32-bit version similar to Ghost

[Shadow07]

Anyone know of such an application? I'm in the midst of working on a WPE CD (Windows Preinstallation Environment 1.2) for a "network" boot CD that would include some apps. One of which I would like to include Ghost or PQ DriveImage Pro. BUT, the PE build doesn't include WOW (Windows On Windows), the 16-bit environment to Windows NT/2000/XP/2003.

Thanks,

 

[Shadow07]

^^^
BUMP

Anyone?

 

[Nothinman]

Things like ghost read/write the filesystem directly, bypassing the OS and that won't work in a 32-bit multitasking environment, especially if it's the OS drive you're imaging. Even if it doesn't crash you can't be guaranteed the ghost is coherent with what's on the filesystem because the OS may be caching things that ghost missed.

There's partimage, but it's Linux only and the only reason it's not a bad idea to run that on Linux is because you can unmount the partition you want to image first to assure the data is all flushed to disk. And you can make Linux boot CDs without hacks like using WinPE =)

 

[Shadow07]

Thanks for your reply, but I already understand what you just explained. Also, that's nice about Linux, but I'm not working with Linux here.

All I need to know is if there is an application out there that is a 32-bit app that I can use to create an image of a system using the WinPE CD.

I don't need to be told "well, Linux can do this..."

I primarily need this for an Enterprise. We are trying to look at getting rid of our DOS bootdisks, and we don't want to use the Ghost Multicast software. It's too slow, and error's sometimes.

(Sorry for the rant)

 

[Nothinman]

Did you read the entire post? Something like that can't work well in Windows because you can't trust the image it'll make as long as the drive is mounted, that's why things like PQMagic always reboot to do partition size changes.

I would really like to do the same thing you're doing, but DOS ghost works well enough and I don't think it's worth the trouble to change everything around for us, maybe it is for you.

 

[Need4Speed]

Originally posted by: Shadow07
Thanks for your reply, but I already understand what you just explained. Also, that's nice about Linux, but I'm not working with Linux here.

All I need to know is if there is an application out there that is a 32-bit app that I can use to create an image of a system using the WinPE CD.

I don't need to be told "well, Linux can do this..."

I primarily need this for an Enterprise. We are trying to look at getting rid of our DOS bootdisks, and we don't want to use the Ghost Multicast software. It's too slow, and error's sometimes.

(Sorry for the rant)

so why the hell not use isolinux and make yourself an uber rescue cd? you dont need winPE. I have a rescue cd that has every possibly utility i would ever need, with networking support...which allows me to pull images of the file server, etc. Why use some windows installer environment when you dont even need it. As nothinman already said, ghost cant run inside PE anyways, it needs full access to the disk or the image wont be a 1:1 bit to bit copy.

 

[Shadow07]

Not to increase tension here, but I DO understand what you are saying. The WinPE envrionement is not related to the OS on the physical drive. the WinPE environment is on a CD. PowerQuest's new version of DriveImage Pro Version 7 does this.

"I would really like to do the same thing you're doing, but DOS ghost works well enough and I don't think it's worth the trouble to change everything around for us, maybe it is for you. "

While this comment is true, I would just like to have all of the utilities on one central disk. Where I don't have to reboot in order to create an image, or run CHKDSK, or something like that. As for the ISOLINUX you were referring to, what type of network support does it offer?

"As nothinman already said, ghost cant run inside PE anyways, it needs full access to the disk or the image wont be a 1:1 bit to bit copy"

I already know that Ghost cannot run within an PE evironment, that is why I'm asking the question. WinPE doesn't take full access of the logical/physical drive. It's completely isolated within the CD and a RAMDisk.

How did you create your ISOLINUX CD with the utilities on it? And, what utilities are on it?

[INSERT] To explain my lashing out before, I just hate it when someone asks a question, and then someone else comes into the discussion, and trys to offer something else that really *might* not apply to the question at hand. When you stated "why not use ISOLINUX for this", I thought you trying to bash my question. [/INSERT]

 

[darktubbly]

Does this link help at all?

 

[Nothinman]

The WinPE envrionement is not related to the OS on the physical drive. the WinPE environment is on a CD. PowerQuest's new version of DriveImage Pro Version 7 does this.

Why can't you use DI Pro 7 then?

As for the ISOLINUX you were referring to, what type of network support does it offer?

Everything regular Linux can do, which is generally everything Windows can do and then some =) The down side is that NTFS support in Linux and partimage is basic at best, if you have the time it may be worth looking into and doing a few test images with though.

 

[Need4Speed]

on my rescue cd i have:
ghost with networking support
pqmagic
mcaffe AV with networking support
ntfs4dos with networking support
ontrack file recovery
a bunch standard command line utils
tomsrtbt resuc linux cd
debian boot disks
redhat boot disks

etc
etc

iso/syslinux doesnt provide the network support, its just a boot loader to emulate floppy images and bootable hdd images. network support is all done through dos.

i started by checking out barts boot cd and how he attacked the problem. i then used his make boot utils to make a bootable iso . when my cd boots, i get a snazzy boot menu with a dozen or so options of bootable images. that, the cd is not one bootable image, but several. its unlikely that i would use pqmagic at the same time that im using ntfs4dos etc. this allowed my to make 2.88mb bootable images. in order to get everything into a 2.88 bootable image (ntfs4dos is larger than 2.88 mb with networking) i used CABARC.EXE to make cab files. when my images boots, it greates a ram disk and then expands the image to there...that way if ghost or pqmagic needs to write a log file it can do so to the ram disk.

 

[Need4Speed]

Iso/Syslinux homepage
barts boot disks <---- appears to be down right now


if you check out some of his examples, you'll quickly see that the possibilities are almost endless. he also has some network boot images you can download. ufortuantely most of his are 1.44 boot images, but its easy enough using dd to create a 2.88 images (or winimage for windows if you prefer).

you can dl a premade 2.88mb boot image here and then use winimage to inject your files.

an easier option, though not quite as handy is to use nero to make a bootable cd using floppy emulation. then all you need is a floppy with a bootable boot sector. you then load up the cd with your utils and the cd will boot using the boot sector from the floppy (usually someting like dos 6.22). then after you boot you can change to the cddrive and run your utils from there....id still recommend making a ram disk though for log files and such.

hopefully this will lead you in the right direction....

 

[Shadow07]

I thank you for your assistance, and I have already found and do use Bart's disks. The reason why I'm asking this is that with the new Dell PowerEdge 1655MC (their blade servers), there is a problem with the DOS TSR's for the Microsoft Network. The TSR's hang at loading, and according to Dell, this is caused by a code change with the NIC firmware.

I am currently investigating PQ DI 7. I haven't heard a word back from them.

 

[Shadow07]

Thanks DarkTubbly. Now, to get Symantec Ghost.

 

[rh71]

Another lead? (sorry didn't have time to read the thread)