The emergence of Ghost has solved these thorny problems for us. Ghost is the abbreviation of general hardware oriented software transfer, which means "software transfer of general hardware". It is software produced by Symantec for backup/recovery system. Ghost can restore the original backup system and restore the computer to its original appearance in just a few minutes. Ghost has become an indispensable software for PC users since it came out.
Now, Symantec has released the latest version of Ghost: Ghost 200 1 Chinese version. Let's go into Ghost 200 1 to find out.
Software installation
Unlike previous versions of Ghost, Ghost 200 1 needs to be installed. The installation process is very simple. Just like general software, you can install it by selecting the installation directory.
You must remember that the original Ghost was more than enough with a floppy disk, but the installation files of Ghost 200 1 were more than ten megabytes. Looking at the installation directory, I only found more than 7 megabytes of files, of which the description documents of Ghost account for more than 4 megabytes, and the main program of Ghost is still "short and pithy": 7 12kB. The rest are some utilities that come with Ghost, which will be introduced below.
use
Compared with the previous version, Ghost 200 1 has a more user-friendly interface, but the operation is much more complicated. After the installation, the author thinks that Ghost 200 1 has been replaced by the standard interface of Windows. But after starting, I found that it was another installation wizard-making the startup disk of Ghost 200 1.
This installation wizard provides a wealth of options, including making standard startup disks that support LPT and USB, peer-to-peer network startup disks and CD-ROM startup disks. From here, we can see that Ghost 200 1 supports quite a few storage and transmission media. The installation wizard can also mass-produce Ghost startup disks! This software, which is called "King of Cloning", can be cloned without restriction now.
Usually, we only need to make a standard startup disk, and LPT and USB functions are less likely to be used; Peer-to-peer network startup disk is suitable for users of LAN; CD-ROM startup disk is suitable for friends who often install machines.
After the startup disk is completed, you can boot the system with a floppy disk and directly enter Ghost 200 1. Of course, we can enter Ghost 200 1 without the startup disk, just retreat to MS-DOS or other DOS operating system environment and execute GhostPE.EXE. If you are not familiar with the parameters of Ghost, I suggest using the startup disk.
System backup
There are two ways to use Ghost for system backup: whole disk and partition. Click the local item in the menu, and there are three sub-items in the pop-up menu on the right, in which disk means to back up the whole hard disk (i.e. clone), and partition means to back up a single partition of the hard disk. Check the files that mean to check the hard disk or backup to see if the backup or recovery will fail due to partition, hard disk damage and other reasons. As an individual user to save system data, partition backup has practical value, especially when restoring and copying system partitions.
Select local → partition → to the mirror menu, and the hard disk selection window will pop up to start the partition backup operation. Click on the white hard disk information bar in the window, select the hard disk, enter the window, and select the partition to be operated (if there is no mouse, you can use the keyboard to switch, enter to confirm, and arrow keys to select).
In the pop-up window, select the directory path of backup storage and enter the backup file name. Please note that the backup file name has the extension of GHO.
Next, the program will ask whether to compress the backup data, and give three choices: No means no compression, Fast means small compression ratio and fast backup speed, and High means high compression ratio but rather slow backup speed. Finally, select the Yes button to start backing up the partitioned hard disk. Ghost backup is very fast, so it can be completed without waiting. Backup files are stored in the set directory with the GHO suffix.
Systematic cloning
Disk cloning is the backup and recovery of the whole hard disk. Select the menu Local → Disk → To Disk, select the source hard disk (the first hard disk) in the pop-up window, and then select the target hard disk (the second hard disk) to copy to. Note that you can set the size of each partition of the target hard disk, and Ghost can automatically partition and format the target hard disk according to the set partition value. Select "Yes" to start execution.
Ghost can copy the target hard disk almost exactly like the source hard disk, and partition, format and copy the system and files in one step. As long as the target hard disk is not too small, the data content of the source hard disk must be loaded.
Ghost also provides a hard disk backup function, that is, the data of the whole hard disk is backed up as a file and saved on the hard disk (menu local → disk → mirror), and then it can be restored to other hard disks or source hard disks at any time, which is very convenient for installing multiple systems. The usage method is similar to partition backup.
System restore
If the backup partition data in the hard disk is damaged, it can't be repaired by ordinary data repair methods, and the system can't be started after being damaged, so it can be completely recovered with the backup data without reinstalling the program or system. Of course, you can also restore the backup to another hard disk.
