Symantec GHOST 14, NORTON GHOST, NORTON GHOST 14.0 User Manual

Norton Ghost™

Norton Ghost User's Guide

The software described inthis book is furnishedunder alicense agreement and may be used only in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

Documentation version 8.0

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Technical Support

Symantec Technical Support maintains support centers globally. Technical Support’s primary role is to respond to specific queries about product feature and function, installation, andconfiguration. The Technical Supportgroup also authors content for our online Knowledge Base. The Technical Support group works collaboratively with the other functional areas within Symantec to answer your questions in a timely fashion. For example, the Technical Support group works with Product Engineering and Symantec Security Response to provide alerting services and virus definition updates.

Symantec’s maintenance offerings include the following:

■ A range of support options that give you the flexibility to select the right

amount of service for any size organization

■ A telephone and web-based support that provides rapid response and

up-to-the-minute information

■ Upgrade insurance that delivers automatic software upgrade protection

■ Global support that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week worldwide.

Support is provided in a variety of languages for those customers that are enrolled in the Platinum Support program

■ Advanced features, including Technical Account Management

For information about Symantec’s Maintenance Programs, you can visit our Web site at the following URL:

www.symantec.com/techsupp/

Select your country or language under Global Support. The specific features that are available may vary based on the level of maintenance that was purchased and the specific product that you are using.

Contacting Technical Support

Customers with a current maintenance agreement may access Technical Support information at the following URL:

www.symantec.com/techsupp/

Select your region or language under Global Support.

Before contacting Technical Support, make sure you have satisfied the system requirements that are listed in your product documentation. Also, you should be at the computer on which the problem occurred, in case it is necessary to recreate the problem.

When you contact Technical Support, please have the following information available:

■ Product release level

■ Hardware information

■ Available memory, disk space, and NIC information

■ Operating system

■ Version and patch level

■ Network topology

■ Router, gateway, and IP address information

■ Problem description:

■ Error messages and log files

■ Troubleshooting that was performed before contacting Symantec

■ Recent software configuration changes and network changes

Licensing and registration

If your Symantec product requires registration or a license key, access ourtechnical support Web page at the following URL:

www.symantec.com/techsupp/

Select your region orlanguage under Global Support, and then select the Licensing and Registration page.

Customer service

Customer service information is available at the following URL:

www.symantec.com/techsupp/

Select your country or language under Global Support.

Customer Service is available to assist with the following types of issues:

■ Questions regarding product licensing or serialization

■ Product registration updates such as address or name changes

■ General product information (features, language availability, local dealers)

■ Latest information about product updates and upgrades

■ Information about upgrade insurance and maintenance contracts

■ Information about the Symantec Value License Program

■ Advice about Symantec's technical support options

■ Nontechnical presales questions

■ Issues that are related to CD-ROMs or manuals

Maintenance agreement resources

If you want to contact Symantec regarding an existing maintenance agreement, please contact the maintenance agreement administration team for your region as follows:

■ Asia-Pacific and Japan: contractsadmin@symantec.com

■ Europe, Middle-East, and Africa: semea@symantec.com

■ North America and Latin America: supportsolutions@symantec.com

Additional Enterprise services

Symantec offers a comprehensive set of services that allow you to maximize your investment in Symantec products and to develop your knowledge, expertise, and global insight, which enable you to manage your business risks proactively. Enterprise services that are available include the following:

These solutions provide early warning of cyber attacks, comprehensive threat analysis, and countermeasures to prevent attacks before they occur.

Symantec Early Warning Solutions

These services remove the burden ofmanaging and monitoring security devices and events, ensuring rapid response to real threats.

Managed Security Services

Symantec Consulting Services provide on-site technical expertise from Symantec andits trusted partners. SymantecConsultingServices offer a variety of prepackaged and customizable options that include assessment, design, implementation, monitoring and management capabilities, each focused on establishing and maintaining the integrity andavailabilityof your ITresources.

Consulting Services

Educational Services provide a full array of technical training, security education, security certification, and awareness communication programs.

Educational Services

To access more information about Enterprise services, please visit our Web site at the following URL:

www.symantec.com

Select your country or language from the site index.

Technical Support . ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... .. 3

Chapter 1 Introducing Norton Ghost™ ....... ... ... .......... ... ... ............. ... .. 13

Getting started ......... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .... 13

What's new in Norton Ghost 14.0 . ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. 14

New features and enhancements added in the previous

release ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... .. 15

About the Advanced page ....... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ............. . 17

Where to find more information .. ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ........... 18

Chapter 2 Installing Norton Ghost ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... 19

Preparing for installation .. ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... . 19

System requirements .......... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ........ 19

Supported file systems and removable media . ... ............. ... ... ....... 20

Unavailable features ... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .......... ... ... 21

Installing Norton Ghost ...... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. .. 22

Completing the installation .......... ... ... ............. ... ............. ... ... ... 24

Activating Norton Ghost later ... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .... 25

Setting up your first backup ... ... ... ............. ... ............. ... ... ......... 25

Updating Norton Ghost ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ..... 25

Uninstalling the product ...... ... ... ............. ... ... .......... ... ... ............. ... . 26

Chapter 3 Ensuring the recovery of your computer . ... ... ............. ... . 27

About ensuring the recovery of your computer ............. ... ... ............. .. 27

Testing Symantec Recovery Disk ............. ... ... ............. ... ............. ... .. 28

If driver validation fails .......... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ........... 28

Creating a custom Symantec Recovery Disk CD . ............. ... ... ............. . 29

Chapter 4 Getting Started . ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ............. 31

Key product components ...... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... 31

How you use Norton Ghost ............ ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ........ 32

Starting Norton Ghost .. ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .......... ... ... ........ 33

Configuring Norton Ghost default options .... ... ... ............. ... ... ........... 34

Selecting a default backup destination . ... ... ............. ... ... ............. 36

Contents

Adjusting the effects of a backup on computer performance .. ... ...... 37

Adjusting default tray icon settings . ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... . 38

Managing file types ... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... 39

Using aliases for external drives .. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .. 41

Configuring FTP settings for use with Offsite Copy ............. ... ... .... 42

Logging Norton Ghost messages ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ......... 42

Enabling email notifications for product (event) messages ... ... ....... 44

Chapter 5 Best practices for backing up your data . ... ............. ... ... . 47

About backing up your data .. ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... .... 47

Choosing a backup type ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .. 48

Best practices for backing up ... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .......... 48

About backups . ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ....... 49

Before you back up ......... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .......... .. 49

During a backup ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ...... 51

When the backup is complete .......... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... 51

Additional tips about backups .. ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... . 52

After defining your backup job ........ ... ... ............. ... ... .......... ... ... ....... 53

Viewing the properties of a backup job .... ... ... ............. ... ... .......... 53

About selecting a backup destination . ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .... 54

About backing up dual-boot computers ... ... ............. ... ... .......... ... ... ... 56

Chapter 6 Backing up entire drives ... ............. ... ............. ... ... ............. . 57

Defining a drive-based backup ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ............. ... . 57

Running a One Time Backup ........ ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... . 63

Files excluded from drive-based backups ......... ... ... ............. ... ... .. 65

About network credentials ............ ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... .. 66

Run command files during a backup . ... .......... ... ... ............. ... ... ... 66

Setting advanced options for drive-based backups ...... ... ... ............. ... .. 68

Editing advanced backup options ............ ... ... ............. ... ... ......... 69

About recovery point encryption ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ........ 70

Verifying a recovery point after creation . ... ............. ... ... ............. 71

Viewing the progress of a backup . ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .... 72

About setting a compression level for drive-based backups ......... ... ... .... 72

About Offsite Copy ......... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... .. 73

How Offsite Copy works ...... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... .. 73

Using external drives as your Offsite Copy destination ............. ... .. 74

Using a network server as your Offsite Copy destination .. ............. . 75

Using an FTP server as your Offsite Copy destination .. ............. ... .. 76

Contents8

Chapter 7 Backing up files and folders .. ............. ... ... ............. ... ......... 79

Defining a file and folder backup .......... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... . 79

Folders excluded by default from file and folder backups . ............. ... .... 82

Chapter 8 Running and managing backup jobs ... ... ... ............. ... ... ... 83

Running an existing backup job immediately .......... ... ... ............. ... ... . 83

Run a backup with options ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ........... 84

Adjusting the speed of a backup ....... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .. 85

Stopping a backup or recovery task .. ............. ... ... .......... ... ... ............. 86

Verifying that a backup is successful ... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... 86

Editing backup settings .......... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ........... 87

Enabling event-triggered backups ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .......... 87

Enabling Symantec ThreatCon Response ...... ... ............. ... ... ........ 88

Editing a backup schedule .... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. 89

Turning off a backup job ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ...... 90

Deleting backup jobs . ............. ... ... ............. ... ............. ... ... ............. 90

Adding users who can back up your computer ...... ... ... ............. ... ... .... 90

Chapter 9 Backing up remote computers from your

computer .. ............. ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... . 93

About backing up other computers from your computer ............ ... ....... 93

Adding computers to the Computer List ...... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. 94

Deploying the agent ...... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... . 95

Using the Norton Ghost Agent . ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. 97

Managing the agent through Windows Services . ... ............. ... ... .......... 98

Best practices for using services . ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. . 99

Opening Services ....... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ............. ... . 100

Starting or stopping the agent service . ............. ... ... ............. ... .. 100

Setting up recovery actions when the agent does not start ......... ... 101

Viewing Norton Ghost Agent dependencies ... ... ... ............. ... ... ... 102

Controlling access to Norton Ghost .. ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .... 103

Running Norton Ghost using different user rights .......... ... ... ...... 105

Chapter 10 Monitoring the status of your backups ............ ... ... ....... 107

About monitoring backups .... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ........... 107

Rescanning a computer’s hard disk . ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... 108

Monitoring backup protection from the Home page .......... ... ... .......... 108

Monitoring backup protection from the Status page ... ... ............. ... ... 109

Configuring Norton Ghost to send SNMP traps ...... ... ............. ... ... ..... 112

About the Norton Ghost management information base ....... ... ... . 113

9Contents

Customize status reporting ......... ... ... ............. ... ... .......... ... ... ......... 113

Viewing drive details ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ............. ... ... .......... 114

Improving the protection level of a drive ...... ... ... ............. ... ............. 115

Using event log information to troubleshoot problems ... ... ............. ... 116

Chapter 11 Exploring the contents of a recovery point ....... ... ... ..... 119

About exploring recovery points .......... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... 119

Exploring a recovery point through Windows Explorer ... ............. ... ... 120

Mounting a recovery point from Windows Explorer ..... ... ... .......... 121

Opening files within a recovery point ....... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. 121

Using a search engine .. ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .... 122

Unmounting a recovery point drive ............. ... ... .......... ... ... ............ 123

Viewing the drive properties of a recovery point ... ............. ... ... ......... 123

Chapter 12 Managing backup destinations .... ... ... ............. ... ... ......... 125

About backup destinations .......... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ........ 125

How backup data works .... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. .. 125

About drive-based backups ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............ 126

About file and folder backups ..... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... . 126

Managing recovery points . ... ... ............. ... ............. ... ... ............. ... .. 127

Cleaning up old recovery points ......... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. 127

Deleting a recovery point set ............ ... ... ............. ... ............. ... . 128

Deleting recovery points within a set ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .. 128

Making copies of recovery points . ... ... ............. ... ............. ... ... .. 129

Converting a recovery point to a virtual disk format ... ... ............. ... ... . 130

Managing file and folder backup data ... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... . 133

Viewing how much file and folder backup data is being

stored .. ............. ... ... ............. ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... 133

Limiting the number of file versions to keep ............. ... ... ........... 134

Manually deleting files from your file and folder backup .......... ... . 134

Finding versions of a file or folder ............ ... ... ............. ... ... ....... 134

Automating management of backup data ....... ... ... ............. ... ... ........ 135

Moving your backup destination ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ........ 136

Chapter 13 Recovering files, folders, or entire drives ......... ... ... ...... 139

About recovering lost data ... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............ 139

Recovering files and folders by using file and folder backup data ......... 139

Recovering files and folders by using a recovery point ... ... ............. ... . 141

Opening files and folders stored in a recovery point . ... ............. ... 143

If you cannot find the files or folders you want .. ... ... ............. ... ... 143

Recovering a secondary drive ...... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ...... 144

Contents10

About LightsOut Restore ... ... ............. ... ... .......... ... ... ............. ... ... .. 147

Setting up and using LightsOut Restore .......... ... ... ............. ... ... . 147

Configuring LightsOut Restore ......... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. . 148

Chapter 14 Recovering a computer ...... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ... 151

About recovering a computer .......... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... . 151

Starting a computer by using the recovery environment ...... ... ... ........ 152

Configuring your computer to boot from a CD .......... ... ... ............ 153

Preparing to recover a computer ............. ... ... ............. ... ............. ... . 154

Scanning for viruses ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... . 154

Checking your hard disk for errors ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ..... 156

Recovering a computer .. ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .... 156

Restoring multiple drives by using a system index file . ... ... ............. ... 160

Recovering files and folders from the recovery environment ...... ... ... .. 161

Exploring your computer ... .......... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... . 163

Using the networking tools in the recovery environment . ... ............. .. 163

Starting networking services ....... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... .. 163

Using the pcAnywhere thin host for a remote recovery ....... ... ... .. 163

Mapping a network drive in the recovery environment ... ... .......... 166

Configuring network connection settings .......... ... ... ............. ... . 166

Viewing properties of recovery points and drives ............ ... ... ............ 167

Viewing properties of a recovery point . ... ............. ... ... ............. . 168

Viewing the properties of a drive within a recovery point ... .......... 168

About the Support Utilities . ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ............. ... 169

Chapter 15 Copying a drive ......... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... 171

About copying a drive ......... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ............. ... 171

Preparing to copy drives ....... ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .......... . 171

Copying one hard drive to another hard drive . ... ............. ... ... ........... 172

Drive-to-drive copying options . ... ... ............. ... ............. ... ... ...... 173

Appendix A Using a search engine to search recovery points .... ... 175

About using a search engine to search recovery points ... ... ... ............. . 175

Enabling search engine support . ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ....... 175

Recovering files using Google Desktop's Search Desktop feature ........ .. 177

If a file cannot be found using Google Desktop . ............. ... ... ....... 178

Index .. ............. ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... ............. ... ... .. 179

11Contents

Contents12

Introducing Norton Ghost™

This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Getting started

■ What's new in Norton Ghost 14.0

■ About the Advanced page

■ Where to find more information

Getting started

Norton Ghost provides advanced backup and recovery for your computer. Protect your documents, financialrecords, presentations, photos, music, videos, historical documents, or any other kinds of data you keep on your computer by making a backup of your computer's entire hard disk. Or, limit your backup to include only those files and folders that mean the most to you.

