Why does everyone use Ghost?

RifRaf · 07-25-2008, 09:19 PM

I've got a question. Why does every every IT tech out there seem to only use ghost to image there system drives? Is it only because it can be run run from DOS? I mean it seems to me Acronis is a much more solid util, but then again it does cost a little bit more. I was looking for a solid imaging software to set up and found this more then a bit curious

Tumbleweed36 · 07-25-2008, 09:30 PM

While some do use Ghost (I used to), many of us use other solutions. Acronis does a nice job, but is not free. There is also a free program called XXClone which does a nice job of cloning. Many techs on this forum use that program. Uh, did I mention, FREE?

RifRaf331 · 07-26-2008, 01:21 AM

Thx for the info on XXClone "Tumbleweed", but I'm still curious as to the reason Ghost is Sooo enormously popular with most network admins. Maybe I'm getting to fixated on something that isnt there but I thought that maybe I was missing something obvious. Other than the name recognition and low cost (compared to Acronis)it appears not to have alot going for it. The online tech forums seem overloaded with complaints about problems with Ghost refusing to load an image from a network drive because of driver issues. Yet it still seems to be the most popular. I cant believe how many businesses and Government offices use ghost as there imaging software choice!

geewhiz · 07-26-2008, 06:03 PM

Amen.
I am never purchasing another sysmantec program ever again! I too, unwisely, have been using ghost. Any version beyond v8 is junk.

Then just a couple of days ago I copied a 2000 image with ghost and then tried to put it onto a bigger harddisk. Got the image, no problem. Can verify the image, checks ok. Imaging to another disk, I get all kinds of funky error messages once it is done. Along the lines, the image copied successfully but has errors.... It messes up the boot sector so badly, some kind of way, I can't get the machine to boot without a boot floppy. And I've tried everything!

It is truely a mess.

I probably wouldn't be as mad if my old original drive hadn't died in the process. Too much moving around for the old-timer I guess. So I got burned over a simple image and mount. I have 0.0% faith in this program now. Garbage. Don't let the throne seat hit you on the head when flush you.

Sorry for rant...

But yes, there are many other imaging options out there. Because of this I'm now going to build a FOG server and give it a shot. It is free software! Search 'free ghost' if anyone is interested. It is talored to linux, fedora. Supposedly can image anything across a network. Woot, woot.

**djaburg** · 07-27-2008, 09:34 AM

As for being pissed at Ghost, it seems like the source disk wasn't 100% anyway, so you can't expect a potential shoddy disk to make pristine copies. I tend to use ghost because it seems to work when others won't. I think that applications are kinda like cars, people love some, hate some, and in the end it's often a matter of personal preference. I've not had any issues with ghost and I've been using it longer than I can remember, but the thing I do like about the newer versions is the ability to schedule a run.

garsar · 08-22-2008, 12:18 PM

Try NovaStor. I prefered it to Acronis True Image 11, which has some disruptive qualities that can effect other things. I did a long research and tried a few. Nova worked fine and left the computer alone. Also, Acronis has a good chat tech support but terrible email response time. Nova came back to me within a day, twice. Do your own search but that's what I found.

RifRaf331 · 08-22-2008, 08:55 PM

Thx garsar, I just happened to be looking at Novastor the other day!

Chevy · 08-24-2008, 01:25 AM

I use Ghost v8 (with Ghostcast Server) because I need to be able to re-image several systems at once ... sometimes as many as 30 in one session.

garsar · 08-24-2008, 11:50 PM

I would say that is a good reason and not what everyone needs.
Still like NovaStor best and Acronis least. True Image by Acronis is too intrusive in ways that sometimes cause faults in other things. Nova simply does what it does, both Image making and backups plus the usual. I don't have anything to do with them but did test about 6 programs that could do both image and backup and found it the overall best program.

msvictim · 09-09-2008, 03:26 PM

After a recent crash and burn on my PC w W2K Pro SP4, I opened up a 2 year old, new Maxtor drive. A FREE CD for Maxblast4 was in the box. After getting a stable system, I gave it a try. The DOS version failed. The Windows version worked. It was a bit clumsy to use, but produced a bootable drive. I discovered a new truth: don't leave it in the machine as the slave drive. While booting from C:, the OS wrote all over it, and it was no longer bootable, though it was still complete. So, I did it again, and unplugged the C: - it booted and I quit. No sophistication, but it was available FREE and I'm cheap.

07-25-2008, 09:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
RifRaf Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 1 OS: XP sp2	Why does everyone use Ghost? I've got a question. Why does every every IT tech out there seem to only use ghost to image there system drives? Is it only because it can be run run from DOS? I mean it seems to me Acronis is a much more solid util, but then again it does cost a little bit more. I was looking for a solid imaging software to set up and found this more then a bit curious

07-25-2008, 09:30 PM	#2 (permalink)
Tumbleweed36 Asst Manager Hardware Join Date: May 2005 Location: USA Posts: 19,676 OS: XP Professional	Re: Why does everyone use Ghost? While some do use Ghost (I used to), many of us use other solutions. Acronis does a nice job, but is not free. There is also a free program called XXClone which does a nice job of cloning. Many techs on this forum use that program. Uh, did I mention, FREE? __________________ ---------- I don't receive email notifications of replies to subscribed threads. (Internet provider policy) Therefore, if I don't respond to your post within 24 hours, please send me a reminder PM and include the link to your thread.