To restore the backup partition, select the menu Local → Partition → From Mirror in the interface, select the restored backup file in the pop-up window, then select the restored hard disk and partition, and click Yes.
Software characteristics
storage medium
Ghost 200 1 supports storage media beyond our imagination. It supports point-to-point LPT interface, point-to-point USB interface, point-to-point TCP/IP interface, SCSI tape drive, portable devices (JAZ, ZIP, MO, etc. ), CD burner (CDR, CDRW) and so on. These functions don't need any extra drivers and software, just a floppy disk! Especially for the support of CD burners, the existing burners and blank CDs are very cheap and very suitable for backup.
get along well with
Ghost 200 1 has good support for existing operating systems, including FAT 16, FAT32, NTFS, HPFS, UNIX, NOVELL and other file storage formats. Different from the previous version, Ghost 200 1 adds support for Linux EX2 (FIFO file storage format), which means that Linux users can also use Ghost to back up their own systems.
Support software support
Ghost browser: In the version before Ghost, we can only simply back up, copy and restore the system. To recover individual files and folders, we need to use GhostEXP software. Now, Symantec has integrated the Ghost browser into the software. Ghost browser uses an interface similar to resource manager, through which we can find the files and folders we want in the backup package conveniently and quickly, and restore them.
Gdisk:Gdisk is a newly added utility, which completely replaces FDisk and Format:
* Quick format.
* The ability to hide and display partitions. This function allows more than one main DOS partition, and the operating system on each partition has a different version. The ability to hide partitions makes the computer accustomed to boot to the selected bootable partition, ignoring the installation of the same operating system in other hidden partitions.
* Comprehensive zoning report.
* highly secure disk erasure. Provides disk erasure options that meet U.S. Department of Defense standards and higher security standards.
Unlike FDisk which uses interactive menus, GDisk is driven by the command line. This provides the ability to configure disk partitions faster and define GDisk operations in batch files. But at the same time, dozens of parameters will make ordinary users have a headache, so I don't recommend them to ordinary users. For the convenience of users, Symantec should also launch a corresponding GUI (Graphical User Interface) console. You can use the command line gdisk/? I see.
Real-time update
Real-time update is a general software upgrade program of Symantec, which can check the Symantec software installed in the current system and upgrade the software online through the Internet.
When installing Ghost 200 1, the installer automatically upgraded the version of the real-time update program.
Other command line parameters: (Ghost unattended backup/restore/copy only)
In fact, the functions of Ghost 200 1 are far more than those shown in its main program. Ghost can add many parameters to its startup command line to achieve more functions. Command-line parameters are quite complicated to use, but we can make batch files, thus "once and for all" (similar to unattended installation of Windows 98 and Windows 2000). Now let's learn some commonly used parameters (see Ghost's help file for a more detailed introduction of parameters).
1.- Regular budget
This Ghost operation will automatically restart when exiting. This way, you can safely leave when copying the system.
2.- Foreign exchange
Automatically return to DOS prompt when exiting after this Ghost operation.
3.- Of course
Answer "Yes" to all prompts or warnings that need to be confirmed. This parameter is very dangerous and is only recommended for advanced users.
4.-fro
If the source partition finds bad clusters, skip the forced copy prompt. This parameter can be used to try to save the data in the bad track of the hard disk.
5.@ File name
Specify the txt file in the file name. Txt file is an additional parameter of Ghost, which is not limited by DOS command line 150 characters.
6.-f32
Copy the source FAT 16 partition and convert it into FAT32 (provided that the target partition is not less than 2G). WinNT 4 and Windows95 and 97 users should use it with caution.
7.-bootcd
This option makes the CD bootable when backing up files directly to the CD. This process needs to be put into the startup disk.
8.- Fat limit
Limit the FAT 16 partition of NT to 2G. This parameter is useful when copying Windows NT partitions and you don't want to use FAT 16 with 64k/ cluster.
9.- span
Paper separation parameters. When the space is insufficient, you are prompted to copy to another backup package in another partition.
10.- Automatic
When copying a volume, the file name is automatically given to continue execution without prompting.
1 1.-crcignore
Ignore CRC errors in the backup package. Do not use this parameter unless you need to rescue the data in the backup package to prevent data errors.