You can schedule backups to capture your changes automatically as you work from day to day. Or start a backup manually at any time. You can also easily configureNortonGhost to run a backup in response to specificevents. For example, a backup can be started whena particular application is started, or when aspecified amount of new data has been added to the drive.

When you experience a problem with your computer, you can restore a file, folder, or an entire drive, to return your computer to a previous, working state with the operating system, applications, and data files intact. Or if you accidently delete a personal file, get it back with a few simple steps.

Chapter

Using easy-to-follow wizards, set up fast and reliable backups that run while you continue to work. Or schedule your backups to run after hours when you are no longer using your computer.

When disaster strikes, Norton Ghost helps you recover your computer from the effects of many common problems, including

■ Virus attacks: Damage might be done before a virus is quarantined.

■ Faulty software installations: Some software can negatively affect your

computer's performance, slowing it down to the point that opening programs or documents can require too much time. But once installed, uninstalling a product might not recover unintentional damage done during an install.

■ Hard drive failure: Data can become corrupted on your system drive (typically

C), making it impossible to start your operating system

■ Files accidentally deleted oroverwritten: Accidental deletion of files is common,

but often costly.

■ Corrupted files: Individual files and folders can become corrupted by viruses,

or when a program used to modify them encounters an error.

What's new in Norton Ghost 14.0

Norton Ghost includes many enhancements and new features. Refer to the following table for information about the latest features and enhancements:

Note: Not all features listed are available in all versions of this product.

DescriptionFeature

NortonGhost now supports NTFSpartitions up to 16TB (formatted with 4k clusters).

Support for NTFS partitions

The new Offsite Copy feature adds an additional level of protection to your data by copying recovery points to a second hard disk drive. You can use an external USB or FireWire drive, or copy them over the network to a remote location through a local area connection, or using FTP.

See “About Offsite Copy” on page 73.

Offsite Copy

Introducing Norton Ghost™

What's new in Norton Ghost 14.0

DescriptionFeature

To help you more easily identify external drives for use as backup destinations, Norton Ghost lets you assign an alias to each external drive. Doingso doesnot change the drive label, but is for use only when you are accessing those drives from within Norton Ghost.

See “Using aliases for external drives” on page 41.

Create and manage aliases for your external drives

Symantec ThreatCon is Symantec's early threat warning system. You can now configure Norton Ghost to detect a change in the threat level whenever your computer is connected to theInternet. When the threat level meets or exceeds the level you specify, Norton Ghost automatically starts a backup job. You can specify a different ThreatCon level for each backup.

See “Enabling Symantec ThreatCon

Response” on page 88.

Symantec ThreatCon integration

We want to hear what you think. From the Home page, you can now share your opinion with us. We look at every comment we receive and consider how we can make our product better. Tell us what you think.

Send Feedback tool

To help you help yourself, a new Help and Support dialog provides direct links to available resources for helping you to get the most out of Norton Ghost.

Help and Support center

New features and enhancements added in the previous release

If you are upgrading from an earlier release, you might be interested to know of the following enhancements added in previous releases of Norton Ghost.

DescriptionFeature

An improved user interface simplifies what you need to know and do to successfully back up or recover files, folders, or your entire computer. And for Norton Ghost experts, the Advanced page gives you a single view to most product features.

Enhanced ease-of-use

15Introducing Norton Ghost™

What's new in Norton Ghost 14.0

DescriptionFeature

Norton Ghost has been designed and tested to run in the new Windows Vista operating system, and still supports previous versions of Windows.

See “System requirements” on page 19.

Windows Vista support

Now setting up your first backup is even easier with the enhanced Easy Setup, which appears either during install (unless you choose to skip it), or automatically the first time you run Norton Ghost. Specify a few preferences, and Norton Ghost can start backing up your computer on a regular basis.

Improved Easy Setup

Limit your backup to include a select set of files or folders. File and folder backups are especially useful if your backup storage space is limited and you make frequent changes to important documents that you want to back up.

File and folder backup

Need to back up your data quickly? The new One Time Backup feature lets you define and run a backup at any time without saving the backup job for later use.

One Time backups

Search for and recover files stored in recovery points using Google Desktop™.Desktop search engine

support

Convert recovery points to one of two virtual disk formats for use in a virtual environment.

Convert a recovery point to virtual disk format

Restore a computer from a remote location, regardless of the state of the computer, provided that its file system is intact.

LightsOut Restore

You can now easily edit your existing backup schedules without having to click through multiple dialogs or complete the entire backup wizard again.

Simplified schedule editor

Because recovery points and file and folder backup data require storage space, Norton Ghost gives you the freedom of where and how to handle the amount of disk space used for storing backup data. Norton Ghost offers simple tools for managing your backup data, and can even manage it for you automatically.

Manage backup data

The home page offers the backup protection status in a single view. But you can also use the new Backups Calendar to view past and upcoming scheduled backups to see how protected your data really is.

Improved backup and recovery status

Norton Ghost automatically detects when a new storage device is connected to your computer, and can prompt you to change your default backup destination to the new drive.

Automatic backup destination detection

Enhanced browsing of files and folders inside recovery points makes recovery quick and easy; the new file and folder backup feature also lets you quickly search for and recover files or folders.

Browse lost or damaged files and folders

Introducing Norton Ghost™

What's new in Norton Ghost 14.0

DescriptionFeature

In addition to scheduled and manual backups, Norton Ghost can detect certain events and run a backup automatically whenever they occur, providing an added level of protection for your computer.

Event-triggered backups

Manually adjust the effect of a running backup on the performance of your computer to better match your needs at the moment. This feature is especially useful if you are working on your computer and don't want the backup process to slow you down.

And if you know the demographics of your network traffic, you can now set network throttling to prevent network overload.

Performance throttling

If you have a Maxtor OneTouch™ external hard drive, you can back up your computer with the push of a button. No need to start Norton Ghost.

Maxtor OneTouch™ integration

When you cannot start Windows, the newly enhanced Symantec Recovery Disk (SRD) makes recovery easier than ever.

If the Symantec Recovery Disk is missing specific drivers, use the Create Recovery Disk feature to create a modified Symantec Recovery Disk that includes the exact drivers needed to successfully boot your computer into the recovery enironment.

Note: If you purchased Norton Ghost pre-installed on a new computer, some features

in therecovery environmentmay or maynot be included, depending onhow the computer manufacturer chose to install it. The recovery environment has likely been pre-installed on a special partition on your computer.

Modifiable Symantec Recovery Disk

About the Advanced page

The Advanced page offers experienced Norton Ghost users a single view of the most common product features. Ifyou have a good understanding of Norton Ghost, you might prefer to perform most tasks from the Advanced view.

Note: When refering to the documentation while using the Advanced page, the first one or two steps do not apply because they indicate where to access each feature from the other pages of the product interface. From that point on, follow the remaining steps of each procedure.

The Advanced page can be hidden from view if you do not plan to use it.

To hide the Advanced page

Start Norton Ghost.

On the View menu, click Show Advanced Page.

17Introducing Norton Ghost™

About the Advanced page

To show the Advanced page

Start Norton Ghost.

On the View menu, click Show Advanced Page.

Where to find more information

To learn more about Norton Ghost, visit the new Help andSupport page. Depending on which version and language of the product you have installed, the Help and Support page includes one-click access to more information, including theproduct help system, the product User's Guide, and access to the Symantec Knowledge Base where you can find troubleshooting information.

To access Help and Support

Start Norton Ghost.

On the Home page, click Help > Help and Support.

Introducing Norton Ghost™

Where to find more information

Installing Norton Ghost

This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Preparing for installation

■ Installing Norton Ghost

■ Updating Norton Ghost

■ Uninstalling the product

Preparing for installation

Before you install Norton Ghost, make sure that your computer meets the system requirements.

System requirements

Table 2-1 lists the system requirements for Norton Ghost.

Table 2-1

Minimum system requirements

Minimum RequirementsComponent

The following Windows 32- or 64-bit operating systems are supported:

■ Windows Vista Home Basic

■ Windows Vista Home Premium

■ Windows Vista Ultimate

■ Windows Vista Business

■ Windows XP Professional/Home (SP2 or later)

■ Windows XP Media Center

Operating system

Chapter

Table 2-1

Minimum system requirements (continued)

Minimum RequirementsComponent

The following memory requirements are grouped by key components:

■ Norton Ghost Agent: 256 MB

■ Norton Ghost user interface and Recovery Point Browser: 256 MB

■ Symantec Recovery Disk: 512 MB minimum

Note: If you are installing a multilingual or double-byte version of the product, you must

have a minimum of 768 MB of RAM to run the Symantec Recovery Disk.

■ Norton Ghost LightsOut Restore feature: 1 GB

RAM

■ When installingthe entire product: Approximately 250to300 MB, dependingon the language

of the product you are installing

■ Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0: 280 MB of hard disk space is required for 32-bit computers,

and 610 MB is required for 64-bit computers

■ Recovery points:Sufficient hard disk space on alocal hard disk or network server for storing

recovery points. The size of recovery points depends on the amount of data you have backed up and the type

of recovery point being stored. See “Best practices for backing up ” on page 48.

■ Norton Ghost LightsOut Restore feature: 2 GB

Available hard disk space

The drive can be any speed, but it must be capable of using as the startup drive from the BIOS.

Norton Ghost uses Gear Software technology. To verify that your CD writer or DVD writer is compatible, visit http://www.gearsoftware.com/support/recorders/index.cfm. You can look up information about your writer if you know the name of the manufacturer and model number of your writer.

CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive

The Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 is required to run Norton Ghost.

If the .NET Framework is not already installed, then you will be prompted to install it after Norton Ghost is installed and your computer is rebooted.

Software

The following virtual platforms are supported:

■ VMware GSX Server 3.1 and 3.2

■ VMware Server 1.0 (replacement/rename for GSX Server)

■ VMware ESX Server 2.5 and 3.0

■ VMware Infrastructure 3 (replacement/rename for ESX Server)

■ Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2

Virtual platforms (for converted recovery points)

Supported file systems and removable media

Norton Ghost supports the following file systems and removable media:

Installing Norton Ghost

Preparing for installation

Norton Ghost supports FAT16, FAT16X, FAT32, FAT32X, NTFS, GUID Partition Table (GPT), dynamic disks, Linux Ext2, Linux Ext3, and Linux swap partitions.

Note: You must decrypt encrypted NTFS drives before you attempt torestore them. You cannot

view the files that are in a recovery point for an encrypted NTFS drive.

Supported file systems

You can save recovery points locally (that is, on the same computer where Norton Ghost is installed) ortomost CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R(W), and DVD+RW recorders. You can findan updated list of supported drives on the Symantec Web site.

Norton Ghost also lets you save recovery points to most USB devices, 1394 FireWire devices, REV, Jaz, Zip drives, and magneto-optical devices.

Removable media

Unavailable features

Norton Ghost is packaged to meet various markets. Some features might not be available, depending on the product you have purchased. However, all features are documented. You should be aware of which features are included with the version of the product you have purchased. If a feature is not accessible in the product user interface, it is likely not included with your version of the product.

Refer to the Symantec Web site for information about features included with your version of Norton Ghost.

When you delay licensing

If you choose to delay installation of the product license (for a maximum of 30 days from the date of installation), the following features are unavailable until you install a valid license:

■ Copy Drive

■ Create Recovery Disk

■ LightsOut Restore

■ Convert to Virtual Disk

All other features are enabled during the 30 day grace period.

If you are using an Evaluation copy of the product, it also expires after 30 days. However, all features are enabled until the end of the evaluation period, at which time you must purchase the product or uninstall it. You can purchase a license at any time (even after the evaluation period expires) without reinstalling the software.

