Need To Backup HDD on CDs

[Solidus]

How can i backup my entire hard drive on cds, so that i can setup the cds on another drive, and it will be a clone of the original? i know you can do this directly from harddrive to harddrive, but i want to back it up. what program can i use? i don't just want the files, i want the configuration, etc. Thanks.

[golfcart]

I think norton's ghost utility has the ability to do this but don't quote me on it.

[dragonB]

yea, norton's ghost can do this.

you would create an image of the hard drive(you would need another drive to do this, but not if you only did one partition)

image of the hard drive using the span option i believe, and set the span to the size of ur cds. Burn them to cd's.
Then when you put it back on, start with the first one, and it prompts for the next file/cd.

I've done it before(a year or two ago) That was an older version of ghost, but we did have to use command line switches to make the images. Even got fancy and made the first cd bootable, and automatically run the ghost image restore.
good luck,
dragonB

[solo-pc-tech]

PowerQuest Drive Image 4.0 will also backup to CDRW.

[BobyJo]

To use Ghost, you need to use CDRW disks. Format the disks, may take quite a lot, Name the disks (ie: WinBkUp) whatever you wish. Load Ghost and create an Image file from Partition to Image. You will get a screen asking if you want to span disks, click yes, you will be asked if you want compression, click high, You will next be brought to the destination screen. Change the drive letter in the box at the top of the screen to "D" or whatever your CD Burner's drive letter is. The probram will start the process. Depending on how large the partition is, is related to how many CDRW disks you will need. On the Ghost program I have, I am not given the choice to pick and select files. It has to be disk, or partition only. So if you have a 6gig partition for your OS, you may need up to 10 CDRW disks to complete this operation.

[elroy]

NTI has a backup program specifically for this. www.ntius.com

[MiKe85]

Norton's Ghost Utility seems to be the way to go? It definetely seems to be a Sysopt favorite..

You can just download norton's ghost utility?

[LittleKing]

I personally love Nortan Ghost. I've been using it with a school project I've been working on, and it is great. Of course it the corperate edition, not the home user version.

Here is a link Comparing Ghost 7.0 Corporate Edition & Norton Ghost 2001 .

Although there are several features left out of the home edition, I completely recommend it.

LK

[lynchmob]

Whenever I get a comp setup they way I like it,I back up everything with DriveImage.Have never had one problem with it.Have 3 versions of Ghost(somehow)but have never tried it
lynch

[Shagnasty]

I'm just the opposite of Lynchmob...got a
few versions of Drive Image around but
haven't tried it...Norton Ghost has been
evolving and it keeps getting better...It
works best cloning one drive to another. You
can tell hit what size to break the backup
Image files into. Depending on the size the
actual Data on your drive, it could take
quite a few CD's...It gets a little tricky
but if you do a complete clean install...and
setup just the bare essentials. I did WinME
and got it all Updated with all the downloads
all the hardware drivers etc., in place so
the system was more or less ready to go but
without all the extra software. Then I made
a Backup Image with Norton Ghost...Put it on
a Bootable CD with an Autorun.inf file to
run Norton Ghost...That way I could at least
save the installation and all the download
and driver installation time...Now if I
decide to wipe it all out...takes about 10
mins to get back to installing whatever
software I want...try a couple of programs
on a spare hard drive and play around with
it until you get what you like...