Ghost: Computer Back Up & Restore Concept

Presented by Songkran S.

songkran@ichiangrai.com

Problems

1. It is frustrating whenever the computer is clashed or malfunctioned which may caused mostly by computer viruses making it necessary to reinstall new Windows with several others default software

2. It is quite a time-consuming task to install new Windows and other necessary software

What if we can alleviate these problems ourselves by cloning a hard disk and making it as a back up?

So, when necessary, the machine can be recovered by using the backup file and the machine can get back to the condition as it is used to.

Purposes underlying Ghost backup & restore concept

1. To save time and energy to installing new Windows every time that the computer has problem whether it be software clashes or viruses affecting a machine to become malfunctioned, etc.

2. To save time and energy to installing software necessary to work with Windows such as MS-Office, Antivirus programs, etc.

3. To encourage anyone using the computer to be able to manage one’s own computer with ease because the Ghost backup & restore concept is easy to follow.

What application can be used to supporting the backup & restore concept?

Various of similar software is available in the market, but Symantec Norton Ghost (http://www.symantec.com/norton/ghost) has been selected to deal with these tasks because it is a small program but sufficiently powerful for the task.

Basically, Ghost is simply a disk cloning software which means it will copy the whole hard disk or a disk partition to another hard disk or partition. When Windows clashes, the computer can be recovered using the ghost backup file giving the computer to work working normally again without reinstalling new Windows and software. Ghost is therefore an ideal system backup & restore application for computer or network administrator worldwide.

Ghost has been released in various versions. It can be used as a sophisticated system installed within the Windows environment similarly to other software working in one computer machine, or it can be run on its own environment such as a bootable CD-ROM; or a bootable removable disk (e.g. thumb drive); or embedded boot menu of the computer unit running Windows.

Methods to using Ghost

There are several ways to deal with Ghost, but what I’m proposing here is to embedding ghost into the computer boot menu making it a selectable menu to choose from when booting the computer as shown in the figure below. GGG (Grid Ghost Guru), who created the small program to embed the Ghost app to the computer boot menu, made his idea available for download through his website (http://www.gggcomputer.com). When I tested his idea with my own computer, I found the backup & restore result of my computer system impressive. I think it is better to disseminate this idea to other people too.

How to embed Ghost into boot menu

To embed Ghost menu into the computer boot menu as shown in the above figure, there is only 1 file to be used. This file is called HBG.EXE.

1. Go to http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=2d94686951689d9967cd7f7bd65f7eefd463c0df55260a24d6e38d13f15c3e80

2. Download HBG.EXE file (file size 3.6 MB). Once HBG.EXE is downloaded, double click HBG.EXE to activate Ghost and embed Ghost menu to machine boot menu. Restart the computer and the selectable boot menu will appear as shown in the above figure. ***HBG.EXE can be saved for further use or dropped to trash.

Embedded Ghost menu to the computer boot screen

When Ghost has been embedded into the machine boot menu, the computer user can choose whether to run normal Windows or go to Ghost application in order to back up or restore the machine.

Technically, the 1st menu is set as the default with adjustable 10 seconds timing to automatically go to Windows. So, at the boot menu screen, if the user does not move the arrow key to select the menu, the machine will boot Windows up automatically.

Two Ghost Episodes: backup & restore

There are 2 episodes to use Ghost, that is, to create backup Ghost file and to use the backup Ghost file to recover computer system (Windows + software).

Ghost Episode I: Create a backup Ghost file

When a computer is working nicely without noticeable problem, it should be perfect to create a backup Ghost file occasionally or it can be a one-time default backup, for example, when doing fresh installing Windows and other necessary software. However, it can be the case that if one is certain that the computer system is clean and working without any problem. Then, it should be fine to making a backup Ghost file. Making backup using Ghost, from the boot menu screen as shown in the above figure, select “Ghost Menu For Choose Option” and hit Enter key.