21Installing Norton Ghost

Preparing for installation

Note: If this product came pre-installed from a computer manufacturer, your trial period could be as long as 90 days. The product licensing or activation page during install will indicate the duration of your trial period.

See “Activating Norton Ghost later” on page 25.

Installing Norton Ghost

Before you begin, you should review the requirements and scenarios for installing Norton Ghost.

See “System requirements” on page 19.

Note: During the installation process, you might be required to restart the computer. To ensureproperfunctionalityafter the computer restarts, log on again using the same user credentials that you used to log on when you installed Norton Ghost.

The installation program scans your hardware for the required drivers. If the program doesnot find therequired drivers, you receive a drivervalidation message. If you receive this message, you should test the Symantec Recovery Disk (SRD). Testing the SRD verifies whether the drivers are required or if the devices on your system have compatible drivers that are available on the SRD. The driver validation process should not interfere with your ability to install the product.

See “About ensuring the recovery of your computer” on page 27..

Warning: The SRD provides the tools that you need to recover your computer. It is included with your product either on a separate CD, or on your product CD, depending on the version of the product that you purchased. You should store the CD in a safe place.

To install Norton Ghost

Log onto your computer using either the Administrator account or an account that has administrator privileges.

Insert the Norton Ghost product CD into the media drive of the computer.

The installation program should start automatically.

Installing Norton Ghost

If the installation program does not run, type the following command at a

command prompt:.

<drive>:\autorun.exe

where <drive> is the drive letter of your media drive.

In the CD browser panel, click Install Norton Ghost.

Read the license agreement, and then click I accept the terms in the license

agreement.

Do one of the following:

■ Click Install Now to begin the installation.

■ If you want to customize your settings, click Custom Install, select or

deselect the options you want installed, and then click Install Now. Installation options include:

Installs the product user interface that is required for interacting with the Norton Ghost Service.

User Interface

The primary service that is required to back up or recover your computer.

Backup and Recovery Service

Required for backing up directly to CD/DVD, and for creating a customized Symantec Recovery Disk CD. A CD/DVD burner is required to use this feature.

CD/DVD Support

Enables you to browse, mount, copy, verify, and restore files and folders using recovery points.

Recovery Point Browser

Keeps your Symantec software up-to-date with the latest product updates.

LiveUpdate

Click this button if you want to install Norton Ghostto an alternate location.

Change

If a driver that is used on your computer is not available on the Symantec

Recovery Disk, you receive a notification message that includes the name of

the driver. Write down the name of the driver file, andthen click OK to dismiss

the message.

Drivers are critical in the event that you need to use the Symantec Recovery

Disk CD to recover your system drive (the drive where your operating system

is installed).

See “About ensuring the recovery of your computer” on page 27.

23Installing Norton Ghost

Installing Norton Ghost

Click Finish to complete the installation.

Remove the product CD from the media drive, and then click Yes to exit the installation wizard and restart the computer.

If you click No because you plan to restart your computer yourself at a later time, note that you cannot run Norton Ghost until after you restart your computer.

Completing the installation

After you install the product, you are prompted to license or activateyour product. You can then run LiveUpdate to check for product updates, and then configure your first backup.

Note: If this product came pre-installed from a computer manufacturer, your trial period could be as long as 90 days. Refer to the Activate later label.

To complete the installation

In the Welcome panel, click Next.

If the product was installed by your computer manufacturer, the Welcome page might appear the first time that you run Norton Ghost.

Do one of the following:

■ Click I've already purchased the product and have a product key.

Note: You can find the product key on the back of your product CD jacket. Do not lose the product key. You must use it when you install Norton Ghost.

■ Click Activate later to delay the activation of your license. After the trial

period ends, the product will no longer work.

■ If this product is a trial version of Norton Ghost and you want to purchase

a product key, click Symantec Global Store to connect to the Symantec Web site.

Click Next.

Click Run LiveUpdate to check for any product updates since the product shipped.

Click Launch Easy Setup to open the Easy Setup box when you complete the install process.

Installing Norton Ghost

Click Enable Google Desktop Fileand FolderRecovery if you want useGoogle

Desktop to search your recovery points for the files and folders that you want

to recover.

If you select this option, Norton Ghost automatically catalogs each file as it

creates a recovery point. Google Desktop can then use this catalog to search

for files by name. It does not index the content of the files.

Note: This option is available only if Google Desktop already is installed on

your computer. If you plan to install Google Desktop, you can enable search

engine support later.

Click Finish.

Activating Norton Ghost later

If you do not activate Norton Ghost before the trial period ends,the softwarestops working. However, you can activate the product at any time after the trial period expires.

To activate Norton Ghost at any time after installation

On the Help menu, click Unlock Trial Product.

Refer to step 2 in the To complete the installation procedure.

Setting up your first backup

Unless you unchecked the Run Easy Setup check box during the setup wizard, the Easy Setup window appears. If you don't run Easy Setup during the setup wizard, it appears the first time you open the Run or Manage Backups window.

When the Easy Setup window opens, you can either accept the default drive and file and folder backup settings, or you can click on any of the settings to modify them.

If you want the new backup to run immediately, be sure to select Run backup now, and then click OK.

Updating Norton Ghost

You can receive software updates that are associated with your version of the product over your Internet connection. LiveUpdate connects to the Symantec LiveUpdate server and automatically downloads and installs updates for each Symantec product that you own.

25Installing Norton Ghost

Updating Norton Ghost

You run LiveUpdate as soon as you install the product. You should continue to run LiveUpdate periodically to obtain program updates.

To update Norton Ghost

On the Help menu, click LiveUpdate.

In the LiveUpdate window, click Start to select the updates.

Follow the on-screen instructions.

When the installation is complete, click Close.

Some program updates might require that you restart your computer before the changes take effect.

Uninstalling the product

When you upgrade Norton Ghost from a previous version of the product, the install program automatically uninstalls the previous versions. If needed, you can manually uninstall the product.

Follow your operating system's instructions on how to uninstall software.

Installing Norton Ghost

Uninstalling the product

Ensuring the recovery of your computer

This chapter includes the following topics:

■ About ensuring the recovery of your computer

■ Testing Symantec Recovery Disk

■ If driver validation fails

■ Creating a custom Symantec Recovery Disk CD

About ensuring the recovery of your computer

If Windows failsto start or it does not run normally, you can recover your computer by using the Symantec Recovery Disk (SRD). The drivers that are included on the recovery disk must match the drivers required to run your computer's network cards and hard disks.

To help ensure that you have the drivers that you need to recover your computer, the installation process runs a driver validation test. The driver validation tool compares hardware drivers that are contained on the recovery disk with the drivers that are required to run your computer's network cards and hard disks.

The installation process automatically runs the driver validation test. You can also run a validation test at anytime by running the Symantec Recovery Disk Wizard.

You should run the driver validation test any time you make changes to the NIC cards or storage controllers on a computer.

See “If driver validation fails” on page 28.

Chapter

Note: Wireless network adapter drivers are not supported by the driver validation tool or by the SRD.

Testing Symantec Recovery Disk

You should test the SRD to ensure that the recovery environment runs properly on your computer.

Note: Depending on which version of the product you have purchased, the SRD is either included on your product CD, or as a separate CD. You should place the CD containing the SRD in a safe place. Should you lose the CD, you can create a new one if you have have a CD burner.

Testing the SRD allows you to identify and solve the following types of problems:

■ You cannot boot into the recovery environment.

See “To configure your computer to boot from a CD” on page 153.

■ You do not have the necessary storage drivers to access recovery points on

the computer.

■ You need information about your system to help you run the recovery

environment.

To test the SRD

Run the drivervalidation tool to test whether theSRD works with the network cards and storage devices on the computer.

Boot your computer using the SRD.

See “Starting a computer by using the recovery environment ” on page 152.

When you have bootedinto the recovery environment, do one of the following:

■ If you want to store recovery points on a network, run a mock restore of

a recovery pointthat isstored on a network to testthe network connection.

■ If you want to store recovery points on the computer, run a mock restore

of a recovery point that is stored locally to test the local hard-drive connection.

If driver validation fails

The driver validation test verifies whether the drivers for all storage devices and network cards in use by the computer are available in the recovery environment.

Ensuring the recovery of your computer

Testing Symantec Recovery Disk

If the drivers are available on the recovery disk, you receive a validation message. If any drivers are missing from the recovery disk, the Driver Validation Results dialog appears.

Without access to the correct drivers, a device cannot be used while running the SRD. Therefore, if the recovery points required for recovering your computer are stored on a network or a local hard drive, you might not have access to them.

You can find the drivers and copy them to a CD or a floppy disk, or you can create a custom Symantec Recovery Disk CD.

See “Creating a custom Symantec Recovery Disk CD” on page 29.

Creating a custom Symantec Recovery Disk CD

Even if driver validation succeeds and your Symantec Recovery Disk CD appears to work, you should create a custom Symantec Recovery Disk CD. A custom CD will contain your computer's current network and storage device drivers, helping to ensure that in an emergency you can get to the recovery points required to restore your computer.

Note: You must have a writeable DVD/CD-RW drive to create a custom Symantec Recovery Disk.

To create a custom Symantec Recovery Disk CD

Start Norton Ghost.

Attach and turn on all storage devices and network devices that you want to

make available.

Insert the Symantec Recovery Disk CD into your CD-ROM drive.

From the main Norton Ghost window, click Tasks > Create Recovery Disk,

and then click Next.

If prompted, click Browse, select the drive that contains the Symantec

Recovery Disk CD, click OK, and then click Next.

Do one of the following:

■ Click Automatic (Recommended), and then click Next.

■ Click Custom, and then click Next.

29Ensuring the recovery of your computer

Creating a custom Symantec Recovery Disk CD

Select this option only if you know which drivers to select.

Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the wizard.

Warning: Be certain to test your new, customized Symantec Recovery Disk CD to make sure that it can start your computer and that you can access the drive containing your recovery points.

See “Testing Symantec Recovery Disk” on page 28.

Ensuring the recovery of your computer

Creating a custom Symantec Recovery Disk CD

Getting Started

This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Key product components

■ How you use Norton Ghost

■ Starting Norton Ghost

■ Configuring Norton Ghost default options

Key product components

Norton Ghost includestwo key components: the program itself, and the Symantec Recovery Disk.

Table 4-1

Key product components

DescriptionKey Component

The Norton Ghost program lets you define, schedule, and run backups of your computer. When you run a backup, recovery points of your computer are created, which you can then use to recover your entire computer, or individual drives, files, and folders. You can also manage recovery point storage (backup destination), and monitor the backup status of your computer to make sure your valuable data is backed up on a regular basis.

Norton Ghost program (user interface)

Chapter

Table 4-1

Key product components (continued)

DescriptionKey Component

The Symantec Recovery Disk (SRD) is used to boot your computer into the recovery environment. If your computer's operating system fails, use the SRD to recover your system drive (the drive where your operating system is installed).

Note: Depending on which version of the product you have purchased, the

SRD is either included on your product CD, or as a separate CD. You should place the CD containing the SRD in a safe place. Should you lose the CD, you can create a new one if you have have a CD burner.

See “About recovering a computer ” on page 151.

Symantec Recovery Disk

How you use Norton Ghost

While Norton Ghost does the work of backing up your files, folders, or entire drives, you need to tell Norton Ghost what to backup, when to back it up, and where to put the backed up data.

Using Norton Ghost includes the following key tasks:

■ Defining a backup

■ Running a backup

■ Recovering files, folders, or entire drives

Refer to the following figure to understand the relationship of these tasks.

Getting Started

How you use Norton Ghost

Figure 4-1

Using Norton Ghost

Starting Norton Ghost

Norton Ghost is installed in the Windows Program Files folder by default. During installation, a program icon is installed in the Windows system tray from which you can open Norton Ghost. You can also open Norton Ghost from the Windows Start menu.

Note: To use the full version of Norton Ghost, you must activate the software.

See “Activating Norton Ghost later” on page 25.

33Getting Started

Starting Norton Ghost

To start Norton Ghost

◆

Do one of the following:

■ On the classic Windows taskbar, click Start > Programs > Norton Ghost.

■ On the Windows XP or Windows Vista taskbar, click Start >All Programs

> Norton Ghost.

■ In the Windows system tray, double-click the Norton Ghost tray icon.

■ In the Windows system tray, right-click the Norton Ghost tray icon, and

then click Open Norton Ghost.

Configuring Norton Ghost default options

The Options dialog box includes several views that let you configure the following default settings:

DescriptionOptions

Specify a defaultlocation where a backup willcreate andstore recovery points and file and folder backup data. If the location you choose is on a network, you can enter your user authentication information.

See “Selecting a default backup destination ” on page 36.

General

Lets you specify a default speed for backup or recovery processes.Movingthe slider closertoFastincreases thespeed at which the program backs up or recovers your computer. However, choosing a slower speed could improve the performance of your computer, especially if you are working on your computer during a backup or recovery.

Note: During a backup or recovery, you have the option to

override this default setting to fit your needs at the time.

You can also configure network throttling to limit the effects of backups on network performance.

