my tests with a shipping copy of Ghost 2003 clearly showed that inexperienced users should beware
This post is addressed to the "inexperienced user" in general btw, not to you personally. Some of my post sounds a little stern, but only to instill a little intrepidness into the "inexperienced user" before they take the leap into the unknown as it were. Norton Ghost is the only system I know, maybe we can get a comment from someone else on other software packages.
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siliconinvestor.com
I feel your post is a appropriate balance that an inexperienced user should read first before buying any kind of software that does things like copy images and restores them to your PC. There is a finality over such actions where the user has to be responsible for what they are doing. You cannot be a weenie and cry "waaaa my PC doesn't work, Bill Gates please save me", you have to say things like... "opps I pressed the wrong button there, my PC is now screwed and it's my fault, this experiment has turned into a costly learning exercise".... It's very much like picking up a loaded gun, or downhill skiing on an "experts only" listed slope, or climbing a vertical rock face. If you screw up real bad things can happen. Like in real life. It's not like a visit to Disneyland where you expect other people to be in charge, make sure whatever you do has to be safe no matter how stupid, and where you can call your lawyer and sue if your dumb, and something bad happens as a result. Yes, expect to see loads of technical stuff in the manual, and not necessarily understand it all, or even any of it.
Things like driver setting switches in DOS mode , or hardware switches, BIOS settings, all those things can mess up your PC real quick.
What?? Symantec only charge $30 for a technical call? Knowing the insufferable idiots they probably often have to talk to, it's probably a rate where they earn every cent. I would never make a technical call unless I had prepared for several hours first, because technical folks ask questions like "What revision of BIOS are you using?" or "Was that made before or after October 14th 2001?" and you don't want to waste time trying to find that kind of stuff while on the phone.
That said, and I have played with various versions Norton Ghost as a dangerous "inexperienced user", I would say Norton 2003 is a very worthy piece of software to consider. If you have Win2k or Win XP (I have both) and you follow the easy tutorial demonstrations first, it’s actually easy to use. They have a set of easy to use “wizards” for the main operations.
Make sure you are familiar with the simple wizard procedures. Sure, you can ignore all the manuals and very technical details, but do make sure you have memorized the procedure for storing and replacing an image file, and made at least one recovery floppy. The software reboots into DOS and runs from there. You do have to be familiar with the basic operation of the software. Repeat the tutorials several times if necessary.
Leave out all the technical and complicated stuff like switches, command line stuff, and it really can be a breeze.. providing your hardware is compatible.
So, if you have XP or Win2K, the hardware question is easily resolved. Just go to START, ALL PROGRAMS, ACCESSORIES, SYSTEM TOOLS, SYSTEM INFORMATION, COMPONENTS, CD-ROM with your mouse pointer and the info comes up. All other pertinent system information can be found there too.
(I presume you know this menu "SYSTEM TOOLS" as you do periodically defragment your hard drives?. Isn't is a bummer that you cannot schedule defragmentation with MS software as is?)
Take note of your CD burner in particular. I have a _NEC NR 7700A. Then go to this link and read it all carefully...
service1.symantec.com
The skill in being a happy (imho) “inexperienced user” with functioning PC in “Servant Mode” instead of “Total Bastard Master Mode” is that you take risks with your knowledge base, and expect to screw up… fear the dire cost of any blunder, and yet get away with it all the time extracting big chunks of new knowledge with each step. The final cost in mashing the wrong button occasionally in error being small considered with the gains made over time in taking risks. For example, I did get several warnings that my USB set up was not OK before I did the image save, and I ignored them. I decided the warning was not a critical issue, I have several USB devices disabled when I use the Win XP OS, and knew about the problems on another device. The image file did restore correctly when required.
OK, now a few words on previous versions of Ghost, and earlier versions of Microsoft Windows. Just what I read, not what I know for sure. Image files of Windows 98 and earlier are easy to make, providing the minimum requirements are made for the version of Ghost. Although these earlier versions of Ghost are no longer supported, they are easy to get hold of. For example my Mother Board software has a copy. It has instructions of how to image file a Win 98 version of software in about 5 minutes, where your whole PC is backed up onto CD ROMS, everything as I recently was able to do on my system. See “software bundle” here..
active-hardware.com
The problem for me occurred when trying to copy Win 2k to a CD ROM. Norton 2001 was an abject failure, although I think I could probably do it now. Symantec is a highly professional and polished outfit generally. There downloading and updating system is an example of what I mean. However there is something very “Heath Robinson” btinternet.com about the special CD/DVD DOS start up disc. Fortunately you probably don’t need it on the 2003 version as normal CDROM drivers are used in the “Standard Ghost Boot Disc”.
In fact, the Norton 2003 CD/DVD DOS start up disc still does not work on my system, fortunately it’s not needed, but I know how to copy the appropriate DOS driver and twiddle with the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat files to get it to work if I ever need to use the discs on a different CDROM manufacturer.
Reading this thread back a bit I have found several causes for the recent flurry of my PC investigations. Everything has always sort of worked OK apart from some games. My business software, even if I open up a dozen or so windows, uses just a few percent of the microprocessor power. The games use 100% flat out and sometimes they lock up. A year or two ago it was infrequently, but recently it has been almost immediately. Things definitely went down hill big time around this Microsoft XP patch
Message 18979880
Now, incidently, I don’t wish to criticize.. especially while cruel and spiteful attacks (just joking -g-) are made on the cows good name (while he absent) , nor comment on the low quality of the jokes denigrating cows in general, but I feel confident a system administrator would wrap the cow on the hoof for making such a remark. I expect all subsequent versions of Windows XP upgrades are made and extensively tested with this patch in place, and woe betide anyone who is not towing the line. If your PC explodes and kills you because you took this patch out, Bill Gates cannot be made responsible. He is only a man, not a god, if you wish to stay on board the Windows XP train, you have to be a responsible world citizen and do exactly as he says, otherwise you are very much on your own. <ggg>
OK back to the case of the PC that didn’t reliably play games at 100% of processor power. I decided that dust must be the cause. Don’t ask me why, it was divine inspiration I think. The PC health monitor had the processor temperature at an indicated 125 deg. F. I took the side panel off, made sure the chassis was still earthed, and took off the processor heat sink fan. The heat sink was stuffed solid with 2 years plus of dust. I carefully vacuumed this out (the heat sink is well earthed, low static risk) and also vacuumed out other easily accessed lumps of dust on the cards. I kept well clear from touching any components because of the static discharge risk, remembering static can jump a good distance too.
Result on re assembly. PC processor ran 25 deg cooler and most game problems disappeared. I fitted a chassis fan and things got even better. There was only a processor and power supply fans previously installed. By a process of logical elimination and substitution I found closing down the various start up programs, importantly the Disc Detector for some reason, got rid of the last few percent of problems. I keep a hand written log of all changes to my PC environment, and becoming more like a system administrator every day. Well, apart from checking dumpsters for hardware upgrades, or am I wrong on that point too these days? –g-
pb. |