Ghost Episode I: Create a backup Ghost file (cont)

Then Ghost sub menus will appear with 3 choices available including:

1) Ghost Manual 11.5 (11.5 denotes the Ghost version)

2) Ghost Auto Backup

3) Ghost Auto Restore

In Episode I, the focus is on the 2nd menu “Ghost Auto Backup”

However, before selecting this menu, let me briefly explain how Ghost will do with cloning the hard disk.

Ghost Episode I: Create a backup Ghost file (cont)

From the left figure above, when the 2nd menu “Ghost Auto Backup” is chosen and Enter key is hit. The Ghost will automatically clone C:\ (partition or disk) and save the successfully cloned C:\ to D:\ (partition or disk)

The backed up file is automatically saved as BACKUP.GHO and placed into D:\ as illustrated in the right figure above.

The BACKUP.GHO file can NOT be renamed or relocated; otherwise, the 3nd menu “Ghost Auto Restore” will not work for the Ghost will NOT be able to locate the backup file.

Ghost Episode I: Create a backup Ghost file (cont)

Time taking to create the BACKUP.GHO file depends on the size of C:\ which means the larger size of C:\, the more time is taken for cloning. Space available on D:\ for hosting BACKUP.GHO should also be sufficient by estimating the size of C:\.

Ghost Episode II: Computer restore using a backup Ghost file

The most significant benefit of embedding Ghost into machine boot menu prior to booting Windows is to allow option for machine recovery even though Windows is already damaged.

From the above figure, if Windows can not be booted up for any reasons, there are 2 choices from which to choose.

1) Fix whatever causes that block Windows to boot up

2) Recover the machine by using the back up ghost file

Choice No. 1 is more or less time consuming depending on factors making the Windows clashed. No. 2 definitely uses the least time.

Ghost Episode II: Computer restore using a backup Ghost file (cont)

To restore the computer using the backup Ghost file.

1. On the boot menu screen as the above figure, choose Ghost Menu For Choose Option.

Ghost Episode II: Computer restore using a backup Ghost file (cont)

2. Appeared 3 choices as shown the above left figure including: 1) Ghost Manual 11.5; 2) Ghost Auto Backup; and 3) Ghost Auto Restore.

3. Choose the 3rd menu (Ghost Auto Restore) and hit Enter key to automatically restore the backup Ghost file – the BACKUP.GHO which is located in the D:\.

4. Wait until Ghost succeeds to restore the computer system. Ghost Auto Restore will try to locate the BACKUP.GHO from D:\ and will automatically recover the machine.

Conclusions

HBG.EXE file used for Ghost concept is useful for auto backup and auto restore is useful of any computer running Windows.

However, it requires the machine to have:

1) Two partitions of one hard disk or two hard disks (C:\ and D:\)

2) Embedded Ghost Menu which is activated by HBG.EXE file.

3) Ghost Auto Backup will automatically clone the C:\ and save the whole C:\ to create BACKUP.GHO. This file is placed into D:\ for restoring purpose.

4) Ghost Auto Restore will automatically locate the BACKUP.GHO from D:\ and recover the machine to its original Ghost condition.

Conclusions (cont)

1) This proposal discusses only Ghost Auto Backup and Ghost Auto Restore without touching upon the Ghost Manual 11.5 menu because the focus of this proposal is auto process.

2) Although, the Auto Ghost provide interesting features for backing up and restoring machine with ease, it should be used with cautions. For example, accidentally choose Ghost Auto Restore may give unfavorable outcome when the latest works are not properly saved to other location than C:\ thus making all the works located in C:\ overwritten by the backup Ghost file.

3) Understanding the Ghost concept would give one’s comprehensive understanding and minimize problems using Ghost.

4) Different environments using Ghost may result in different outcomes.

Ghost: Computer Backup & Restore Concept

Questions and discussions. Feel free to consult Grid, the author of the HBG.EXE file, via his webboard at http://www.gggcomputer or

http://www.sermsudacamp.com/ggg/index.php?topic=34.0