See “Adjusting the effects of a backup on computer

performance” on page 37.

See “Enabling network throttling ” on page 38.

Performance

Getting Started

Configuring Norton Ghost default options

DescriptionOptions

You can turn the system tray icon on or off and specify whether to show only error messages when they occur, or to show both error messages and other information, such as the completion of a backup.

See “Adjusting default tray icon settings ” on page 38.

Tray Icon

Lets you manage file types and file type categories, which are used as a method for selecting the types of files you want included in a file and folder backup.

See “Managing file types ” on page 39.

File Types

If Google Desktop is installed on your computer when you install Norton Ghost, you have the option of enabling Google Desktop file and folder recovery. When youenable this feature, you can search for files (by file name) inside a recovery point that was created with search engine support enabled.

If GoogleDesktop is not installed on your computer when you install Norton Ghost, you have the option of clicking a link to the Web site where you can download and install Google Desktop for free.

See “About using a search engine to search recovery points” on page 175.

Google Desktop

Delete orrenamethe unique names you have given to external drives used as backup and Offsite Copy destinations.

See “Using aliases for external drives” on page 41.

External Drives

Specify default FTP settings to be used with Offsite Copy.

See “Configuring FTP settings for use with Offsite Copy” on page 42.

Configure FTP

Lets you specify the types of product messages to log (errors, warnings, and information), where to store the log file, and set a maximum file size for the log file.

See “Logging Norton Ghost messages” on page 42.

Log File

Lets you specify the types of product messages to log (errors, warnings, and information) in the Windows event log.

See “Logging Norton Ghost messages” on page 42.

Event Log

35Getting Started

Configuring Norton Ghost default options

DescriptionOptions

If you want a history of actions taken by Norton Ghost, or of error messages and warnings, you can choose to save them in a log file on your computer, or to have them emailed to an address you specify.

See “Enablingemail notifications for product (event) messages

” on page 44.

SMTP E-mail

If you have aNetwork Management System (NMS)application, you can enable SNMP Traps support to send notifications to you NMS application.

See “Configuring NortonGhost to send SNMPtraps” onpage112.

SNMP Trap

To configure default options

Start Norton Ghost and click Tasks > Options.

Select an option you want to modify, make any necessary changes, and then click OK.

Selecting a default backup destination

You can specify the default destination for storing recovery points and file and folder backup data created when you run a backup. This default location is used if you do not specify a different location when you define a new backup.

To set a default backup destination

On the menu bar, click Tasks > Options.

Click General.

Check Prepend computer name to backup data file names.

This is especially useful if you back up more than one computer to the same drive. For example, you might back up a laptop and a desktop computer to the same USB or network drive. By prepending the computer name to each backup data file name, you can more easily identify which backup data files belong to which computer.

Getting Started

Configuring Norton Ghost default options

Check Save backup files to a unique subfolder if you want Norton Ghost to

create a new subfolder that will serve as your backup destination.

Note: The new subfolder is given the same name as your computer. For

example, if your computer name is "MyLaptop", the new subfolder would be

named \MyLaptop.

Enter a path to a folder where you want to store recovery points and file and

folder backup data, or click Browse to look for a location.

You cannot use an encrypted folder as your backup destination. If you want

to encrypt your backup data to prevent another user from accessing it, refer

to the Advanced options when you define or edit a backup.

If you entered the path to a location on a network, enter the user name and

password required to authenticate to the network.

Click OK.

Adjusting the effects of a backup on computer performance

If you are working on your computer when a backup is running—especially one that is creating an independent recovery point—your computer might slow down. This is because Norton Ghost is using your computer's hard disk and memory resources to perform the backup.

However, you can actually modify the speed of the backup as a way of minimizing the impact of Norton Ghost on your computer while you work.

To adjust the default effect of a backup on my computer's performance

On the main menu bar, click Tasks > Options.

Click Performance.

If you want to improve your computer's speed performance, move the slider

bar closer to Slow.

If you want the backup to complete more quickly, move the slider bar closer

to Fast.

Click OK.

Note: During a backup orrecovery, you'll have the optionof overriding this default setting to fit your needs at that moment.

See “Adjusting the speed of a backup ” on page 85.

37Getting Started

Configuring Norton Ghost default options

Enabling network throttling

Similar to computer performance adjustments, you can also limit the impact of a backup on network performance.

However, because network performance is affected by many variables, you should consider the following issues before enabling this feature:

■ Network cards: Is your network wired or wireless? What are the speeds of your

network cards?

■ Network backbone: What is the size of your network pipeline? Does it support

10 MB transfer rates, or 1 GB transfer rates?

■ Networkserver:Howrobust is your server hardware? How fast isits processor?

How much RAM does it have? Is it fast or slow?

■ Backing up: How many computers are scheduled to back up at the same time?

■ Network traffic: Are backups scheduled to run when network traffic is heavy

or light?

Consider using this feature only when you know what your network can handle. If you schedule your backups at staggered intervals, and if you schedule them when network traffic is low, you will likley not need to use this feature.

Gather the required information about your network's performance and then schedule backups accordingly. Then, if necessary, enable this feature and set the Maximum network throughput to a setting that matches the circumstances.

To enable network throttling

On the main menu bar, click Tasks > Options.

Click Performance.

Check Enable network throttling.

In the Maximum network throttling field, enter the maximum amount (in KB) of network throughput that Norton Ghost can send per second.

Click OK.

Adjusting default tray icon settings

You can turn the system tray icon on or off and specify whether to show only error messages when they occur, or to show both error messages and other information, such as the completion of a backup.

Getting Started

Configuring Norton Ghost default options

To adjust default tray icon settings

On the main menu bar, click Tasks > Options.

Click Tray Icon and select one of the following:

Displays the Norton Ghost iconin the system tray.

You must select this option to enable or disable any of the remaining options.

Show system tray icon

Notifies you when a backup was scheduled but did not run.

This can happen when your computer was turned off at the time a backup was scheduled to run.

Show missed backups

Offers helpful prompts in the form of questions that can help you keep your data backed up.

Show system tray questions

Displays messages about the status of backup operations, such as notifying that a backup has started, or that your backup destination is getting full.

Show status messages

Displays error messages when errors occur so thatyou can resolve any issuesthat might hinder data protection.

Show error messages

Click OK.

Managing file types

When you define a file and folder backup, file types are a quick way to include files you use the most. For example, if you keep music files on your computer, you can configure a file and folder backup to include all music files (for example, .mp3, .wav).

The most common file types and extensions are already defined for you. But you can define additional file type categories as needed, and then edit them at any time. For example, if you install a new program that requires the use of two new file extensions (.pft and .ptp, for example), you can define a new file type and define the two file extensions for that category. Then when you define a file and folder backup, you can select the new category. When the backup is run, all files ending with .pft and .ptp are backed up.

39Getting Started

Configuring Norton Ghost default options

To create a new file type and extensions

On the main menu bar, click Tasks > Options.

Click File Types.

At the bottom of the File types list, click the Add a file type (+) button to add a file type category.

Type a descriptive name of the new file type category, and then press Enter.

At the bottom of the Extensions for list,click the Addanextension (+) button, and then type an asterisk (*) and a period, followed by the extension of the file type you want to define, and then press Enter.

Click OK.

To edit a file type and extensions

On the main menu bar, click Tasks > Options.

Click File Types.

Select a file type from the File types list, and then do one of the following:

■ Click the Rename a file type button (at the right of the - button) to edit

the name of the selected file type.

■ Select an extension in the Extensions for column and click the Rename

an extension button (at the right of the - button) to edit the name of the

extension.

■ Click either the Restore default file types list or the Restore default

extension list button to restore all default file types or extensions.

Caution: Any file types and extensions you have set up are removed. Once removed, you will have to add them again manually.

Click OK.

To delete a file type (and all of its extensions)

On the main menu bar, click Tasks > Options.

Select a file type in the File types column.

You cannot delete a default file type. You can delete all but one extension of a default file type, and you can add additional extensions to a default file type.

Click the Remove a file type (-) button , and then click OK.

Use this same procedure to remove file extensions from the Extensions for list.

Getting Started

Configuring Norton Ghost default options

Using aliases for external drives

When you choose an external drive for use with Norton Ghost as either a backup destination or an Offsite Copy destination, it can become confusing if you are using more than one drive, especially when the assigned drive letter changes each time you plug in the drive.

To help you manage these destinations, Norton Ghost lets you assign an alias to each external drive. Doing so does not change the drive label, but is for use only when you are accessing those drives from within Norton Ghost.

For example, you might be swapping out two different external drives used as Offsite Copy destinations during any given week. Depending on the drive labels assigned to each drive and whether or not the drive letter previously assigned has changed, it could become confusing as to which drive you are using at any given time.

However, by associating unique aliases to each drive, then as you use the drive with Norton Ghost, the aliases you assigned appear in various locations in Norton Ghost.

Note: It is also a good idea to place physical labels on each external drive to help you manage the task of swapping the drives.

For example, if you assigned the alias, "Drive A: Monday" to one drive, and "Drive B: Wednesday" to a second drive, their aliases appear in Norton Ghost whenever the drives are plugged in to your computer.

See “About Offsite Copy” on page 73.

To make it even easier, the Options dialog box lets you see all of your alias drive names in one view. From this view, you can remove or edit existing names.

To remove or edit external drive aliases

On the main menu bar, click Tasks > Options.

Under Destinations, click External Drives.

Select an external drive from the list and then do one of the following:

■ Click Remove to remove the alias associated with the external drive.

■ Click Rename to modify the alias.

41Getting Started

Configuring Norton Ghost default options

Configuring FTP settings for use with Offsite Copy

File Transfer Protocol, or FTP, is the simplest and most secure way to copy files over the Internet. Norton Ghost serves as an FTP client to copy your recovery points to a remote FTP server as a secondary backup of your critical data.

The Options dialog box lets you configure basic FTP settings to help ensure that your recovery points are copied to your FTP server.

To configure default FTP settings

On the main menu bar, click Tasks > Options.

Under Destinations, click Configure FTP.

Refer to the following table when making changes:

Passive (sometimes written "PASV") mode helps avoid conflicts with security systems. This modeis necessary for somefirewalls and routers because when using passive mode, the FTP client opens the connection to an IP Address and port that the FTP server supplies.

Connection mode: Passive (Recommended)

Use active mode when connections or transfer attempts fail in passive mode, or when you receive data socket errors. When an FTP client connects using active mode, the server opens a connection to an IP Address and port that the FTP client supplies.

Connection mode: Active

Specify the number of times Norton Ghost tries to connect to an FTP server before giving up. Norton Ghost can attempt a maximum of 100 times.

Limit connection attempts to

Specify the number of seconds Norton Ghost tries to connect to an FTP server before giving up. You can specify up to 600 seconds (10 minutes).

Stop trying to connect after

Specify the port of the FTP server that is listening for a connection.

You should consult theFTP server administrator to besurethat the port you specify is configured to recieve incoming data.

Default port

Logging Norton Ghost messages

You can specify which product messages (errors, warnings, and information) are logged as they occur, and where the log fileis stored. Product messages can provide useful information about the status of backups or related events, and can also provide helpful information when you are troubleshooting.

Getting Started

Configuring Norton Ghost default options

Two logging methods are available: Norton Ghost logging, and the Windows application log.

From the Options page, you can configure both methods.

To configure a Norton Ghost log file

On the main menu bar, click Tasks > Options.

Under Notifications, click Log File.

Click the Select the priority and type of messages drop-down list and select

the priority level at which a message should be logged.

Send all messages, regardless of priority levels.

All messages

Send only medium and high priority messages.

Medium and high priority messages

Send only high priority messages.High priority messages only

Do not send any messages, regardless of priority levels.

No messages

Select one or more of the following options:

■ Errors

■ Warnings

■ Information

In the Log file location field, enter a path to where the log file should be

created and stored.

If you don't know the path, click Browse and select a location.

In the Maximum file size field, specify a maximum size (in kilobytes) that the

log file is allowed to grow.

The file is kept within the limit you set by replacing the oldest logged items

in the file with new items as they occur.

Click OK.

To configure which product events are written to a Windows event log

On the main menu bar, click Tasks > Options.

Under Notifications, click Event Log.

43Getting Started

Configuring Norton Ghost default options

Click the Select the priority and type of messages drop-down list and select the priority level at which a message should be logged.

Send all messages, regardless of priority levels.

All messages

Send only medium and high priority messages.

Medium and high priority messages

Send only high priority messages.High priority messages only

Do not send any messages, regardless of priority levels.

No messages

Select one or more of the following options:

■ Errors

■ Warnings

■ Information

Click OK.

Enabling email notifications for product (event) messages

Email notifications can be sent to a specified email address if there are any errors or warnings that occurred when a backup is run.

Note: If you do not have an SMTP server, this feature is unavailable to you.

Notifications can also be sent to the system event log and a custom log file located in the Agent folder of the product installation.

If notifications are not being delivered, check the setup of your SMTP server to ensure that it is functioning properly.

To enable email notifications

On the main menu bar, click Tasks > Options.

Under Notifications, click SMTP E-mail.

Getting Started

Configuring Norton Ghost default options

Click the Select the priority and type of messages drop-down list and select

the priority level at which an email should be sent.

Send all messages, regardless of priority levels.

All messages

Send only medium and high priority messages.

Medium and high priority messages

Send only high priority messages.High priority messages only

Do not send any messages, regardless of priority levels.

No messages

Select one or more of the following options:

■ Errors

■ Warnings

■ Information

In the To address text box, type the email address (for example,

admin@domain.com) where notifications are to be sent.

If desired, type the email address of the sender in the From address text field.

If you do not specify a From address, the name of the product will be used.

In the SMTP server text box, type the path to the SMTP server that will send

the email notification (for example, smtpserver.domain.com).

From the SMTP Authentication drop-down box, select the method to use to

authenticate to the SMTP server specified above.

Enter your SMTP username and password.

If you are not sure what your username and password are, contact a system

administrator.

Click OK.

45Getting Started

Configuring Norton Ghost default options

Getting Started

Configuring Norton Ghost default options

Best practices for backing up your data

This chapter includes the following topics:

■ About backing up your data

■ Choosing a backup type

■ Best practices for backing up

■ Additional tips about backups

■ After defining your backup job

■ About selecting a backup destination

■ About backing up dual-boot computers

About backing up your data

To back upyour computer or yourindividual files andfolders, you dothe following steps:

■ Define a backup

■ Run the backup

See “How you use Norton Ghost” on page 32.

When you define a backup, you make the following decisions:

■ What to back up (files and folders, or an entire drive)

■ Where to store the backup data (backup destination)

■ Whether or not to use Offsite Copy to copy backup data to remote locations

Chapter

■ When to run the backup (automatically or manually)

■ What compression levels to specify for recovery points, and whether to enable

security settings (encryption and password protection).

■ Which of the many other options you want to use. You can customize each

backup according to your backup needs.

Choosing a backup type

There are two types of backups available:

■ Drive-based backup: Backs up an entire hard drive

■ File and folder backup: Backs up only the files and folders that you select

You can use the following guidelines to determine which type of backup to choose:

Use this backup type to do the following:

■ Back up and recover your computer's system drive

(typically, the C drive, which includes your operating system).

■ Back up and recover a specific hard drive, such as a

secondary drive (which is a drive other than the system drive on which your operating system is installed).

■ Recover lost or damaged files or folders from a specific

point in time.

Drive-based backup

Use this backup type to do the following:

■ Back up and recover specific files and folders, for

example personal files that are stored in the My Documents folder.

■ Back up and recover files of a specific type, for example

music (.mp3 or .wav) or photographs (.jpg or .bmp).

■ Recover a specific version of a file from a specific point

in time.

File and folder backup

See “Before you back up” on page 49.

Best practices for backing up

As you prepare to back up your computer, review this information:

■ Before you back up

■ During a backup

Best practices for backing up your data

Choosing a backup type

■ When the backup is complete

About backups

When you back up your computer, you choose from two types of backups:

■ drive-based backup: backs up an entire hard drive

■ file and folder backup: backs up only the files and folders you select

Which backup type you choose depends on what you are trying to protect and how much storage space you have to store backup data (recovery points, and file and folder backup data).

The following table highlights the key uses of each backup type:

Use toBackup type

■ Back up and recover your computer (system drive, typically

drive C)

■ Back up and recover a specific hard drive (any secondary

drive, drives other than your system drive)

■ Recover lost or damaged files or folders using recovery

points

Drive-based backup

■ Back up and recover specific files and folders, such as

personal files stored in the My Documents folder

■ Back up and recover files of a specific type, such as music

(.mp3, .wav) or photographs (.jpg, .bmp)

File and folder backup

Before you back up

Consider these best practices before defining and running your first backup:

Your computer must be turned on and Windows must be running at the time a backup occurs. If not, any scheduled backups are skipped until the computer is turned on again. You then are prompted to run the missed backup.

See “Choosing a backup type” on page 48.

Schedule backups when you know your computer will be turned on.

You should store recovery points on a hard disk other than your primary hard disk C. This practice helps ensure that you can recover your system in the event that your primary hard disk fails.

See “About selecting abackupdestination ” onpage 54.

Use a secondary hard disk as your backup destination.

49Best practices for backing up your data

Best practices for backing up

Using an external drive makes your backup data more portable. Should youneed to remove your critical data from a particular location, you can quickly grab an external drive on your way out the door.

See “About Offsite Copy” on page 73.

Consider using external drives as your backup destination.

You can assign a nickname to each external drive to help keep track of where your backup data is stored for each computer you back up. Because drive letters can change each time youunplug and plugan external drive into your computer, a nickname ensures that you can always know which drive you are using when you are running Norton Ghost.

Using a nickname does not change the volume label of a drive. A nickname simply helps you identify the drive when using Norton Ghost.

And the nickname sticks with the drive, so that if you plug the drive into a second computer running another copy of Norton Ghost, thenickname appears.

Note: You might also consider placing a sticky label

on each drive that matches the nickname you've assigned.

See “Using aliases for external drives” on page 41.

Give nicknames to your external drives to help you easily identify them

Use Offsite Copy to copy your latest recovery points to either a portable storage device or a remote server. By copying recovery points to a portable hard disk, you can then take a copy of your data with you when you leave the office.

See “About Offsite Copy” on page 73.

Use Offsite Copy

When you define your backups, schedule them to run frequently so that you have recovery points that span at least the last two months.

See “Editing a backup schedule ” on page 89.

See “Defining a drive-based backup ” on page 57.

Run backups on a regular and frequent basis.

Best practices for backing up your data

Best practices for backing up

You should keep your operating system and software programs separate from your own data. This practice helps to speed the creation of recovery points and reduce the amount of information that needs to be restored. For example,use the C drive to run Windows and to install and run software programs. Use the D drive to create, edit, and store personal files and folders.

For other drive management solutions, go to the Symantec Web site at the following URL:

www.symantec.com/.

Keep personal data on a separate drive than the drive on which Windows and your software programs are installed.

When you define a backup, you should select the option to verify the recovery point to ensure that the recovery point can be used to recover lost data.

See “Choosing a backup type” on page 48.

Verify the recovery point after you create it to ensure that it is stable.

During a backup

While a backup is running, consider the following best practices:

If you are working at your computer and a backup starts to run, you might notice that the performance of your computer slows down. Norton Ghost requires significant system resources to run a backup. If slowing occurs, you can reduce the speed of the backup to improve computer performance until you are finished working.

See “Adjusting the speed of a backup ” on page 85.

Improve your computer's performanceduring a backup

When the backup is complete

After a backup completes, consider the following best practices:

Periodically review the contents of your recovery points to ensure that you back up only your essential data.

For file and folder backups, click Recover My Files from either the Home or Tasks pages. Then click Search to display the latest version of all the filesthat are included in your backup.

Fordrive-based backups, see Opening files andfolders

stored in a recovery point.

Review the contents of recovery points and file and folder backup data.

51Best practices for backing up your data

Best practices for backing up

Periodically review the Status page. You can also review the events log on the Advanced page.

The event log records events when they occur, backups and any errors that might have occurred during or after a backup.

If you do not see the Advanced page tab, click View > Show Advanced Page.

Note: Backup status and other messages are also

conveyed in the system tray. So you do not even need to start the product to identify the status of your backups.

See “Verifying that abackupis successful ” on page 86.

Review the Status page to verify that backups have happened and to identify any potential problems.

Delete outdated recovery points to make more hard disk space available.

Also, reduce the number of file versions that are created by file and folder backups.

See “Managing recovery points” on page 127.

See “Managingfileand folder backup data”on page 133.

Manage storage space by eliminating old backup data.

Check the Status page on a regular basis to ensure that each drive has a defined backup.

Review the level of protection that is provided for each of your computer's drives.

Store backup copies of your recovery points in a safe place. For example you can store them elsewhere on a network, or you can store them on CDs, DVDs, or tapes for long-term, off-site storage.

See “Making copies of recovery points ” on page 129.

Maintain backup copies of your recovery points.

Additional tips about backups

Consider the following tips when you run a defined backup:

■ Norton Ghost does not need to be running for a scheduled backup to start.

After you define a backup, you can close Norton Ghost.

■ The computer that is being backed up must be turned on and Windows must

be started.

■ All defined backups are saved automatically so that you can edit them or run

them later.

Best practices for backing up your data

Additional tips about backups

■ Do not run a disk defragmentation program during a backup. Doing so will

significantly increase the time that it takes to create the recovery point and might cause unexpected system resource issues.

■ If you have two or more drives that are dependent on each other, you should

include both drives in the same backup. This provides the safest protection.

■ Include multiple drives in the same defined backup to reduce the total number

of backups that must be run. Doing so minimizes interruptions while you work.

■ Use the Progress and Performance feature to reduce the impact of a backup

on your computer's performance. For example, if a scheduled backup starts while you are in the middle of a presentation, you can slow down the backup to give more processing resources back to your presentation program.

■ The power management featureson a computer can conflict with Norton Ghost

during a backup. For example, your computer might be configured to go into hibernation mode

after a period of inactivity. You should consider turning off the power management features during a scheduled backup.

■ If a backup is interrupted, consider running it again.

■ If you experience problems while creating a backup, you may need to reboot

the computer.

After defining your backup job

All backup jobs you define are automatically saved so that you can edit or run them later.

After you define a backup and schedule it to run, you can close Norton Ghost. The program does not need to be running for a backup to start.

However, your computer must be turned on and Windows must be running at the time a backup occurs. If not, any scheduled backups are skipped until thecomputer is turned on again. You then are prompted to run the missed backup.

Viewing the properties of a backup job

You can review the settings and configuration of a defined backupwithout opening the backup job.

To view the properties of a backup job

On the Home page, click Run or Manage Backups.

In the Run or Manage Backups window, select a backup job and then click

Tasks > Properties.

53Best practices for backing up your data

After defining your backup job

About selecting a backup destination

You should review the following information before deciding where to store recovery points and file and folder backup data.

Note: If you choose to use CDs or DVDs as your backup destination (not recommended), you cannot back up to a sub-folder on the disk. Backup data must be created at the root of CDs and DVDs.

Table 5-1 contains information that you need to consider when selecting a backup

destination.

Table 5-1

Selecting a backup destination

Information to considerBackup destination

The benefits of this option are as follows:

■ Fast backup and recovery

■ Can schedule unattended backups

■ Inexpensive because drive space can be overwritten

repeatedly

■ Off-site storage is possible

■ Reserves hard drive space for other uses

Although you can save the recovery point to the same drive that you are backing up, it is not recommended for the following reasons:

■ As the number or size of recovery points grows, you will

have less disk space available for regular use.

■ The recovery point is included in subsequent recovery

points of the drive, which increases the size of those recovery points.

■ If the computer suffers a catastrophic failure, you may

not be able to recover the recovery point you need, even if you save it to a different drive on the same hard disk.

Local hard drive, USB drive, or FireWire drive

(recommended)

Best practices for backing up your data

About selecting a backup destination

Table 5-1

Selecting a backup destination (continued)

Information to considerBackup destination

If your computer is connected to a network, you can save your recovery points and file and folder backup data to a network folder.

Backing up to a network folder typically requires that you authenticate to the computer that is hosting the folder. If the computer is part of anetworkdomain, you must provide the domain name, user name, and password. For example, domain\username.

If you are connecting to a computer in a workgroup, you should provide the remote computer name and user name. For example: remote_computer_name\username.

Network folder

When you save backup data to removable media, it is automatically split intothe correct sizes ifthe backup spans more than one media.

If more than one drive is being backed up, the recovery points for each drive are stored independently on the media, even if there is space to store recovery points from multiple drives on the same media.

The scheduling of backups is not available when this option is used.

Note: Using CD-RWs or DVD-RWs as your recovery point

storage location is not the best option because you will be required to swap disks during the process.

CD-RW/DVD-RW

Table 5-2 describes the advantages and disadvantages of different types of backup

destinations.

Table 5-2

Advantages and disadvantages of backup destinations

DisadvantagesAdvantagesBackup destination

■ Uses valuable drive space

■ Vulnerable to loss if the

hard drive fails

■ Fast backup and recovery

■ Can schedule unattended

backups

■ Inexpensive because

drive space can be overwritten repeatedly

Hard drive

(recommended)

55Best practices for backing up your data

About selecting a backup destination

Table 5-2

Advantages and disadvantages of backup destinations (continued)

DisadvantagesAdvantagesBackup destination

■ Must have supportedNIC

drivers to restore from the recovery environment

■ Must understand and

assign the appropriate rights for users who will run backups and restore data

■ Fast backup and recovery

■ Can schedule unattended

backups

■ Inexpensive because

drive space can be overwritten repeatedly

■ Protection from local

hard drive failure

■ Off-site storage (through

existing network backup strategies)

Network drive

(recommended)

■ Protection from hard

drive failure

■ Ideal for off-site storage

■ Reserves hard drive space

for other uses

Removable media (local)

About backing up dual-boot computers

You can back up dual-boot computers, even if you have drives (partitions) that are hidden in the operating system from which you run Norton Ghost.

