Drive Imaging programs?

[Rick]

Out of curiosity and some own personal research, I was wondering what you guys use or recommend.

I've had some problems with PowerQuest's Drive Image 2002, as described here .

Despite this set back, I've decided to move on to different software until a patch is released or I figure out what the problem is.

 

[Phantasm66]

Drive Image is quite possibly my favourate piece of software of all time.

I would not say this lightly.

I do, however, only ever run it in DOS. I boot from a DOS disk, then go to a dedicated partition contain the software, mouse drivers for DOS and the images.

I DO NOT run it in Windows.

 

[Didou]

I don't think it does anything in Windows. It just modifies certain start up files ( boot.ini ? ) in order to start the imaging before the OS is booted.

The Windows interface is just to decide which partition to image, the filename to use, etc...
Once you've chosen all the settings, it asks you to reboot in order to proceed to imaging.

 

[Phantasm66]

i think you are probably right.


i never looked.

i created the 2 diskettes from the installation process, copied these programs and file to my drive image partition and then run it from DOS.

how did you operate it, rick?

 

[Rick]

Originally posted by Phantasm66
Drive Image is quite possibly my favourate piece of software of all time.

I would not say this lightly.

I do, however, only ever run it in DOS. I boot from a DOS disk, then go to a dedicated partition contain the software, mouse drivers for DOS and the images.

I DO NOT run it in Windows.

I don't know if you are famliar with Drive Image 2002 or not, but imaging a system partition requires you do it through DR-DOS, as Didou pointed out. However, it does allow you to image non-system partitions in Windows and also let's you adjust the settings via a painfully pretty interface.

I can understand your concern about Windows though. Just something else to go wrong. :blackeye:

 

[Rick]

Originally posted by Phantasm66
i think you are probably right.


i never looked.

i created the 2 diskettes from the installation process, copied these programs and file to my drive image partition and then run it from DOS.

how did you operate it, rick?

Well, I chkdsk and defarmented my system partition first.

Then, I started up Drive Image 2002 in Windows XP and went to "Create Image". I then set the following options (I've tried a few combos):

Compresion level - (Tried none/low/high)
Split Image into multiple files - (Tried 1.99Gb and single file)
Security - (Left it blank)
Check File System for Errors - (I've tried this option off and on)
Verify Disk Writes - (Toggle this off and on as well)
Verify Image Contents - (Tried this off and on too)

Once I am finished playing with the options, I select my partition to backup (Windows XP system partition / NTFS) and then choose my destination drive (120gb backup drive / NTFS). Then I click finish and reboot.

My computer boots into DR DOS and does its thing, making the image. Here's where things get weird...

If Verify Image Contents if turned off:
It completes the image and then reboots. When I try to access the image in Windows XP (normal, safe or recovery mode), access is denied. I am unable to delete, rename or even change the properties of the file.. It won't even let me share it.

If Verify Image Contents is turned on:
Drive image completes the image at 50%. When it hits 53% (Should be verifying the image now), it says something like, "Image cannot be found" and then promptly deletes the image it created. Drive Image then reboots back in Windows XP where the file is nowhere to be found anymore.


I have successfully (manually) copied my entire 80gb drive and all of its partitions (45gb) to my 120Gb drive without any problems while in Windows XP. I've also copied my 120gb drive's contents (30gb) to my 80gb drive without incident.

But imaging is a different story.

It doesn't make much sense.. I've never recieved any bad cylinder errors, nor do I have any bad sectors or anything like that. Both of my drives are in perfect condition and I've never had any disk-related problems with them. So I assume it is a problem with Drive image 2002.

 

[Phantasm66]

Originally posted by Rick


I don't know if you are famliar with Drive Image 2002 or not, but imaging a system partition requires you do it through DR-DOS, as Didou pointed out. However, it does allow you to image non-system partitions in Windows and also let's you adjust the settings via a painfully pretty interface.

I can understand your concern about Windows though. Just something else to go wrong. :blackeye:

Actually, MS-DOS is just fine. DR-DOS is just the DOS they got a licence to distribute with it. But I prefer MS-DOS.

I've heard you can do these kinds of things whilst Windows is running, apparently, but I have not bothered. I prefer to shutdown and go into MS-DOS to do this. It only takes about 30 even on a heavily software installed OS partition and its safer that way.