07-26-2008, 01:21 AM	#3 (permalink)
RifRaf331 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Chicago Posts: 3 OS: Win XP	Re: Why does everyone use Ghost? Thx for the info on XXClone "Tumbleweed", but I'm still curious as to the reason Ghost is Sooo enormously popular with most network admins. Maybe I'm getting to fixated on something that isnt there but I thought that maybe I was missing something obvious. Other than the name recognition and low cost (compared to Acronis)it appears not to have alot going for it. The online tech forums seem overloaded with complaints about problems with Ghost refusing to load an image from a network drive because of driver issues. Yet it still seems to be the most popular. I cant believe how many businesses and Government offices use ghost as there imaging software choice!

07-26-2008, 06:03 PM	#4 (permalink)
geewhiz Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 138 OS: Vista, Suse	Re: Why does everyone use Ghost? Amen. I am never purchasing another sysmantec program ever again! I too, unwisely, have been using ghost. Any version beyond v8 is junk. Then just a couple of days ago I copied a 2000 image with ghost and then tried to put it onto a bigger harddisk. Got the image, no problem. Can verify the image, checks ok. Imaging to another disk, I get all kinds of funky error messages once it is done. Along the lines, the image copied successfully but has errors.... It messes up the boot sector so badly, some kind of way, I can't get the machine to boot without a boot floppy. And I've tried everything! It is truely a mess. I probably wouldn't be as mad if my old original drive hadn't died in the process. Too much moving around for the old-timer I guess. So I got burned over a simple image and mount. I have 0.0% faith in this program now. Garbage. Don't let the throne seat hit you on the head when flush you. Sorry for rant... But yes, there are many other imaging options out there. Because of this I'm now going to build a FOG server and give it a shot. It is free software! Search 'free ghost' if anyone is interested. It is talored to linux, fedora. Supposedly can image anything across a network. Woot, woot.

07-27-2008, 09:34 AM	#5 (permalink)
djaburg TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 1,322 OS: XP SP3/Vista/7 Server 2K/2K3/2K8	Re: Why does everyone use Ghost? As for being pissed at Ghost, it seems like the source disk wasn't 100% anyway, so you can't expect a potential shoddy disk to make pristine copies. I tend to use ghost because it seems to work when others won't. I think that applications are kinda like cars, people love some, hate some, and in the end it's often a matter of personal preference. I've not had any issues with ghost and I've been using it longer than I can remember, but the thing I do like about the newer versions is the ability to schedule a run. __________________ Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don't need to be done. The inherent vice of capitalism is the uneven division of blessings, while the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal division of misery.

08-22-2008, 12:18 PM	#6 (permalink)
garsar Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 5 OS: Win2000pro sp4	Re: Why does everyone use Ghost? Try NovaStor. I prefered it to Acronis True Image 11, which has some disruptive qualities that can effect other things. I did a long research and tried a few. Nova worked fine and left the computer alone. Also, Acronis has a good chat tech support but terrible email response time. Nova came back to me within a day, twice. Do your own search but that's what I found.

08-22-2008, 08:55 PM	#7 (permalink)
RifRaf331 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Chicago Posts: 3 OS: Win XP	Re: Why does everyone use Ghost? Thx garsar, I just happened to be looking at Novastor the other day!

08-24-2008, 01:25 AM	#8 (permalink)
Chevy Retired Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Notlob Posts: 5,452 OS: Vista Ultimate My System	Re: Why does everyone use Ghost? I use Ghost v8 (with Ghostcast Server) because I need to be able to re-image several systems at once ... sometimes as many as 30 in one session.

08-24-2008, 11:50 PM	#9 (permalink)
garsar Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 5 OS: Win2000pro sp4	Re: Why does everyone use Ghost? I would say that is a good reason and not what everyone needs. Still like NovaStor best and Acronis least. True Image by Acronis is too intrusive in ways that sometimes cause faults in other things. Nova simply does what it does, both Image making and backups plus the usual. I don't have anything to do with them but did test about 6 programs that could do both image and backup and found it the overall best program.

09-09-2008, 03:26 PM	#10 (permalink)
msvictim Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 3 OS: W2KSP4	Re: Why does everyone use Ghost? After a recent crash and burn on my PC w W2K Pro SP4, I opened up a 2 year old, new Maxtor drive. A FREE CD for Maxblast4 was in the box. After getting a stable system, I gave it a try. The DOS version failed. The Windows version worked. It was a bit clumsy to use, but produced a bootable drive. I discovered a new truth: don't leave it in the machine as the slave drive. While booting from C:, the OS wrote all over it, and it was no longer bootable, though it was still complete. So, I did it again, and unplugged the C: - it booted and I quit. No sophistication, but it was available FREE and I'm cheap.