When you run a drive backup, the entire contents of each drive is captured in a recovery point. When you restore a drive, the recovered drive is bootable.

Note: In order for your computer to boot the same from a restored system as it did from the original configuration, you must back up, and then restore, every drive that includes operating system boot information.

You should not create incremental backups of shared data drives if Norton Ghost is installed on both operating systems and they are both set to manage the shared drive.

You might encounter issues if you try to use the Norton Ghost LightsOut Restore feature on dual-boot systems. It is not supported.

Best practices for backing up your data

About backing up dual-boot computers

Backing up entire drives

This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Defining a drive-based backup

■ Setting advanced options for drive-based backups

■ About setting a compression level for drive-based backups

■ About Offsite Copy

■ How Offsite Copy works

Defining a drive-based backup

A drive-based backup takes a snapshot of your entire hard drive, capturing every bit of information that is stored on it for later retrieval. All of your files, folders, desktop settings, programs, and your operating system are captured into arecovery point. You can then use that recovery point to restore individual files or folders or your entire computer.

For optimum protection, you should define a drive-based backup and run it on a regular basis.

By default, scheduled independent recovery points or recovery point set names are appended with 001.v2i, 002.v2i, and so forth. Recovery point set names are appended with _i001.iv2i, _i002.iv2i, and so forth. For example, if your base recovery point is called C_Drive001.v2i, the first incremental recovery point is called C_Drive001_i001.iv2i.

To define a drive-based backup

On the Home page, click Run or Manage Backups.

In the Run or Manage Backups window, click Define New.

If you have not yet defined a backup, the Easy Setup dialog appears instead.

Chapter

Click Back up my computer, and then click Next.

Select one or more drives to back up, and then click Next.

Press and hold Ctrl to select multiple drives.

If you do not see a drive that you expected to see, check Show Hidden Drives.

Do one of the following:

■ If you selected a drive that has already been included in a defined backup,

click Next, and then skip to step 8.

■ Click Add drives to an existing backup, click the Select the backup

drop-down list and select an existing backup, and then click Next.

■ Click Define a new backup to define a new backup, and then click Next.

Select the type of recovery point that you want the backup to create.

Schedule a base recovery point with additional recovery points thatcontain only incremental changes that were made to your computer since the previous recovery point.

Incremental recovery points are created faster than the base recovery point. They also use less storage space than an independent recovery point.

Note: You can only have one recovery point set defined for

each drive. The Recovery Point Set option is not available if you have already assigned a selected drive to an existing backup and specified Recovery Point Set as the recovery point type. This option also is unavailable if you select an unmounted drive that cannot be part of a recovery point set.

Recovery point set (recommended)

Creates a complete, independent copy of the drives that you select. This backup type typically requires more storage space, especially if you run the backup multiple times.

Independent recovery point

Click Next.

Backing up entire drives

Defining a drive-based backup

On the Backup Destination page, select from the following options:

Browse to the location in which you want to store the recovery points.

If Norton Ghost detects that this location does not have enough available space, it alerts you. You should choose another location that has more space.

Folder field

If you want to save the recovery point on a network share, type the user name and password for network access.

See “About network credentials” on page 66.

Network Credentials

If you want to rename the recovery point, click Rename, andthen type anew file name.

Default file names include the name of the computer followed by the drive letter.

Customize recovery point file names

Click this button to add up to two Offsite Copy destinations.

Offsite Copy automatically copies your latest recovery points each time a backup completes to eithera portable storage device, such as an external drive, or to a remote server either through a local area network connection or to a remote FTP server.

See “About Offsite Copy” on page 73.

Add

If you want tomake copies of your recovery points to store at a remote location

for added backup protection, do the following:

■ Click Add and then check Enable Offsite Copy.

■ Check the Prompt me to start a copy when I attach an external Offsite

Copy destination drive option if you want recovery points automatically copied to external Offsite Copy destination drives whenever you plug one in to your computer.

■ Click Browse to locate an Offsite Copy destination.

■ Click Add an additional Offsite Copy destination if you want to add a

second destination, and then specify the path (a local folder, network path, or FTP address) to that destination.

■ Click OK.

59Backing up entire drives

Defining a drive-based backup

See “About Offsite Copy” on page 73.

Click Next.

Note: You cannot use an encrypted folder as your backup destination. You can choose to encrypt your backup data to prevent another user from accessing it.

On the Options page, select from the following options:

Type a name for your backup.Name

Select one of the following compression levels for the recovery point.:

■ None

■ Standard

■ Medium

■ High

See “About setting a compression level for

drive-based backups” on page 72.

The results can vary depending on the types of files that are saved in the drive.

Compression

Select this option to automatically test whether a recovery point or set of files is valid or corrupt.

Verify recovery point after creation

Select this option to limit the number of recovery pointsets thatcan be saved for this backup. You can limit the number of recovery point sets to reduce the risk of filling up the hard drive with recovery points. Each new recovery point set replaces the oldest set on your backup destination drive.

Limit thenumber ofrecovery point sets saved for this backup

Select thisoption to let a search engine, such as GoogleDesktop, index all of the filenames that are contained in each recovery point. By indexing the file names, you can then use your search engine to locate files you want to restore.

See “About using a search engine to search

recovery points” on page 175.

Enable search engine support

Backing up entire drives

Defining a drive-based backup

Check this optionto include indexing support for operating system and temporary files when arecovery point is createdon theclient computer.

Include system and temporary files

Type a description for the recovery point. The description can be anything that helps you further identify the recovery point's contents.

Description text box

In the Advanced Options dialog box, select any of the following options, and then click OK.

■ Divide into smaller files to simplify

archiving

■ Disable SmartSector Copying

■ Ignore bad sectors during copy

■ Use password

■ Use AES Encryption

See “Setting advanced options for

drive-based backups” on page 68.

Advanced

Click Next.

If appropriate, in the drop-down lists, select the command file (.exe, .cmd,

.bat) that you want to run during a particular stage in the recovery point

creation process, and then specify the amount of time (in seconds) that you

want the command to run before it is stopped.

If you added the command file to the CommandFiles folder, you may need to

click Back, and then Next to see the files in each stage’s drop-down list.

See “Run command files during a backup ” on page 66.

Click Next.

Do one of the following:

■ If you chose a recovery point set as your recovery point type in step 6,

skip to the next step.

■ If you chose an independent recovery point as your recovery point type,

click the Automatically createa recovery point drop-down list, and then select one of the following options:

Runs the backup only whenyourun it yourself, manually.

No Schedule

61Backing up entire drives

Defining a drive-based backup

Runs the backup at the time and on the days of the week that you specify.

When you select thisoption, the Select the days of the week to protect box appears.

Weekly

Runs the backup at the time and on the days of the week that you specify.

When you select thisoption, the Select the days of the month to protect box appears.

Monthly

Runs the backup one time on the date and at the time you specify.

When you select this option, the Create asingle recovery point box appears.

Only run once

Click Schedule if you want the backup to run automatically, according to a schedule.

If you only want to run the backup when you start it manually, uncheck Schedule and skip to the next step.

Enter a start time and select the days of the week when the backup should run.

Click the Start a new recovery point set drop-down list, and then select how frequently a new recovery point set should be started.

For example, if you select Monthly, a new base recover point is created the first time the backup runs during each new month.

For advanced scheduling options, such as setting up event triggers that start the backup in response to specific events, click Advanced and configure any of the following options:

Backing up entire drives

Defining a drive-based backup

Do one or more of the following:

■ Click Schedule, andthen select thedaysand a start time for when

the backup should run.

■ Check Run morethan onceper day if you frequently modify data

that you want to protect. Also, specify the maximum time that should occur between

backups and the number of times per day that the backup should run.

■ Click the Automaticallyoptimize drop-down list,and then select

how often optimization should occur to help manage the disk space that is used by your backup destination.

■ Click the Startanew recoverypointset drop-down list and select

how frequently a new recovery point set should be started. Click Custom to customize the option you select.

Schedule

(Backup Time)

Select the type of events that should automatically start the backup.

See “Enabling event-triggered backups ” on page 87.

Event Triggers

(General)

Click OK, and then click Next.

If you want to run the new backup immediately, click Run backup now.

This option is not available if you configured an independent recovery point

with the option to run it only once.

Click Finish.

Running a One Time Backup

The One Time Backup featurelets you quickly defineand runa backup that creates an independent recovery point. You use the One Time Backup Wizard to define the backup. The backup runs when you complete the Wizard. The backup definition is not saved for future use. You can use the independent recovery point later.

This feature is useful when you need to back up your computer or a particular drive quickly before a significant event. For example, you can run a one-time backup before you install new software. Or, you can run it when you learn about a new computer security threat.

To run a one time backup

On the Tasks page, click One Time Backup.

Click Next.

63Backing up entire drives

Defining a drive-based backup

Select one or more drives to back up and click Next.

Note: Press and hold Ctrl to select multiple drives.

Click Next.

In the Backup Destination dialog box, select from the following options:

Browse to the location in which you want to store the recovery points.

If Norton Ghost detects that this location does not have enough available space, it alerts you. You should choose another location that has more space.

Folder field

If you want to rename the recovery point, click Rename, andthen type anew file name.

Default file names include the name of the computer followed by the drive letter.

Rename button

If you want to save the recovery point on a network share, type the user name and password for network access.

See “About network credentials” on page 66.

Network Credentials

Click Next.

On the Options page, select from the following options:

Select one of the following compression levels for the recovery point:

■ None

■ Standard

■ Medium

■ High

The results canvary depending on thetypes of files that are saved in the drive.

Compression

Select this option to automatically test whether a recovery point or set of files is valid or corrupt.

Verify recovery point after creation

Backing up entire drives

Defining a drive-based backup

Type a description for the recovery point. The description can be anything that helps you further identify the recovery point's contents.

Description text box

In the Advanced Options dialog box, select any of the following options, and then click OK.

■ Use password

■ Use Encryption

■ Divide into smaller files to simplify

archiving

■ Ignore bad sectors during copy

■ Disable SmartSector Copying

See “Setting advanced options for

drive-based backups” on page 68.

Advanced

Click Next.

If appropriate, in the drop-down lists, select the command file (.exe, .cmd,

.bat) that you want to run during a particular stage in the recovery point

creation process, and then specify the amount of time (in seconds) that you

want the command to run before it is stopped.

If you added the command file to the CommandFiles folder, you may need to

click Back, and then Next to see the files in each stage’s drop-down list.

See “Run command files during a backup ” on page 66.

Click Next.

Click Finish to run the backup.

Files excluded from drive-based backups

The following files are intentionally excluded from drive-based backups:

■ hiberfil.sys

■ pagefile.sys

These files contain temporary data that can take up a large amount of disk space. They are not needed, and there is no negative impact to your computer system after a complete system recovery.

These files do appear in recovery points, but they are placeholders. They contain no data.

65Backing up entire drives

Defining a drive-based backup

About network credentials

If you connect to a computer on a network, you must provide the user name and password for network access, even if you previously authenticated to the network. The Norton Ghost service runs on the local system account.

When you enter network credentials, the following rules apply:

■ If the computer you want to connect to is on a domain, provide the domain

name, user name, and password. For example: domain\username

■ If you connect to a computer in a workgroup, provide the remote computer

name and user name. For example: remote_computer_name\username

■ If you have mapped a drive, you might be required to supply the user name

and password again because the service runs in a different context and cannot recognize the mapped drive.

By going to the Tasks menu and selecting Options, you can set a default location, including network credentials. Then when you create future backup jobs, the dialog will default to the location you specified. Another option would be to create a specific "backup" user account. Then configure the Norton Ghost service to use this account.

Run command files during a backup

You can use commandfiles (.exe,.cmd, .bat) during a backup. You can use command files to integrate Norton Ghost with other backup routines that you might be running on the computer. You can also use command files to integrate with other applications that use a drive on the computer.

Note: You cannot run command files that include a graphical user interface, such as notepad.exe. Running such command files will cause the backup job to fail.

You can run a command fileduring any of the followingstages during the creation of a recovery point:

■ Before data capture

■ After data capture

■ After recovery point creation

You can also specify the amount of time that a command file should be allowed to run.

Backing up entire drives

Defining a drive-based backup

You can specify the location of command files if you want them to be located in a place other than the default location. You can also specify a location on a per-job basis, as well as specify a location that can be shared among several computers. If you specify a network location, you must provide network credentials.

See “About network credentials” on page 66.

The most common use for running command files is to stop and restart non-VSS-aware databases that you want to back up.

To use a Visual Basic script file (.VBS) during a backup, you can create a batch file (.BAT) to run the script. For example, you can create a batch file called STOP.BAT that contains the following syntax:

Cscript script_filename.vbs

Make sure that Cscript precedes the file name of the Visual Basic script.

Warning: The command files cannot depend on any user interaction or have a visible user interface. You should test all command files independently of Norton Ghost before you use them during a backup.

When the backup begins, the command file is run during the specified stage. If an error occurs while a command file is running or the command file does not finish in the time you specified (regardless of the stage), the backup is stopped, the command file is terminated (if necessary), and the error information is logged and displayed.

Table 6-1 describes the stages of recovery point creation.

