External Hard Drive Encloser for Imaging....
 

@Anyone,

I use Ghost to image my system HD. I usually have to open the PC case
and set the target drive as a slave for imaging. This is cumbersome
and takes time to setup. I thought about using an external HD encloser,
using USB 2.0 to image faster. The encloser would be EIDE capable
and I can simply open the encloser to put another HD when I want
to keep copies. Has anyone tried this method or has a better method.
I tried CD image with compression and it's not reliable.

Thanks

-BP

why the hell have you to open you PC ?
I never do that and the tool does not need it (else noone will buy it :!:)

BTW your PC can live with your HD always set in slave, even with no master.

BP,
what windows system are you using and if your hd master have 2 or more partitions?
:?

Here's a link for an External HD Encloser:

http://www.pctekonline.com/meusb20ie13c.html

@Dialhot:
I have 2 HD's in my PC and the root drive or master (C drive) is what
I image using Norton's Ghost. This image gives me a working copy of
this drive and can be used to retore my root drive in case it fails.

@jorel
Windows 2000 Pro and there are no partitions on either drive (master
or slave) The external hard drive encloser would allow me to just
put a HD for imaging without opening my PC case and remove a
hard drive just to replace it with a HD to image with. I could do
weekly HD images without alot of hassle.

-BP

ok BP!
follow that hints before save your image in another partition/disk:
in portuguese first...if *babel fish don't work,please call vmesquita or Correia to translate for you:
*(babel tower as i call cos nobody understand) :lol:
1- clique com o direito em meu computador--->propriedades
na aba:
restauração de sistema--->marcar "desativar restauração do sistema em todas as unidades" !

na aba:
avançado--->em "desempenho" clique configurações--->em "opcões de desempenho" clique em avançado--->
"memoria virtual" clique alterar--->
C: --->sem arquivo de paginação--->definir
D: (ou outra partição)--->tamanho gerenciado pelo sistema--->definir
reinicie o sistema e logo após delete o "pagefile.sys" em c: ,
isto acrescentará em ~767Mb o espaço da partição C: pois agora o windows gerencia o arquivo em outra partição !

2- windows explorer--->ferramentas--->opções de pasta--->modo de exibição:
desmarque--->ocultar arquivos protegidos do sistema operacional.
marque--->mostrar pastas e arquivos ocultos.

3- duplo click na pasta "TEMP" dentro da pasta "_RESTORE" em C:
remover todos os arquivos dentro da pasta "TEMP" para a lixeira e excluir permanentemente!
...estes são os arquivos para a restauração do sistema que agora não nos interessam mais.

4- desfragmentar a partição C: !

5- reiniciar o sistema em "MODO SEGURO" !
fazendo isto, o windows não criará um arquivo chamado "hiberfil.sys" de ~511MB.

6- ---> agora você fará a imagem do ghost logo após reiniciar novamente o sistema,
usando o disquete ou cd de boot!

from babelfish and jorelfish:
1- click with the right in my computer --- properties in the border: system restoration --- to mark to "desativar restoration of the system in all disks" in the border: advanced --- in "desempenho" click configurations --- in "opcões of desempenho" advanced click in --- "virtual memory" click to modify --- C: --- without paging archive --- to define D: (or another partition/disk) - - - so great managed for the system --- to define restarts the system soon and after delete "pagefile.sys" in c: , this will add in ~767Mb the space of partition C: therefore now windows manages the archive in another partition!

2- windows explorer --- tools --- options of folder --- exhibition way: it takes away mark --- to occult protecting archives of the operational system marks --- to show to folders and occult archives.

3- double click in the folder "TEMP" inside of the folder "_RESTORE" in C: to remove all inside the archives of the folder "TEMP" trash it and to exclude permanently! ... these are the archives for the restoration of the system that now in them more do not interest.

4- defrag partition C:

5- restart the system in "SAFE MODE" making this, windows will not create a called archive "hiberfil.sys" of ~511MB.

6- --- now you it will make the image of ghost soon after to restart again the system, using the floppy or compact disc of boot!

BP,
doing this (if you understood) the ghost image will reduce ~1.3GB or much more cos
"pagefile.sys" and "hiberfil.sys" can't compress and after the "normal" boot the files will be recreated,
then the ghost image will be faster to do/restore and with very small size!

cool or lame?

@Jorel,
Oh boy!
You really know how to backup a disk with Ghost :!:
I never thought about the pagefile and the hiberfile 8O
Right now I am very occupied on a lot of encoding tasks but as soon as I have sometime I'll definitely backup my disk and I'll follow your instructions :)
Not with Ghost however. I have tool that does something similar and it's freeware.
I just don't find it right now...
I'll tell you which one later when I find it.
Cheers m8

@ Correia
Oh boy!
freeware tool to do it? 8O
please, stop "everything" and "find it" please :!: :lol:
thanks!

@jorel
There is a difference between a HD Backup (files only) and a HD image
copy (clone of HD). I'm trying to image an entire HD, which includes
MBR, registry, files, etc. This is like making a clone of my HD. The HD
encloser allows me to switch HD's before booting my PC. I use Ghost in
DOS to copy (image) Disk to Disk. I don't need compressed image on
CD. I tried this and the restore had problems, especially with long
windows file names. I losted a HD not long ago and had to reinstall
everything from scratch. This included anti-virus updates, micro$oft
service pack patches, etc, etc. Imaging saves me from re-doing this
work all over again. I ordered the HD encloser from the link in my first
post. It's only $27 and seems to meet my needs. I'll let you know later
how everything works out. Thanks jorel and everyone for you comments.


-BP

I don't ask you how you use Ghost, I asked you why you need to open your PC ?
I also have 2 HD and I backup the master (C) on the slave (E) (D is a second partitition on master. Actually C is only 8GB and D take all the place of the disk). And I NEVER need to open my PC to perform a Ghost (backup or restore)!

But I have to do that via a bootable disc because it does'nt work if I launch it via the windows interface. Perhaps your problem is there.

@Phil
Yes you are correct. I could backup my root drive with Ghost and save
the image on the second drive (80GB). This will work. I have 3 PC's
and two of them have no second drive.

@jorel
I decided to try cloning my HD to CD's again. This time I upgraded to
Norton's Ghost 2003. Now the restore from compressed CD's works
perfectly and it created boot CD's. The backup spanned over 3 CD's
each calling for the next until the restore was complete. Since I cloned
the HD, "hiberfil.sys" is not an issue. This method saves me time and
money.

Again, Phil and jorel, Thanks for your suggestions and comments. :)

BTW, I sopke with someone who has an external HD encloser using
USB 2.0 and he tried using Ghost to backup to HD. He has trouble
getting Ghost to reconize the external HD in DOS. We searched for
DOS drivers to get it to work and couldn't find them. Also, some
PC's only have USB 1.0 and this would be like backing up data to
floppy disks in terms of backup speed. :oops:

-BP

all right BP but if you remove files like "pagefile.sys" before encode,you will save time to encode and restore the hd (full or partition) :!:
less files to encode will be faster!!?!?!
:wink:

and now that you got ghost 2003 you only need to put the ghost.exe and a simple .bat with command lines file in another disk or partition to do the job! :idea: