Norton Ghost 2003 taking forever to backup

[mattman1968]

Hi,

Hope someone can help me. I've used Norton Ghost 2003 for the past few years without any problems. However, about two weeks ago when backing up my C drive (about 25GB - mostly mp3's) it took nearly 35 hours. It normally takes only a couple hours overnight.
Last night I decided to perform another backup and noticed it was going to be another time consuming event so I cancelled the operation. I uninstalled Ghost and reinstalled but to no avail.
Has there been an update that could be causing this? As I've said, it never took so long to backup before. I'm not looking dorward to having my computer out of commision for an extended time everytime I want/need to backup. If anybody knows a way around this problem please share your tricks.

Thanks again,

Mattman

[lordsmurf]

Ghost has all kinds fo weird errors, and this is one of them. I quit using it on my main system. I'm using Paragon Drive Backup these days. My advice is to use something else. Ghost is far from the best, and it's really slow.

[normcar]

The best way to fix a problem with a Norton product, is to get a different product from a different company.

[stiltman]

Hi,

Hope someone can help me. I've used Norton Ghost 2003 for the past few years without any problems. However, about two weeks ago when backing up my C drive (about 25GB - mostly mp3's) it took nearly 35 hours. It normally takes only a couple hours overnight.
Last night I decided to perform another backup and noticed it was going to be another time consuming event so I cancelled the operation. I uninstalled Ghost and reinstalled but to no avail.

Thanks again,

Mattman

What are you backing up the image too?
HardDrive, internal or external?
DVDs?
Tape?

[Colindale]

Hi,

Hope someone can help me. I've used Norton Ghost 2003 for the past few years without any problems. However, about two weeks ago when backing up my C drive (about 25GB - mostly mp3's) it took nearly 35 hours. It normally takes only a couple hours overnight.
Last night I decided to perform another backup and noticed it was going to be another time consuming event so I cancelled the operation. I uninstalled Ghost and reinstalled but to no avail.
Has there been an update that could be causing this? As I've said, it never took so long to backup before. I'm not looking dorward to having my computer out of commision for an extended time everytime I want/need to backup. If anybody knows a way around this problem please share your tricks.

Thanks again,

Mattman

Some of you people, should learn how to Partition a Hard Drive, I have a 5 Gig C:\ drive and back it up in two or three minutes with Drive Image, that's before Symantic got hold of it!.
The rest of my data is in four other partitions.

[Nelson37]

SOMETHING has changed on your system. The performance of a three year old program will not spontaneously change for no reason whatsoever. To blame this on the program itself is just plain silly.

It worked just fine less than two weeks ago. Unlikely any software would change this unless it is a virus.

Are you running the prog from a boot disk? You should be. If so, and the performance has changed, then the ONLY POSSIBLE REASON would be that either the source or target drive is different, or at least one of the drives or something in the communication circuitry has gone bad.

Ghost has NEVER failed to work correctly for me in over 15 years of regular use.

If you are not using it from a boot disk, then you are evaluating it from a possibly contaminated environment. Use a seperate boot floppy, or even a win98 cd with Ghost on a floppy. A change in performance such as you have outlined, if you were using the boot scenario I have recommended, would be an absolute GUARANTEE of some sort of hardware failure.

[Colindale]

[quote="Nelson37"]SOMETHING has changed on your system. The performance of a three year old program will not spontaneously change for no reason whatsoever. To blame this on the program itself is just plain silly.

It worked just fine less than two weeks ago. Unlikely any software would change this unless it is a virus.

Are you running the prog from a boot disk? You should be. If so, and the performance has changed, then the ONLY POSSIBLE REASON would be that either the source or target drive is different, or at least one of the drives or something in the communication circuitry has gone bad.

Ghost has NEVER failed to work correctly for me in over 15 years of regular use.

Drive Image was what it was called before Symantec got hold of it and ruined it!.

[pepegot1]

Use Acronis 9.0 for reliable backups. Beats the hell out of Ghost.

[TBoneit]

I always use Ghost 2003 and only run it from a floppy disc or a bootable CD made from the floppy disc. The disc loads Win98, Mouse driver, CD-Rom Driver and Ghost.

Always works, Except I need to configure a separate copy to work with SATA drives as they need a couple of command line switches and it gets old stepping through autoexec.bat so as not to load ghost automatic. Or I could just edit autoexec.bat to add a pause command before it loads ghost wherein I could Ctrl-C and then either hit enter if no SATA drives and carry on or break in and add the command line switches.

[hech54]

Norton Ghost user here as well....never had a problem with it.

[stiltman]

Drive Image was what it was called before Symantec got hold of it and ruined it!.

Ghost was never called Drive Image.
Original Ghost was created by Binary Research International
Drive Image and Drive Image Pro were created by PowerQuest.

Norton bought Ghost before Symantec bought Norton
Symantec bought PowerQuest


I would also say there is something wrong with the OP's hardware for something to slow it down from what it used to preform at. I also never use ghost's built-in AT functions (reboots your computer to start the imaging) I always use a bootdisk for that.

[RLT69]

Long time Norton Ghost user here.

mattman1968, I would follow the advice of stiltman and use a boot disk to perform your backup, if you haven't been doing so. It would also help to know the following:

What are you backing up the image too:

1. HardDrive, internal or external
2. DVDs
3. Tape

One reason why it would take a very long time to make an image of your hard drive is if you are imaging an unsupported file system. For example, RieserFS is not support under Norton Ghost. However you can create an image of that file system using a sector-by-sector copy. That process will take a VERY long time. I am assuming, though, that you are using Windows, either FAT32 or NTFS, thus I would not expect it to take 35 hours.

More information would be helpful in troubleshooting this problem.

Bashing Ghost does nothing to help mattman1968 out.

[mattman1968]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I am using Windows XP Home and backing up to an external hard drive (formatted to NTFS as well.)

I don't have a floppy drive and Ghost won't allow me to make a bootable CD/DVD.

Nothing has changed in my system (software, hardware, etc...) I really like the ability to clone my system with Ghost, but if I can't solve this problem I guess I'll have to try some alternatives since I refuse to have my machine out of service for an all day (or two) backup.

Thanks

[normcar]

I purchased Genie Backup Manager Pro a while back, but have not used it yet. I just backup the data to an external file. Does anyone use this, or has been saved by this product, or hates it?

Bashing Ghost does nothing to help mattman1968 out. -- It does if he tries something else, and the other backup software works better.

[lordsmurf]

I don't think anybody is bashing Ghost. On the other hand, I see a lot of fan-boy Ghost worshipping, along with the typical snotty "must be you or your computer" comments.

I doubt it's the computer. The simply fact is Ghost, like most other Norton products, is very picky and buggy. I still use Ghost 2003 fine on one computer. But on others, Ghost won't work. What does work for me is Paragon Drive Backup.

Norton is slow too, compared to Paragon. About 10 times slower, a whole day. Paragon is just a few hours worth.

So, you could sit here for days and weeks (with no backup, I might add!) trying to fix Ghost, or you could try something else. You're not alone here, many of us have seen Ghost errors and gotten fed up with it.

[Nelson37]

This is real simple and elementary. Software functionality and performance does not change dramatically for no reason. No amount of snobbery or stupidity changes that basic fact.

You could inscribe your backup on stone tablets for all I care. If the time taken suddenly balloons by a factor of ten, there is some significant issue. I cannot understand how that is not glaringly obvious, except to the terminally stupid.

Whether you like Ghost or not, and IMO there is a reason lots of pros and corporations use it, the point is the program itself does not matter.

Now if you just want to suck up to the Blue Hole, have at it. Do you seriously believe it when someone tells you that a prog which has been working fine for quite some time and suddenly takes ten times as long to run, it was just a bad program all along? That is just plain stupid, ignorant, dumbass, supply your own adjectives.

If the standard virus checks do not find anything, there is a very good chance that one of your drives is about to fail or there is something wrong with your interface.

Something has caused a dramatic performance CHANGE. Masking this by using other software IS in fact harmful, if it inhibits finding out what the real problem is.

Fanboy my ass.

[lordsmurf]

Software functionality and performance does not change dramatically for no reason. .

This is simply not true. Poorly written software can easily kamikaze itself. It's not uncommon with Norton products.

Norton was great 10-15 years ago, but the bloatware of recent is a mess. Same goes for Nero and Sonic Solutions. When you try to rule the world in all things software, you tend to just mess up on everything you make. Norton has fallen prey.

I use their software when I can, but when it fails to comply, to hell with it, I'll pick alternatives that work equally as good (sometimes better!). The world is bigger than Norton.

Like I said, the OP can sit and try to understand why Norton does not work, or simply move on to something that does. I was actually amazed at how easy Paragon was compared Ghost. Same for AVG Anti-Virus and Kerio Firewall, more products I ended up replacing Norton software with.

Norton Utilities still runs good, so I kept that.

[Nelson37]

Find me a professional, certified technician who agrees with that statement and I will donate $100.00 to the charity of your choice.

[RLT69]

This is simply not true. Poorly written software can easily kamikaze itself. It's not uncommon with Norton products.

And the fact that the program worked before doesn't mean anything?

You're making the assumption that Ghost 2003 is poorly written? Is it so? I would not say so nor would others. You and others had problems. What sample size do we need to determine that a program is buggy and unuseable?

I agree with Nelson37, Ghost worked for you before and now it doesn't, there's something wrong with your system. Verify that the HDs are in good shape. Make sure you are using a USB 2.0 connection not 1.1 - that would account for the long backup time.

mattman1968 at the end of the day it's your dollar. Thing is, there's no guarantee that a different program won't have the same problem.

[stiltman]

Software functionality and performance does not change dramatically for no reason. .

This is simply not true. Poorly written software can easily kamikaze itself. It's not uncommon with Norton products.

Norton was great 10-15 years ago, but the bloatware of recent is a mess. Same goes for Nero and Sonic Solutions. When you try to rule the world in all things software, you tend to just mess up on everything you make. Norton has fallen prey.

I use their software when I can, but when it fails to comply, to hell with it, I'll pick alternatives that work equally as good (sometimes better!). The world is bigger than Norton.