67Backing up entire drives

Defining a drive-based backup

Table 6-1

Recovery point creation stages

DescriptionStage

This stage occurs after a backup has started and before a recovery point is created. You can run a command during this stage to prepare for the recovery point creation process. For example, you can close any open applications that areusing the drive.

Note: If you use this option, be sure the command

file has an error recovery mechanism built into it. If the computer has one or more services that must be stopped at this stage (such as stopping a non-VSS aware database or a resource intensive application), and the command file does not contain any form of error recovery, one or more of the stopped services may not be restarted. An error in the command file can cause the recovery point creation process to stop immediately. No other command files will run.

See “How you use Norton Ghost” on page 32.

Before data capture

This stage occurs after a snapshot is created. Running a command during thisstageis typically a safe point for allowing services to resume normal activity on the drive while continuing the recovery point creation.

Because the snapshot takes only a few seconds to create, the database is in the backup state momentarily. A minimal number of log files are created.

After data capture

This stage occurs after the recovery point is created.You canrun a command during this stage to act on the recovery point itself. For example, you can copy it to an offline location.

After recovery point creation

Setting advanced options for drive-based backups

When you define a drive-based backup, you can setthe following advancedoptions:

Backing up entire drives

Setting advanced options for drive-based backups

You can split the recovery point into smaller files and specify the maximum size (in MB) for each file.

Forexample, if you planto copy arecovery point to ZIP disks from your backup destination, specify a file size of 100 MB or less, according to the size of each ZIP disk.

Divide into smaller files to simplify archiving

SmartSector technology speeds up the copying process by only copying the hard-disk sectors that contain data. However, in some cases, you might want to copy all sectors in their original layout, whether or not they contain data.

This option letsyou copy used and unused hard-disk sectors. This option increases processing time and usually results in a larger recovery point.

Disable SmartSector Copying

This option lets you run a backup even if there are bad sectors on the hard disk. Although most drives do not have bad sectors, the potential for problems increases during the lifetime of the hard disk.

Ignore bad sectors during copy

This option sets a password on the recovery point when it is created. Passwords can include standard characters, not extended characters or symbols. (Use characters with an ASCII value of 128 or lower.)

A user must type this password before restoring a backup or viewing the contents of the recovery point.

Use password

You can encrypt your recovery point data to add another level of protection to your recovery points.

You can choose from the following encryption levels:

■ Low (8+ character password)

■ Medium (16+ character password)

■ High (32+ character password).

Use AES encryption

Editing advanced backup options

After you define a backup, you can go back at any time and edit the advanced options you chose when you first defined the backup.

To edit advanced backup options

On the Home or Tasks page, click Run or Manage Backups.

Select the backup you want to edit, and then click Edit Settings.

Click Next twice.

Click Advanced.

69Backing up entire drives

Setting advanced options for drive-based backups

In the Advanced Options dialog box, make your changes, and then click OK.

Click Next three times, and then click Finish.

About recovery point encryption

You can enhance the security of your data by using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to encrypt recovery points that you create or archive. You should use encryption if you store recovery points on a network and want to protect them from unauthorized access and use.

You can also encrypt recovery points that were created with earlier versions of Symantec LiveState Recovery or Norton Ghost. However, encrypting those files will make them readable with the current product only.

You can view the encryption strength of a recovery point at any time by viewing the properties of the file from the Recovery Point Browser.

Encryption strengths are available in 128-bit, 192-bit, or 256-bit. While higher bit strengths require longer passwords, the result is greater security for yourdata.

Table 6-2 explains the bit strength and required password length.

Table 6-2

Password length

Password lengthBit strength

8 characters or longer128 (Standard)

16 characters or longer192 (Medium)

32 characters or longer256 (High)

You must provide the correct password before you can access or restore an encrypted recovery point.

Warning: Store the password in a secure place. Passwords are case-sensitive. When you access orrestore a password encrypted recovery point, Norton Ghostprompts you for the case-sensitive password. If you do not type the correct password or you forget the password, you cannot open the recovery point.

Symantec Technical Support has no method for opening an encrypted recovery point.

Besides bit strength, the make-up of the password can improve the security of your data.

For better security, passwords should use the following general rules:

Backing up entire drives

Setting advanced options for drive-based backups

■ Avoid using consecutive, repeating characters (for example, BBB or 88).

■ Avoid using common words that you would find in a dictionary.

■ Use at least one number.

■ Use both uppercase and lowercase alpha characters.

■ Use at least one special character such as ({}[],.<>;:’"?/|\`~!@#$%^&*()_-+=).

■ Change the password after a set period of time.

Verifying a recovery point after creation

If you selected the Verify recovery point after creation option on the Options page of the Define Backup Wizard, the recovery point is checked to see that all of the files that make up the recovery point are available for you to open. Internal data structures in the recovery point are matched with the data that is available. Also, the recovery point can be uncompressed to create the expected amount of data (if you selected a compression level at the time of creation).

Note: The time required to create a recovery point is doubled when you use the Verify recover point after creation option.

To verify the integrity of a recovery point

On the Tools page, click Run Recovery Point Browser.

Select a recovery point, and then click Open.

In the tree panel of the Recovery Point Browser, select the recovery point.

For example: C_Drive001.v2i.

On the File menu, click Verify Recovery Point.

If the Verify Recovery Point option is unavailable, you must first dismount

the recovery point. Right-click the recovery point and click Dismount

Recovery Point.

When the validation is complete, click OK.

If you prefer, you can have recovery points automatically verified for integrity

at the time they are created.

See “Setting advanced options for drive-based backups” on page 68.

71Backing up entire drives

Setting advanced options for drive-based backups

Viewing the progress of a backup

You can view the progress of a backup while it runs to determine how much time remains until the backup completes.

To view the progress of a backup

◆

While a backup is running, on the View menu, click Progress and Performance.

About setting a compression level for drive-based backups

During the creation of a recovery point, compression results may vary, depending on the types of files saved to the drive you are backing up.

Table 6-3 describes the available compression levels.

Table 6-3

Compression levels

DescriptionCompression level

Use this option if storage space is not an issue. However, if the backup is being saved to a busy network drive, high compression may be faster than no compression because there is less data to write across the network.

None

This option uses low compression for a 40 percent average data compression ratio on recovery points. This setting is the default.

Standard (recommended)

This option uses medium compression for a 45 precent average data compression ratio on recovery points.

Medium

This option uses high compression for a 50 percent average data compression ratio on recovery points. This setting is usually the slowest method.

When a high compression recovery point is created, CPU usage might be higher than normal. Other processes on the computer might also be slower. To compensate, you can adjust the operation speed of Norton Ghost. This might improve the performance of other resource-intensive applications that you are running at the same time.

High

Backing up entire drives

About setting a compression level for drive-based backups

About Offsite Copy

Backing up your data to a secondary hard disk is a critical first step to protect your information assets. But to make certain your data is safe, use Offsite Copy to copy your latest recovery points to either a portable storage device, remote server in your network, or to a remote FTP server.

Regardless of the method you use, storing copies of your recovery points at a remote location provides a crucial levelof redundancy in the event that your office becomes innaccesible. Offsite Copy can double your data protection by ensuring that you have a remote copy.

How Offsite Copy works

You enable and configure Offsite Copy when you define a new drive-based backup job. Or you can edit an existing backup job to enable Offsite Copy.

When you enable Offsite Copy, you specify up to two Offsite Copy destinations. After the backup job finishes creating recovery points, Offsite Copy verifies that at leastone of the Offsite Copy destinations are available. Offsite Copy then begins copying the new recovery points to the Offsite Copy destination.

Newest recovery pointsare copied first followed by the next oldest recoverypoints. If you have set up two Offsite Copy destinations, Offsite Copy copies recovery points to the destination that was added first. If an Offsite Copy destination is unavailable, Offsite Copy tries to copy recovery points to the second destination, if it is available. If neither destination is available, then Offsite Copy copies the recovery points the next time an Offsite Copy destination becomes available.

For example, suppose you have configured a backup job to run at 6 p.m. and configured an external drive as an Offsite Copy destination. However, when you leave the office at 5:30 p.m., you take the drive with you for safe keeping. When the backup job completes at 6:20 p.m., Norton Ghost detects that the Offsite Copy destination drive is not available and the copy process aborted. The following morning, you plug the drive back in to the computer. Norton Ghost detects the presence of the Offsite Copy destination drive and automatically begins copying your recovery points.

Offsite Copy is designed to use very little system resources so that the copying process is done in the background. This feature lets you continue to work at your computer with little or no impact on system resources.

If an Offsite Copy destination runs out of disk space, Offsite Copy identifies the oldest recovery points and removes them to make room for the most current recovery points. Offsite Copy then copies the currentrecovery points to the Offsite Copy destination.

73Backing up entire drives

About Offsite Copy

See “To define a drive-based backup” on page 57.

See “Editing backup settings” on page 87.

Using external drives as your Offsite Copy destination

Use an external drive as your Offsite Copy destination. This method lets you take a copy of your data with you when you leave the office. By using two external hard disks, you can be certain that you have a recent copy of your data both on and off site.

For example, suppose on a Monday morning you define a new backup job of your system drive. You choose a recovery point set as your backup job type. You set up an external drive (A) as the first Offsite Copy destination, and another external drive (B) as the second Offsite Copy destination. You schedule the backup job to run every midnight except on the weekends. You also enable recovery point encryption to protect the data that you take with you from unauthorized access.

See “About recovery point encryption ” on page 70.

Before you leave the office on Monday evening, you plug in drive A and take drive B home with you.

On Tuesday morning, you find that Monday's base recovery point has been successfully copied to drive A. At the end of the day, you unplug drive A and take it home for safe keeping.

Backing up entire drives

How Offsite Copy works

On Wednesday morning, you bring drive B to the office. You plug in drive B and Norton Ghost detects that drive B is an Offsite Copy destination. Norton Ghost then automatically begins copyingMonday night's base recovery pointand Tuesday night's incremental recovery point. At the end of the day Wednesday, you take drive B home and place it in a safe place with drive A.

You now have multiple copies of recovery points stored at two separate, physical locations: your original recovery points stored on your backup destinations at the office, and copies of those same recovery points stored on your Offsite Copy destination drives. Your Offsite Copy destination drives are stored in a safe place at your home.

The next morning, Thursday, you take drive A to the office and plug it in. Tuesday and Wednesday night's recovery points are then automatically copied to drive A.

Note: Consider using the external drive naming feature that lets you provide a unique name, or alias, to each drive. Then place matching physical labels on each external drive to help you manage the task of swapping the drives.

See “Using aliases for external drives” on page 41.

Each time you plug in either drive A or B, the latest recovery points are added to the drive. This method gives you multiple points in time for recovering your computer in the event that the original backup destination drives fail or become unrecoverable.

Using external drives as your Offsite Copy destination ensures that you have a copy of your backup data stored at two separate, physical locations.

Using a network server as your Offsite Copy destination

You can also specify a local area network server as an Offsite Copy destination. You must be able to access the server that you plan to use. You must either map a local drive to the server, or provide a valid UNC path.

For example, suppose that you set up a local external drive as your first Offsite Copy destination. Then you identify a server that is located at a second physical location from your own office. You add the remote server as a second Offsite Copy destination. As backups occur, recovery points are copied first to the external hard drive, and then to the remote server.

If the remote server becomes unavailable for a period of time, Offsite Copy copies all recovery points created since the last connection. If there is no room to hold all of the recovery points available, Offsite Copy removes the oldest recovery points from the FTP server, making room for the newest recovery points.

75Backing up entire drives

How Offsite Copy works

Using an FTP server as your Offsite Copy destination

Using an FTP server as your Offsite Copy destination is similar to using a server. You must provide a valid FTP path to the FTP server.

You must also provide the correct FTP connection information to Norton Ghost in order for this method to work correctly. When Offsite Copy is configured correctly, it copies recovery points to the directory that you specified on the FTP server. If the server becomes unavailable for a period of time, Offsite Copy copies all recovery points created since the last connection. If there is no room to hold all of the recovery points available, Offsite Copy removes the oldest recovery points from the FTP server, making room for the newest recovery points.

See “Configuring FTP settings for use with Offsite Copy” on page 42.

Backing up entire drives

How Offsite Copy works

77Backing up entire drives

How Offsite Copy works

Backing up entire drives

How Offsite Copy works

Backing up files and folders

This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Defining a file and folder backup

■ Folders excluded by default from file and folder backups

Defining a file and folder backup

When you define and run a file and folder backup, copies are made of each of the files and folders that you have chosen to back up. They are converted into a compressed format, and then stored in a sub-folder at the location you specify, which by default is the same backup destination that is used for storing recovery points.

To define a file and folder backup

On the Home page, click Run or Manage Backups.

In the Run or Manage Backups window, click Define New.

If you have not yet defined a backup, the Easy Setup dialog appears.

Select Back up selected files and folders, and then click Next.

Chapter

Select the files and folders you want to include in your backup, and then click Next.

Selecting file types lets Norton Ghost find and include files that match the files you want backed up. If a file type is not included in the predefined list, click Add File Type. You can also manually select folders or individual files.