12.- Ministry of Internal Affairs
All images. Ghost will back up all partitions on the hard disk one by one.
13.-ial
All images, similar to the -ia parameter, back up Linux partitions one by one.
14. [Constructed as an adjective
All images. Similar to the -ia parameter, but contains the boot information of the partition.
15. Quiet
Status updates and user intervention are prohibited during operation.
16.- Script
You can execute multiple Ghost command lines. The command line is stored in the specified file.
17.- Span
Enable the cross-volume function of image files.
18.- division =x
Divide the backup package into multiple volumes, each with a size of X megabytes. This function is very practical for copying large backup packages to portable storage devices, such as copying a backup package of 1.9G to three burning CDs.
19.-z
When saving the contents of a disk or partition to an image file, compress it. -z or -z 1 is a low compression ratio (fast); -z2 is high compression ratio (medium speed); The compression ratio increases from -z3 to -z9 (the rotating speed decreases in turn).
20. Cloning
This is the core parameter to realize Ghost unmanned backup/recovery. Use the following syntax:
-clone, MODE= (operation), SRC= (source), DST= (destination), [SZE (size), SZE (size) ...]
This parameter line is very complex, and there cannot be spaces between parameters. Where operation indicates the operation type, and the value is acceptable: copy:disk to disk；; Load: file to disk; Dump: disk to file; Pcopy: partition to partition; Pload: file to partition; Partition to a file.
Source indicates the operation source, and the value is acceptable: drive letter, starting from 1; Or for the file name, you need to write an absolute path.
Destination indicates the target location, with acceptable values: drive letter, starting from 1 Or for the file name, you need to write an absolute path; @CDx, burner, x stands for the letter of the burner, starting from 1
Here is an example.
Command line parameters: ghostpe.exe-clone, mode = copy, src = 1, dst = 2.
Finish: Copy the local disk 1 to the local disk 2.
Command line parameters: ghostpe.exe-clone, mode = pcopy, src = 1: 2, dst = 2: 1.
Operation completed: copy the second partition on the local disk 1 to the first partition on the local disk 2.
Command line parameters: ghostpe.exe-clone, mode = load, src = g: \ 3prtdisk.gho, dst = 1, sze 1 = 450m, sze2 = 1599m, sze3 = 2047m.
Done: Mount the disk 1 from the image file, and adjust the size of the first partition to 450MB, the size of the second partition to 1599MB, and the size of the third partition to 2047MB.
Command line parameters: ghostpe.exe-clone, mode = pdump, src 2: 1: 4: 6, dst = d: \ prt246.gho
Done: Create an image file containing only the selected partition. Select partitions 1, 4 and 6 from disk 2.
Knowing these parameters, we can easily realize the unmanned backup/copy/recovery of Ghost. Make a cup of coffee.
Matters needing attention
1. When backing up the system, a single backup file should not exceed 2GB.
2. Before backing up the system, it is best to delete some useless files to reduce the volume of Ghost files. Usually useless files are: temporary folder of Windows, temporary folder of IE, and memory swap file of Windows. These files usually occupy more than 100 megabytes of hard disk space.
3. Before backing up the system, tidy up the target disk and the source disk to speed up the backup.
4. Before backing up the system and restoring the system, it is best to check the target disk and the source disk to correct disk errors.
5. When restoring the system, it is best to check whether there are any important files to be restored on the target disk, and don't wait until the hard disk information is overwritten to regret it.
6. When choosing the compression ratio, it is recommended not to choose the highest compression ratio, because the highest compression ratio is very time-consuming and the compression ratio has not been significantly improved.
7. After newly installing the software and hardware, it is best to re-create the image file, otherwise some inexplicable errors are likely to appear after recovery.
abstract
As the saying goes, "sharpening a knife does not mistake a woodcutter." Who can guarantee that there will be no problem with his computer? Of course, we can find the fault through various methods and use various "solutions" to restore the system to normal, but the time and energy spent will be dozens of times that of the above methods, and sometimes it may not work. Ghost 200 1 is a rare backup/restore tool in personal computers, and its "short stature" provides us with rich and convenient functions. According to the update status of each version of Ghost, Ghost is constantly expanding its functions, expanding its adaptive environment (various operating systems and file storage formats), and developing in the direction of disk consultant (including partition, multi-boot, security formatting and error repair). What will ghosts be like in the future? Let's wait and see.