Like I said, the OP can sit and try to understand why Norton does not work, or simply move on to something that does. I was actually amazed at how easy Paragon was compared Ghost. Same for AVG Anti-Virus and Kerio Firewall, more products I ended up replacing Norton software with.

Norton Utilities still runs good, so I kept that.

Pure BS!!!

Here's what I would do.

Run a full scandisk with auto repair on your extenal drive.
Disconnect all other USB devices (including hubs) from the computer
Change the cable (USB?) to you extenal hard drive
Boot from the Ghost CD itself (most don't know most of the CD's are bootable, sorry not all OEM versions are)
Start your clone process
Look at the speed indicator. If it's around 300 - 400mb your using USB2. If it's rapidly droping to 60 - 100 and still slowly droping, you're at USB1, I would bail out and reconnect the cable to another USB port.

Since you don't have a floppy, you can also try booting from a USB flash drive too.
All you really need it the ghost.exe file from the CD to run ghost. ou might have to copy the .lic file too.

BTW, I used to be a ghost "fanboooyy". However they didn't upgrade the product good enough for my company to use it with Linux in dual booting. We switched to PowerQuest (before bought by Symantec)

[Nelson37]

Just in case you missed it, Smurf, this would be what you like to call a "put up or shut up" moment. Shall I dig up your quote on how "such people never respond to calls for proof"?

I will offer to photocopy the receipt and put it here for public display. One certified tech, that's all you need. I will check his or her credentials and make certain they understand just exactly what it is they are agreeing to.

Give me a 60 day window, and I will make it $1,000.00 to the charity of your choice. For the purposes of this transaction I will consider this website a "charity". No risk whatsoever on your part, at least financially, anyway.

You have made a false and ludicrous statement, and given "NEWBIE ADVICE". Recognize that one? There is no judgement call here, this is not a matter of opinion.

What, the software gets depressed because you don't like it and commits digital suicide? You have amused the hell out of several techs I have told this to, what else you got?

To the OP. I repeat, something has CHANGED on your system. If not something you have done, then some hardware functionality is now different than what it was. This almost always indicates a failure of some sort.

I am Certified A+, A+ instructor, Novell CNA, Microsoft and HP laserjet repair technician. 15 years field experience. Whether you are in Houston or not, you have a problem.

[stiltman]

Lets get back to the original poster....shall we

Have you tried any of the suggested suggestions?

My gut feeling is that you added a USB1 device to a hub or the external HDD is going bad. I could always been WRONG, but heck, that's the fun of trying to HELP PEOPLE at no cost

BTW, the actual ghost.exe app has change very little in the last 4 years

[lordsmurf]

I fail to see what USB has to do with trying to back up an internal hard drive with Ghost. If a USB device causes Ghost to vomit on itself, then that just goes right back to what I was saying about poorly written software. Especially in the modern era when virtually everything external is USB.

[stiltman]

I fail to see what USB has to do with trying to back up an internal hard drive with Ghost. If a USB device causes Ghost to vomit on itself, then that just goes right back to what I was saying about poorly written software. Especially in the modern era when virtually everything external is USB.

Dude, did you read this?!

I am using Windows XP Home and backing up to an external hard drive (formatted to NTFS as well.)

THIS MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD

Let's say he/she connected a usb1 device to the same hub as the (usb2?) external hardrive.....ghost will defualt to usb1.

Dude, I know you know your shit with video, this isn't video.
This is a hardware issue, my gut feeling

[Bjs]

Just a thought here ... but has anyone tried the drive clone tools from the hd manufacturer with externals ?

Maxtors drive clone tool will copy from any other manufacturer's brand , provided the drive where files are headed is a maxtor unit with ample room .

Same for seagate , wd's , samsung clone tools .

Just an idea and a possible option that dosent cost a cent .

--------------------

Most pro tools drop the bundle when it comes too " your hd is about to fail " warning .

Nortons ghost : 8 gig data = 2 hours = failed at 97%
Drive image : 8 gig data = 1.3 hours = inconsistencies with file's reported , failed at 55%
Acronis : 8 gig data = 2 hours + = failed at 88%

Wd drive clone tool = success = 45 minutes (seagate to wd) .

[mattman1968]

Well I certainly didn't mean to start war.

Anyway, I am backing up using USB2. No, I haven't added any other USB devices. It's possible the external is wearing out...it's been on almost non-stop for 4 years. The internal drive is new...replaced in May 2006. I have a new external ordered (not because of this issue, but rather because I simply want more storage).

I will experiment with everyone's suggestions.

Thanks for the advice.

[TBoneit]

BTW the external drive format doesn't really come into it with Ghost 2003. It will put the image of the drive being cloned onto a new unpartitioned drive.

If you were backing up a FAT32 drive to a NTFS formatted drive, the source will become FAT32. That is the way Ghost works.

Has no one else noticed also that backing up to one drive is bad backup practice?

Proper way requires more than one backup. If you have a problem delevelop you didn't notice with your C: you will most likely trash your good backup as you try to backup over the previous one unless you are doing images.

Even with images I'd still want two drives to back up to as a minimum for safety.

Cheers