undersatnd. Haven't looked at it myself. It's a PDF document you download. Might be worth a look.

You can download it Here

Thank you!!!! I've downloaded it and shall read it and report back.

What do you think if I learned how to make a bootable CD and just put ghost.exe on it. Is it hard to make a bootable CD? Do you think that might work? I'll read radfield first, though!! :-)

Thanks again!

[Damsel]

Originally posted by raybro:
One other alternative. Radified has developed a Ghost manual that is said to be much easy to undersatnd. Haven't looked at it myself. It's a PDF document you download. Might be worth a look.

You can download it Here

To quote:

"If you have a laptop with no floppy drive, you will run into problems creating a bootable CD, because Ghost will ask "Do you want to make this CD bootable". And then it will ask you to put a bootable floppy disk in your floppy drive. If you run into this problem, see HERE for a posible solution. Also check out Bart's Bootable Ghost Restore CD-ROM: "ELGHOST" (link from Matt Reason). Also, this link might help: Ultimate Boot CD.

The next feature that Ghost needs, but does not yet have, is the ability to create bootable CDs on systems which do not have a floppy drive. Many laptops no longer ship with floppy drives. It can be a royal pain to create a bootable Ghost CD if your system does not have a floppy drive. "

I've checked out his links and the answer is WAY past my expertise!!

Would you know if a floppy can be put into a laptop and where one would go to have it done if the laptop is still under warranty??

Thanks!!!

[DVOM]

I've got a Ghost boot floppy burned to a CD.

First make the Ghost boot floppy, then using Nero or other burn software choose to make a bootable data CD. It'll tell you to put your boot floppy in the drive. Put the Ghost floppy in. You don't need to put any other data on the CD.

Then burn it. No files will show on the final CD in windows explorer so don't worry about that.

Works great.

[Damsel]

Hi DVOM

Originally posted by DVOM:
I've got a Ghost boot floppy burned to a CD.

:-) That's great!!! I've saved your instructions and will try it.

Thanks VERY much!!!

[iaavagent]

The need for floppies will be around yet awhile! Laptops use to come with switchable bays.take out the cd and put in the floppy drive. You might want to ck with your laptop OEM and see if your laptop is convertible and the cost. I heard it said that if you don't get em while they last, down the road you won't be able to! Unless of course it's an aftermarket kind and that could have some compatability issues. Good luck!

[Damsel]

Originally posted by iaavagent:
The need for floppies will be around yet awhile! Laptops use to come with switchable bays.take out the cd and put in the floppy drive.

You don't mean be without a cdrom?? I would rather have a cdrom than floppies or did I misunderstand?

I talked to a computer shop who said that I could buy an external floppy connected by USB. But I would rather go with DVOM's idea of putting things on bootable cds.

I have downloaded Nero and am now going to try it!

Good luck!

:-)

Thanks!

[jbcalg]

sorry, my reply wasn't as detailed as it should have been
- what was left unsaid (duh) was that the boot floppy files had to be burned onto a cd
- thus creating a bootable cd

that's for clarifying my mystery post DVOM !

[Damsel]

Hi DVOM

Originally posted by DVOM:
I've got a Ghost boot floppy burned to a CD.

I did it!!! It worked!! Thank you!!!

BUT

No files will show on the final CD in windows explorer so don't worry about that.

All the files DO show and the ghost comes up as GHOST <DIR>!
A stupid question, but how do I access it?????

I'm almost there!!!

jbcalg: It's my fault for not understanding!!

Thank you!!

[jbcalg]

sounds like the same as my boot floppy

when it boots off the current cd, does it load pcdos?
if so, just change the directory to ghost

cd ghost
enter

then you're in the ghost directory, the command line from my ghost floppy (2003 version) but check it first in windows explorer before trying is:

ghostpe.exe

so, change the directory, then use the ghostpe command to start it

[Damsel]

Originally posted by jbcalg:
sounds like the same as my boot floppy

when it boots off the current cd, does it load pcdos?
if so, just change the directory to ghost

cd ghost
enter

Thank you!!

But guess what!!! Yippeeee!!! I reburned it and I got exactly as DVOM said!!!!

Thank you, DVOM!! And thank you, jbcalg, also!!

:-) :-)