rhogue
asked on
Problem with spanned .gho backup files - decompression error
I did a complete HD backup with Symantec Ghost 7.0 over 15 spanned CD's.
I've tried restoring with 7.0 and also Norton Ghost 2004, which has Symantec Ghost 8.0 as part of package.
When I attempt to restore these image files, the restoration always halts at the same location (on CD disk 6) and gives an error code 19235, which in text is stating "Decompression error -3". The Ghosterr.txt file also indicates a Windows error that "The system cannot find the file specified".
I've tried using the Ghost switch -crcignore- with no success.
I've also tried using a CD recovery software to do any repairs to the .gho image disk but result was same when running "repaired" disk in Ghost recovery.
I need to recover as much as possible of the 15 disk spanned set and was hoping that someone could either:
a) suggest a command line switch that will allow Symantec Ghost to continue past this "missing" file and on to the next file or a trick that could accomplish the same thing (editing the damaged file perhaps???)
OR
b) if I have to use Ghost Explorer, then the best way to handle 15 CD's of a spanned image ('cause right now, you have to insert and remove the CD's so often that it is impractical for 15 CD's
My ideal solution would be a) but at this point, I am struggling and the tech support team at Norton has provided little help, both in response time and with answers.
Thanks all for any help you can give
PS I do know about the -corrupt and -ignoreindex switches but these are for Ghost Explorer and don't work with Symantec Ghost 8.0. (to my knowledge anyway).
I've tried restoring with 7.0 and also Norton Ghost 2004, which has Symantec Ghost 8.0 as part of package.
When I attempt to restore these image files, the restoration always halts at the same location (on CD disk 6) and gives an error code 19235, which in text is stating "Decompression error -3". The Ghosterr.txt file also indicates a Windows error that "The system cannot find the file specified".
I've tried using the Ghost switch -crcignore- with no success.
I've also tried using a CD recovery software to do any repairs to the .gho image disk but result was same when running "repaired" disk in Ghost recovery.
I need to recover as much as possible of the 15 disk spanned set and was hoping that someone could either:
a) suggest a command line switch that will allow Symantec Ghost to continue past this "missing" file and on to the next file or a trick that could accomplish the same thing (editing the damaged file perhaps???)
OR
b) if I have to use Ghost Explorer, then the best way to handle 15 CD's of a spanned image ('cause right now, you have to insert and remove the CD's so often that it is impractical for 15 CD's
My ideal solution would be a) but at this point, I am struggling and the tech support team at Norton has provided little help, both in response time and with answers.
Thanks all for any help you can give
PS I do know about the -corrupt and -ignoreindex switches but these are for Ghost Explorer and don't work with Symantec Ghost 8.0. (to my knowledge anyway).
rindi
Copy the images to a directory on your HD and then use ghostexplorer. That way you won't have to change disks anymore. After that you will be able to extract that data which is still readable.
ASKER
Thanks for feedback.
I created a logical drive F: and copied all 15 CD's to the root directory in the drive. Nothing else is there.
The 15 files copied over are listed CDR00001.gho through CDR00015.gho.
When I run Ghost Explorer it asks for backup file location and I point to drive F:, CDR00001.gho; then it asks for disk 14 and gives options of "Retry or Cancel".
The "Retry" does not work.
GhostExplorer does not seem to see the other files in the f: root directory.
Is there a command line switch or something to allow it to recognize that there are 15 files all part of a spanned image??
Thanks much.
I created a logical drive F: and copied all 15 CD's to the root directory in the drive. Nothing else is there.
The 15 files copied over are listed CDR00001.gho through CDR00015.gho.
When I run Ghost Explorer it asks for backup file location and I point to drive F:, CDR00001.gho; then it asks for disk 14 and gives options of "Retry or Cancel".
The "Retry" does not work.
GhostExplorer does not seem to see the other files in the f: root directory.
Is there a command line switch or something to allow it to recognize that there are 15 files all part of a spanned image??
Thanks much.
Try sttarting ghostexplorer with the following commandline paramteres:
-ignoreindex and / or -corrupt
-ignoreindex and / or -corrupt
ASKER
There is no painless way to resolve this problem.
1 - It seems there is no switch to allow Symantec Ghost 7.0 or 8.0 to ignore, or jump to next file, over the file with the "decompression error"
2 - Loading all 15 spanned CD's onto the hard drive does not work. Norton Ghost Explorer gets lost when trying to move from CD file to another
3 - Doing item 3, even with -ignoreindex or -corrupt set does not work
Now the painful way using Ghost Explorer:
1 - To read all 15 CD's, in order to then choose a file to restore, you must spend many, many, many hours inserting and removing CD's
2 - The -ignoreindex switch does not work in this type of case because it just tries to plow through all the disks and it halts at the same problem
3 - Both switches set do not work
4 - Using the -corrupt switch seemed to help, although I do not believe it made any significant difference, since you are only reading the file structures, not the individual file data itself. (I was not going to try twice, to validate switch performance). Use the -corruput anyway, as it cannot hurt.
5 - Once file structures are read, then you can pick and choose which files need to be restored.
6 - DO NOT close the program, or you will have to reload everything again. Ouch !!
Observations:
1 - Norton support is terrible. Their knowbase is difficult to navigate, their email response is worthless (they just pass the buck - I don't think they know their own product) and voice reponse is worthless
2 - If you ever back up anything using a Norton (Symantec) product, ALWAYS use the verify files function, even if it takes many hours more.
3 - Review number 2
4 - Two Symantec knowbase documents that may be of interest to anyone working with Ghost are: Doc ID 2000045552300366 How to handle a corrupted image file AND Doc ID 1998082612540625 Switches: Alphabetical list of switches
Rindi thanks for your suggestions, but in this case, there was no painless answer. The product has limitations and I hit several of them
1 - It seems there is no switch to allow Symantec Ghost 7.0 or 8.0 to ignore, or jump to next file, over the file with the "decompression error"
2 - Loading all 15 spanned CD's onto the hard drive does not work. Norton Ghost Explorer gets lost when trying to move from CD file to another
3 - Doing item 3, even with -ignoreindex or -corrupt set does not work
Now the painful way using Ghost Explorer:
1 - To read all 15 CD's, in order to then choose a file to restore, you must spend many, many, many hours inserting and removing CD's
2 - The -ignoreindex switch does not work in this type of case because it just tries to plow through all the disks and it halts at the same problem
3 - Both switches set do not work
4 - Using the -corrupt switch seemed to help, although I do not believe it made any significant difference, since you are only reading the file structures, not the individual file data itself. (I was not going to try twice, to validate switch performance). Use the -corruput anyway, as it cannot hurt.
5 - Once file structures are read, then you can pick and choose which files need to be restored.
6 - DO NOT close the program, or you will have to reload everything again. Ouch !!
Observations:
1 - Norton support is terrible. Their knowbase is difficult to navigate, their email response is worthless (they just pass the buck - I don't think they know their own product) and voice reponse is worthless
2 - If you ever back up anything using a Norton (Symantec) product, ALWAYS use the verify files function, even if it takes many hours more.
3 - Review number 2
4 - Two Symantec knowbase documents that may be of interest to anyone working with Ghost are: Doc ID 2000045552300366 How to handle a corrupted image file AND Doc ID 1998082612540625 Switches: Alphabetical list of switches
Rindi thanks for your suggestions, but in this case, there was no painless answer. The product has limitations and I hit several of them
Maybe you should try Acronis trueimage (I havent' tried it in a similar scenario yet, though, but it not being a symantec product can only help. The other produkt would be driveimage. So long as it was powerquest, it wasn't a bad product and it wasn't necessary load all image parts in order to extract just one file, but I don't know if it still is being produced. And also, now that Symantec it can't have been improved.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.