So I am going to re-format my computer.\nIf i want to take a ghost image of the machine, is there a way i can restore it?  I do not think i can ghost to a dvd.  But what if I have an external HD?  If i ghost there, how could I restore it?
211924
If you use the Norton Ghost program, you boot from the CD and restore from it. You can also simply restore your OS, then install Ghost on the computer's hard drive, then restore from the external HDD.\n\nIf you mean, you want to make a snapshot or ISO of your hard drive on an external drive using some other software, you would effectively restore it the same way: Reinstall the OS, install the ISO / snapshot software, recover your ISO from the external HDD.\n\nHowever you do it, you need some sort of backup software.
346667
There are various ways to "backup" a dvd. I would suggest you read through the DVD backup guides over @ Doom9.org\n\nhttp://www.doom9.org/index.html?/guides.htm
431598
I think people use system restore too often. This is supposed to be a last resort. Everyone so qiock to jump to system restore. Tell me who makes your computer and I will give you there tech support number.
98253
My computer used to do that too. You need to have CD formatting software or else your computer just sees it as a blank empty thing. I got Nero StartSmart.. it works great.
138259
Take it to your local recycling center to have it recycled or have the parts reused to make refurbished computers.  I just wrote an article for someone about this.  (I'm a freelance writer)  Just don't throw it in the trash!
534243
okay you first need to format your drive erasing everything off of it. Then restore it from a CD. I would recommend using a program like Symantec Live State Recovery and make a base backup of it after you have say your basic progs installed or things you're always going to want. It will basically make an image of your HD and you will be able to backup from that.
127606
Unless they are close to the same model a restore CD most likely won't work since the hardware in each computer is bound to be different.  \n\nIf you have a restore partition I've never heard of someone being able to turn one into a working CD, they aren't really set up for that.
486833
.\nWe know what normal looks like, but your description of "stuff like local disk c is all over the place" is so vague that no one can understand the problem.\n\nI would suggest that you do not format;\njust go to your last known good configuaration:\nthat would be a restore point BEFORE the problem began.\n\n1.  Click START > Programs > Accessories >\n2.  Click System Tools > Click System Restore\n3.  Select a date prior to the problem, and then follow the prompts to complete the wizard.\n\nh2h
121985
No. If you had a network set up and used something like Norton Ghost you could do that. But a bad virus would wipe the hard drive including the images.
326167
Hi there,\n\nChances are it has died. Suggest you buy a DVD +-RW for the machine and try it out. Will cost relative peanuts and cuts out the hastle of jumping through the warranty hoops - which will invariably also include wiping your XP install and all data.\n\nOf course, there is a chance there is nothing wrong with your existing drive. I have seen several machines recently where virus and spyware infections have corrupted Windows. The device is shown, will even eject through software but... will not read CD's.\n\nThe easiest way to confirm is restart in Safe mode (F8 every second or so when the box is starting and BEFORE the XP screen) When the machine has started, throw in a Data CD and see if it reads it. If it does, you've a Windows problem rather than hardware.\nThat being the case...\n\nDo a virus scan in safe mode. Do a spyware scan in safe mode. Restart the PC and click Start / Run / Type SFC  /ScanNow {press enter}\nGo have some dinner... this bit is s l o w like an Englishman.\nWhen it has completed, restart the PC and try a CD\n\nIf still no joy, do a ReInstall in Place of XP. (Do a Google search for 'How do I do a re-install in place for Windows XP for concise instructions'\n\nHopefully though, the CD will not work in safe mode.
666944
maybe it's haunted......no that's not it. check the ribbon cable and make sure it didn't come loose if that doesn't help, try getting a can of compressed air and with the tray open blow the air into the cd rom. if that doesn't help, you may have to replace it.
77746
Ghost is a disk cloning program, originally produced by Binary Research, but purchased by Symantec in 1998. The Ghost program launched the market for disk-cloning software. The name Ghost originated as an acronym for "General Hardware-Oriented Software Transfer".\n\n \nSymantec Ghost 8.2Murray Haszard wrote Ghost in 1996, building on experience with a parallel and serial file-copying program previously produced by Binary Research. Initially, Ghost supported only FAT filesystems directly, but it could also copy (although not resize) other filesystems by performing a sector copy. Ghost added support for the NTFS filesystem later in 1996, and also provided a program, Ghostwalker (DOS name: ghstwalk.exe), to change the Security ID (SID) that made Windows NT systems distinguishable from each other. Ghostwalker is also capable of modifying the name of the Windows NT-based computer from its own interface. Ghost added support for the ext2 filesystem in 1999 and for ext3 subsequently.\n\nBinary Reseach developed Ghost in Auckland, New Zealand and, although a few functions (such as translation into other languages) now take place elsewhere, the main development and quality assurance remains in Auckland.\n\n\nVersions\nThe first versions of Ghost supported only the cloning of entire disks, but version 3.1 in 1997 allowed the cloning of individual partitions as well. Ghost could clone a disk or partition to another disk or partition, or to an image file, restorable either to another machine or the same machine later. Ghost allowed for writing a clone or image:\n\nto a second disk in the same machine \nto another machine linked by a parallel or network cable \nto a network drive \nto a tape drive \nVersion 4.0 of Ghost added multicast technology (following the lead of a competitor, ImageCast). Multicasting allows sending a single image simultaneously to many machines without putting greater stress on the network than by sending an image to a single machine.\n\nThis version also introduced Ghost Explorer, a Windows program which allowed a user to browse the contents of an image file and extract individual files from it. Explorer as subsequently enhanced allowed users to add and delete files on FAT (and later on ext2 and on ext3) filesystems in an image. Ghost Explorer could extract files from NTFS images but not edit NTFS images. Ghost Explorer could work with images from older versions but only slowly; version 4 images contained indexes to find files rapidly.\n\nVersion 4.0 also moved from real-mode DOS to 286 protected-mode. The additional memory available allowed Ghost to provide several levels of compression for images, and to provide the file browser.\n\nIn 1998, Ghost 4.1 allowed for password-protected images.\n\nVersion 5.0 moved to 386 protected mode. Unlike the character-based user interface of earlier versions, 5.0 used a GUI. The Binary Research logo (two stars revolving around each other) played on the main screen while the program idled.\n\nGdisk, a scriptable partition manager, joined the growing suite of Ghost programs in 1998. Gdisk serves a role similar to Fdisk, but has greater capabilities.\n\nGhost 6.0 included a Console application in 2000 to simplify the management of large numbers of machines. The Console communicates with client software on managed computers to allow a system administrator to refresh the disk of a machine remotely.\n\nAs a DOS-based program, Ghost required machines running Windows to reboot to a DOS environment to run it. Ghost 6.0 required a separate DOS partition when used with the Console. Ghost 7.5 in 2002 created a 'Virtual Partition' instead - a DOS partition which actually exists as a file within a normal Windows filesystem. This significantly eased systems management. Ghost 7.5 also allows writing to as well as reading from an image of an NTFS partition. Ghost 7.5 could also write images to CD-R drives, and later versions can also write DVDs.\n\nGhost 2003, a consumer versio
142706
**********   BTW: I tried to respond to you email to me, but it tells me that I cannot because you have NOT confirmed your address, so if you will please send me your email address I will reply!   **********\n\nok first off I personally would try something more along the lines of AnyDVD and CloneDVD\n\nthose two will replace ALL of those other softwares you just mentioned.\n\nAnyDVD decrypts, CloneDvd, rips and then burns it.  You can try them both free for 21 days.\n\nNow as for you current setup, just get rid of Roxio, its huge, and install Nero.  Then you decrypt it, and then rip it with DVD shrink and burn it with DVD Shrink, it will do both!  (dvd shrink actually uses nero to burn it)  But you will save a lot of time and effort if you rip it with dvdshrink if thats what yer going to use to shrink it down.  Otherwise you are doubling your efforts!
539657
You can use True image by Acronis for such purpose. You can easily create an image of your first drive and then restore it on the second one. But you need to reformat your second drive before restoring. \nYou can purchase the newest True image here: http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/\nOr download a free version here:\nhttp://www.acronis.com/mag/vnu-ati7
123183
If you want a program that "just works" with the click of a button, I would look to DVD95Copy. The more techie bunch of us use a combination of tools such as DVD Shrink, etc. but if you are looking for a non-technical solution, I would try theirs.
150741
How long ago did you purchase your machine? Most good retailers will give a years warranty. Have a look on any manuals you have for the "serial No" of any software you have lost and if you do mange to retreive any make sure you always make a back up disk. Daft i know but did you try system restore or scanreg/restore???
309658
To reformat a computer, you need to have the original restore discs that came with it- or you will have no files or operating system.  You will also lose anything you added After you began downloading programs that did not come with the computer.\n\nHave you tried to turn it completely off and then restart it?