 

[Rick]

Here's a good one. I illegitimately borrowed my friend's illegitimate copy of Drive Image 5.0 and illegitimately installed it on my system. (I think I deserve it after buying Drive Image 2002 and it didn't work!)

Now, I know Drive Image 5.0 is not supposed to be compatible with Windows XP, but I wanted to see what it would do for kicks and giggles.

So I made an image of my system partition in 5.0 and it seemed to almost work. It created the image, then it "verified" the contents... It was successful. My jaw dropped, but I knew the battle had not been won for this is 5.0 and simply cannot be.

My computer rebooted into Windows XP and I tried accessing the image file - Same thing happened with Drive Image 5.0! - ACCESS DENIED.

After checking some troubleshoooting documents, this was normal for disks that are formatted with NTFS 5.1 drives under Drive Image 5.0. So this is a symptom of Windows XP compatiblity (or lack thereof).

Why Drive Image 2002 does the same thing is beyond me. 2002 is supposed to be XP compatible, so eh? I'm even more stumped than before, unforutnately.

I suppose now I can make the inference that my problem is that Drive Image 2002 is not properly reading my partition.. For what reason, I do not know though. I'd get the update to 5.1 from PowerQuest and call it even since I blew my money on Drive Image 2002, but they require a valid serial number yadda yadda... So forget that.

No wonder piracy is so popular anymore.

I guess this could be a problem with my hardware configuration or something on my part, but I find it hard to believe that only Drive Image is sensitive to this "problem" if there is one. I might try to whip out my 40gb and see if I can successfully image my system partition on there.. Just to humor myself.

I might format it in FAT32 and see what happens. FAT32 shouldn't be able to deny access unless there's something wrong with the image file itself.

 

[Phantasm66]

What account do you log into Windows XP under?

What HDD geometry are you using? Anything unusual?

Do you have encryption enabled on the NTFS volume you are trying to image?

Have you run a full chkdsk /f on the volume to be imaged and the volume you are writing the image to?

I am sure that you have, just checking....

There is 1 fix suggested that you might follow, not for the exact problem you have but it might help:

IMPORTANT NOTES
-------------------------------
If you have Windows XP Pro, follow step 1, skip step 2, and then follow steps 3-11.

If you have Windows XP Home, skip step 1 and follow steps 2-11.


1. Disable simple file sharing.

a. Open a Windows Explorer window.

b. From the Tools menu, select "Folder Options."

c. Click the View tab.

d. Deselect the option "Use Simple File Sharing" (the last option in the list).


2. Reboot into Safe Mode.

a. Reboot your computer.

b. Immediately before Windows XP starts loading, press the F8 key.

c. From the menu that appears, select the Safe Mode option.


NOTE: If the image is split into multiple files (.002, 003, etc.), you must perform steps 3-11 for each file, or you can select all the files at once and perform the steps on the files as a group.


3. Right-click the image file you are having problems with and select "Properties."


4. Click the Security tab.

In the "Group or user names" column, you should see only one entry--"SYSTEM."


5. Click "Add" to display the "Select Users or Groups" dialog.


6. In the column labeled "Enter the object names to select," type your own user name (i.e., the name you use to log in to XP).


7. Click "OK."

The user name you entered should now appear in the same box as the "SYSTEM" user.


8. Select your user name.


9. In the "Permissions for .." box, select "Full Control."


10. Click "Apply."


11. Click "OK."

www.powerquest.com

 

[Phantasm66]

Oh, and if you have the latest version of Drive Image I would be using that if I was you.

 

[Rick]

YOU, my good friend, are a saintly hero angel sent from a higher power to aid me and fulfill the mystic image software prophecy.

I thank you a thousand times for the information you have found which I could not.

What's even more amazing is I had "Simple File Sharing" and forgot to disable it!

You fixed my problem and for that, I am eternally greatful. My life for Phantasm...

 

[Didou]

& now Phantasm counts another soul amongst his minions. The curse is progressing.

 

[Phantasm66]

Glad, as always, to be of service!

Now when someone messes with me, you have to kill them!

 

[hk_guy]

Glad, as always, to be of service!

Now when someone messes with me, you have to kill them!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH...

I FACE SAME PROBLEM AS RICKY'S AND I FIND THE SOLUTION HERE.... THANK AGAIN !!! :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :angel: :angel: