Best Imaging Software - No Symnatec!

Okay, so I need a new process to take and deploy images. I'm currently using Ghost GSS 2.5. I hate it. It fails constantly, mostly with the same error : Unexpected End Of File.

Now I've spoken with Symantec many times, and no matter what they offer it just doesn't work. This occurs with multiple models, different image files, compression or no compression, spanning/no spanning..doesn't matter.

And before it gets suggested, I CAN NOT use the ImageX from the WAIK. I just can't do it, not allowed to, no reason given, please do not suggest it.

All I need is a piece of software that will capture, and deploy an image using an external USB drive...

Any suggestions?

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Comments

billyr

How about Acronis? It has a universal restore option so that you can restore an image to a bare shell with different hardware. Very easy to use.

RobertKaucher

FOG - Have you heard of it?

fogproject.org

Just realized you said USB... Not sure of there is USB support.

Ricka182

Forgot about Acronis! And I have not of FOG... I will check those out later for sure.

I also just grabbed a trial copy of BootNG from TeraByte. Will give it a go on my test machine tomorrow..

Any others?

Much thanks guys!

RobertKaucher

Fog, is free and OpenSource, btw.

forkvoid

Seems quite limiting... you want the best, but you immediately kill off two of the top three? If you're in a full Windows, the built-in utilities really are the best system you will ever get(ImageX, WDS, et al). Second best is a third-party system like Acronis or GSS. GSS 2.5 doesn't fully support Vista/Win7 yet(the automated minisetup stuff; it will still create and deploy an image fine as it's just bit-level copy), but GSS 3.0 will. I have no experience with Acronis. I've been using Ghost since v7 and GSS since it's first release and it's been a great product.

dynamik

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Clonezilla

RobertKaucher

Just on a side note - At my weekend job at the GeekSquad I had a Toshiba PC come in that was having an issue getting the recovery disks to work.I used DISKPART to create a partitiona nd format it. I copied the windows image files from the DVDs and used IMAGEX to apply the factory image. It was actually faster than using the recovery DVDs. The actual re-image process took 5 minutes. Finally got some use out of my MCITP EDA7 cert...

This is just my two cents on the importance of knowing the built-in tools. I understand that the OP is not allowed to use them. I now descend from my soap box.

qcomer

FOG Project or WDS. I have used both and they are GREAT! Good alternatives to Symantec - Infact, we are coming off of symantec and switching to WDS. I use FOG also. FOG is nice because it has a Mobile/iPhone webpage to push the images.

cablegod

Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery. Bar-none. I've been using it since it was PowerQuest V2i Protector. Since you are writing Symantec off, this wouldn't interest you.

Claymoore

forkvoid wrote: »

Seems quite limiting... you want the best, but you immediately kill off two of the top three?

No kidding. I hope you really like Acronis.

veritas_libertas

Ricka182 wrote: »

Okay, so I need a new process to take and deploy images. I'm currently using Ghost GSS 2.5. I hate it.

I honestly cannot think of a more simple tool than Ghost. Open Source is great but it usually requires more effort to get it going.

It fails constantly, mostly with the same error : Unexpected End Of File.

Have you researched why this is happening? I use Ghost on a daily basis to create deployment images, and we do massive deployments, hundreds of laptops at a time. I have never seen that error you've mentioned until today.

cablegod

Claymoore wrote: »

No kidding. I hope you really like Acronis.

I tried it, and while it's ok, for the money I don't think BESR 2010 can be touched from my experience with the gamut of enterprise-class backup/image deployment tools. Yes, it's expensive, but when time is money, its hard to beat an enterprise-class imaging system.

Ricka182

I'm going to try Acronis later today. Multiple reasons as to why I can't use WDS. I know how, but was told not to. No reason given, and do not ask for one. That was the message I got from above.

I also agree with many that Ghost is simple..it just doesn't work all the time. And when I have a new machine model and 22 users waiting for me to get the new image complete and deployable, I can't have so many failures. I'm also not able babysit the image as it's deployed...so to setup a few machines to load the image, then come back an hour later only to see them all failed is quite aggravating.

Calling Symantec support is useless, as they don't speak English well enough. I'm not expecting a grammar expert by any means, but the accents are too hard to understand. Last time, it took me 45 minutes just to get to someone who even knew what product I was using..

Thanks for the suggestions...maybe if Acronis doesn't work out, I can try waiting for GSS 3.0.. Not sure if it's the Vista or what, but to fail on every image is BS in my book..

Ricka182

veritas_libertas wrote: »

I honestly cannot think of a more simple tool than Ghost. Open Source is great but it usually requires more effort to get it going.

Have you researched why this is happening? I use Ghost on a daily basis to create deployment images, and we do massive deployments, hundreds of laptops at a time. I have never seen that error you've mentioned until today.

I have many times. The only thing Symantec tells me is that there was an error in creating thr image file. Great! No Sh!t Sherlock.. I ask how do I fix it, and they offer no solution. It could be the file being spanned, it could be the hard drive holding the image, it could be this, it could be that... I'm sick of the excuses. If they are going to make software, they should have at least one person who can explain every single error message that was created within it.

If you know of any ideas, I'd love to hear them. My basic routine is as follows :

Prepare machine with all required software and configs.
Sysprep it
Run Ghost to take the image, never fails or shows an error.
Deploy image - FAIL! Sometimes at 25%, other times at 70%, but almost always the same message.."Unexpected End of File" The host external USB drive is fine. I use it daily for a multitude of tasks, so I'd find it hard to see a non-Ghost compatible drive. It's just a 2.5" WD disk in a case..and I also tried a full size external with power supply to no avail....

Hyper-Me

"Unexpected end of file" sounds like you are trying to capture to a FAT32 partition and the image is growing larger than 4GB.

Anyway, my suggestion is WDS/ImageX.

Yes, I read your thread. What I would do is go to your superior and tell them that they are limiting you to using inferior softare and you are trying to understand what their issues are with ImageX, etc.

Personally I don't see anything about ImageX that would preclude its use, that any other imaging software wouldnt have as well.

Ricka182

Hyper-Me wrote: »

"Unexpected end of file" sounds like you are trying to capture to a FAT32 partition and the image is growing larger than 4GB.

Anyway, my suggestion is WDS/ImageX.

Yes, I read your thread. What I would do is go to your superior and tell them that they are limiting you to using inferior softare and you are trying to understand what their issues are with ImageX, etc.

Personally I don't see anything about ImageX that would preclude its use, that any other imaging software wouldnt have as well.

That's what Symantec also said. I create the disk using the Ghost Boot Disk Wizard, and I select NTFS as the file system. I know that much concerning the larger file sizes...

As for talking to my superior, it won't happen. The people who control what software is used are in another state and don't care for our problems. Believe it or not.. I'm in a very unique situation, and have no input on how these things work. And we are not to use ImageX/WDS, no questions asked.

Hyper-Me

Oh well, good luck.

My advice would be to find a job where the expertise they hire you for is considered when they are making decisions about this kind of stuff.

cablegod

Hyper-Me wrote: »

Oh well, good luck.

My advice would be to find a job where the expertise they hire you for is considered when they are making decisions about this kind of stuff.

Most definitely.

Ricka182

Hyper-Me wrote: »

Oh well, good luck.

My advice would be to find a job where the expertise they hire you for is considered when they are making decisions about this kind of stuff.

Thanks.. I wasn't hired for my expertise unfortunatly. I'm just a little contractor doing what I can to stay employed....I work under the US Gov't circus if that gives any clue as to how many times I have to bang my head on a wall..

geek12

I recommend Handy Backup, it's reliable backup software, you can capture and deploy an image using an external USB drive.

veritas_libertas

Ricka182 wrote: »

Thanks.. I wasn't hired for my expertise unfortunatly. I'm just a little contractor doing what I can to stay employed....I work under the US Gov't circus if that gives any clue as to how many times I have to bang my head on a wall..

LOL, that completely explains everything...

garv221

You said no Ghost but.....

BartPE + Ghost = The best cloning software.

BartPE - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

AnthonyG

Acronis is a great product and compatible with Windows 7

Lamini

i was previously on symantec ghost, norton ghost, and backupexec/livestate recovery (all symantec). several years ago i moved us to acronis and ive been using acronis for xp/7 and server2003/server2008 for several years now. mind you this is a small environment, not an enterprise realm where symantec products would be used.

imo symantec ghost is a bit overkill for non enterprise environments. norton ghost still has issues burning to dvd/dvd-dl (symantec knows about it but publishes nothing about it and their fix is "we do not recommend backing up to optical media..". acronis server allows direct backup to virtual machine, built-in make bootable usb flash drives within itself, mounting drives, 1ClickRestore (DRD+bootable optical media both on same disc), customers loved this as it did not require 1) insert boot disc, 2) find DRD. Unlike Ghost, acronis allows rightClick+recover, and thats it, sit back and watch it recover itself without inserting a boot disc, etc as ghost requires. additionally, norton ghost requires to be installed to make backups, acronis does not have to be installed and allows backup and recovery processes from its boot disc. additionally, norton ghost does not have an option for volume licensing; it does not have imaging rights, and symantec recommends SGSS in that case (symantec ghost solutions suite), which has a learning curve; you cannot simply run the installer and go to work.

support wise, symantec wins no doubt, no contest; immediate call back services, 24/7 support, remote troubleshooting in a hurry, etc. acronis was alright, but their support has been going downhill imo is nowhere near as fast as symantec. I use to justify the pros and cons to acronis, back when the server software was $5xx and backupexec was $12xx, but now even acronis is getting near $1xxx mark while their technical support has been going downhill