Note: On all versions of Windows, except for Windows Vista, the My Documents folder contains two subfolders by default: My Pictures and My Music. These folders contain only the shortcuts to folders at another location and not the actual files. This might lead you to think that by including My Documents and all subfolders in your backup, your picture and music files will get backed up.

If you intend to back up your pictures and music files, be sure to include the actual folders where your files are stored. On Windows Vista, these folders exist at the same level as Documents (formerly, My Documents).

In the Name box, type a name for your new backup.

In the Description (optional) box, type a description for the new backup.

Click Browse to locate a folder for storing your backup data or accept the default location.

Note: You cannot use an encrypted folder as your backup destination. If you want to encrypt your backup data to prevent another user from accessing it, refer to the next step.

To modify advanced options, click Advanced. Do any of the following:

■ Click Use password, and then type a password.

Use standard characters, not extended characters or symbols. You must type this password before you restore a backup or view its contents.

■ For an additional level of security, click Use encryption to encrypt your

file data.

■ In the Exclude group box, uncheck any of the folders you want to include

in your backup. The folders listed are typically not used for storing personal files or folders.

These folders are backed up whenyou define and run a drive-based backup of your system drive (typically C).

Click OK, and then click Next.

Backing up files and folders

Defining a file and folder backup

Click Schedule if you want the backup to run automatically, according to a

schedule.

If you want to run the backup only when you start it manually, uncheck

Schedule.

Enter a start time and select the days of the week when the backup should

run.

For advanced scheduling options, such as setting up event triggers that start

the backup in response to specific events, click Advanced and configure any

of the following options:

Do one or more of the following:

■ Click Schedule, and then select the

days and a start time for when the backup should run.

■ Check Run more than once per day if

you frequently modify data that you want to protect.

Also, specify the maximum time that should occur between backups and the number of times per day that the backup should run.

Schedule (Backup Time)

Select the type of events that should automatically start the backup.

See “Enabling event-triggered backups ” on page 87.

Event Triggers (General)

Click Next to review the backup options you have selected.

To review the total number and size of files to be included in the backup, click

Preview.

Note: Depending on the amount of data you have identified for file and folder

backup, the preview process could take several minutes.

If you want to run the new backup immediately, click Run backup now, and

then click Finish.

81Backing up files and folders

Defining a file and folder backup

Folders excluded by default from file and folder backups

The following folders and their contents are excluded automatically from file and folder backups:

■ Windows folder

■ Program Files folder

■ Temporary folder

■ Temporary Internet Files folder

These folders are typically not used for storing personal files or folders. However, they are backed up when you define and run a drive-based backup of your system drive (typically C).

See “Defining a file and folder backup ” on page 79.

You can include these folders when you define a file and folder backup.

Backing up files and folders

Folders excluded by default from file and folder backups

Running and managing backup jobs

This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Running an existing backup job immediately

■ Adjusting the speed of a backup

■ Stopping a backup or recovery task

■ Verifying that a backup is successful

■ Editing backup settings

■ Enabling event-triggered backups

■ Editing a backup schedule

■ Turning off a backup job

■ Deleting backup jobs

■ Adding users who can back up your computer

Running an existing backup job immediately

This is particularly useful when you are about to install a new product and want to make sure you have a current recovery point in the event that something goes wrong with the installation. It can also help you to ensure that you have a backup of your work after you have modified a large number of files and you don't want to wait for a regularly scheduled backup.

You can run an existing backup at any time.

Chapter

Note: If necessary, you can run a quick backup of a particular drive without using a defined backup.

See “Running a One Time Backup” on page 63..

Norton Ghost can be configured to run a backup automatically when an event occurs on your computer, such as installing a new software program.

See “Enabling event-triggered backups ” on page 87.

When you run a backup, you should close anypartitioning software that is running, such as Norton PartitionMagic. Also, you should not run any disk defragmenting software during a backup.

You can also schedule backups to run automatically, according to a schedule.

See “Editing a backup schedule ” on page 89.

To run an existing backup immediately from the system tray

On the Windows desktop, right-click the Norton Ghost system tray icon.

Click Run Backup Now.

Click a backup job to start the backup.

If the menus displays No Jobs, you must start Norton Ghost and define a backup.

To run an existing backup immediately from within Norton Ghost

On the Home page, click Run or Manage Backups.

Select a backup from the list, and then click Run Now.

Run a backup with options

If you want to quickly runan existing drive-based backup, but you want thebackup to create an alternate type of recovery point, use the Run Backup With Options feature.

This is a unique option in that if you run an existing backup job, the recovery point created is dictated by the type of recovery point that was created the last time the backup job was run. Use this option to create an alternate recovery point type.

Note: Using this option does not change the settings of the defined backup. To do that, you must open the backup and modify its settings manually.

See “Editing a backup schedule ” on page 89.

Running and managing backup jobs

Running an existing backup job immediately

See “Editing backup settings” on page 87.

To run a backup with options

On the Home page, click Run or Manage Backups.

In the Run or Manage Backups window, select the drive-based backup job

that you want to run.

Click Tasks > Run Backup With Options.

Select one of the following options:

Note: Depending on the current state of the backup, one or more options

might be disabled. For example, if youhave not yet run the backup, you cannot

select the first option, Incremental recovery point of recent changes, because

the base recovery point has not yet been created.

Select this option if the backup already has a base recovery point created and you want to simply capture changes made to the drive since the last backup.

Incremental recovery point of recent

changes

Select this option if you want to start a completely new recovery point set. When you select this option, a base recovery point is created.

New recovery point set

Select this option to create an independent recovery point, which is a complete snap shot of your entire drive.

To specify an alternate backup location, click Browse.

Independent recovery point

Click OK to run the backup job and create the recoverypoint type you selected.

Adjusting the speed of a backup

Depending on the speed of your computer, how much RAM you have installed, and the number of programs you are running during a backup, your computer could become sluggish.

You can manually adjust the effect of a backup on the performance of your computer to match your needs at the moment. This feature is useful if you are working on your computer and don't want the backup process to slow you down.

85Running and managing backup jobs

Adjusting the speed of a backup

To adjust the performance of a backup

While a backup is running, on the View menu, click Progress and Performance.

Do one of the following:

■ If you want to increase the speed of your computer by reducing the speed

of the backup, drag the slider toward Slow.

■ If you want the backup to complete as quickly as possible and you are not

doing extensive work on your computer, drag the slider toward Fast.

When you are finished, click Hide to dismiss the Progress and Performance dialog box.

Stopping a backup or recovery task

You can stop a backup or a recovery task that has already started.

To stop a backup or recovery task

◆

Do one of the following:

■ On theView menu, click ProgressandPerformance, and then click Cancel

Operation.

■ On the Windows system tray, right-click the Norton Ghost tray icon, and

then click Cancel Current Operation.

Verifying that a backup is successful

After a backup completes, you can validate the success of the backup from the Status page to ensure you have a way to recover lost or damaged data.

The Status page contains a scrolling calendar that is aligned with each drive on your computer. The calendar lets you quickly identify when a backup ran, and what type of backup it was. It also identifies upcoming, scheduled backups.

See “Monitoring backup protection from the Status page ” on page 109.

Note: When you define a drive-based backup, you should select theoption to verify the recovery point after it is created.

Depending on the amount of data being backed up, this can significantly increase the time it takes to complete the backup. However, it can ensure that you have a valid recovery point when the backup finishes.

Running and managing backup jobs

Stopping a backup or recovery task

See “Verifying a recovery point after creation ” on page 71.

To verify the success of a backup

On the Status page, review the Backups calendar, and verify that the backup

appears on the date that you ran it.

Move your mouse over a backup icon to review the status of the backup.

Editing backup settings

You can modify the settings of an existing backup. The Edit Settings feature gives you access to several of the keypages of theDefine Backup Wizard. You can modify every setting except the option to change the recovery point type.

To edit backup settings

On the Home or Tasks pages, click Run or Manage Backups.

Select a backup to edit.

Click Edit Settings.

Make changes to the backup.

See “Defining a drive-based backup ” on page 57.

See “Defining a file and folder backup ” on page 79.

Enabling event-triggered backups

Norton Ghost can detect certain events and run a backup when they occur.

For example, to protect your computer when you install new software, Norton Ghost can run a backup when it detects that new software is being installed. If a problem occurs that harms your computer, you can use this recovery point to restore your computer to its previous state.

You can configure Norton Ghost to automatically run a backup when the following events occur:

■ Any application is installed

■ A specified application is started

■ Any user logs on to Windows

■ Any user logs off of Windows

■ The data added to a drive exceeds a specified number of megabytes

This option is unavailable for file and folder backups.

87Running and managing backup jobs

Editing backup settings

■ The Maxtor OneTouch™ external hard drive button is pushed

Note: This feature only appears if you have a Maxtor OneTouch drive installed, and you are running a Windows XP 32-bit platform.

To enable event-triggered backups

On the Home or Tasks page, click Run or Manage Backups.

Select the backup you want to edit, and then click Change Schedule.

Click General under Event Triggers.

Select the events you want detected, and then click OK.

Enabling Symantec ThreatCon Response

ThreatCon is Symantec's early warning security threat system. When Symantec identifies various threats, the ThreatCon team adjusts the threat level to give people and systems adequate warning inorder to protect data andsystemsagainst attack.

When you enable the Symantec ThreatCon Response trigger for a particular backup job, Norton Ghost detects changes in the threat level, assuming your computer is online at the time. When Norton Ghost detects that the ThreatCon level you chose is either reached or exceeded, the backup job in which you enabled Symantec ThreatCon Response is started automatically. You then have a recovery point to use to recover your data should your computer become affected by the latest threat.

Note: If your computer is not online, then it is not susceptible to online threats. But if you connect your computer to the Internet at any time, it becomes vulnerable. You do not have to enable or disable Symantec ThreatCon Response when you go on or off line. It simply works if you are online, but does nothing if you are off line.

Table 8-1

Norton Ghost ThreatCon levels

DescriptionThreat

Level

No discernable security threats exist.Level 1

Security threats could occur, although no specific threats have been known to occur.

Level 2

Running and managing backup jobs

Enabling event-triggered backups

Table 8-1

Norton Ghost ThreatCon levels (continued)

DescriptionThreat

Level

An isolated security threat is in progress.Level 3

Extreme global security threats are in progress.Level 4

Formore information about Symantec ThreatCon,visit http://www.symantec.com.

To configure Symantec ThreatCon Response

On the Home or Tasks page, click Run or Manage Backups.

Select the backup you want to edit, and then click Change Schedule.

Click ThreatCon Response under Event Triggers.

From the drop-down list, select the threat level that when met or exceeded

should start your backup job, and then click OK.

Note: Level 1 of Symantec ThreatCon indicates that there are no threats.

Because level 1 suggests no threats, it is not an option in the drop-down list.

However, you can disable Symantec ThreatCon Reponse by choosing the first

option.

See “To disable Symantec ThreatCon Response” on page 89.

To disable Symantec ThreatCon Response

On the Home or Tasks page, click Run or Manage Backups.

Select the backup you want to edit, and then click Change Schedule.

Click ThreatCon Response under Event Triggers.

From the drop-down list, select Do Not Monitor - Disable, and then click OK.

Editing a backup schedule

You can edit any of the schedule properties for a defined backup to adjust the date and time.

To edit a backup schedule

On the Home page, click Run or Manage Backups.

Select a backup to edit.

89Running and managing backup jobs

Editing a backup schedule

Click Change Schedule.

Make changes to the schedule, and then click OK.

Turning off a backup job

You can turn off a backup and re-enable it later. When you turn off a backup, it will not run according to its defined schedule, if it has one. When a backup is turned off, triggered events will not run it, nor can you run it manually.

You can also delete a defined backup (not recovery points).

See “Deleting backup jobs ” on page 90.

To turn off a backup job

On the Home page, click Run or Manage Backups.

Select the backup that you want to turn off.

Click Tasks > Disable Backup.

Repeat this procedure to re-enable the backup. The Disable Backup menu item changes to Enable Backup when you disable the selected backup.

Deleting backup jobs

You can delete backup jobs when they are no longer needed.

Deleting a backup job does not delete the recovery points or file and folder backup data from the storage location. Only the backup job is deleted.

If you wantto delete backup data (recovery points andfile and folder backup data), refer to the following topics:

See “Managing recovery points” on page 127.

To delete backup jobs

On the Home page, click Run or Manage Backups.

Select one or more backups, and then click Remove.

Click Yes.

Adding users who can back up your computer

You can use the Security Configuration Tool to control which users on your computer can access and configure key features of Norton Ghost.

Running and managing backup jobs

Turning off a backup job

For example, all users with Limited Windows accounts can run existing backup jobs, but they cannot create new jobs or modify existing jobs. However, using the Security Configuration Tool, you can grant administrative privileges to a Limited user account. When you do, that user has full access to Norton Ghost and can create, modify, delete, and run backup jobs.

Note: By default, all users can run existing backup jobs. But only users with administrative accounts can create, edit, or delete backup jobs.

To add users who can back up a computer

On the Windows taskbar, click Start> Programs> Symantec > Norton Ghost

> Security Configuration Tool.

On Windows Vista, click Start > All Programs > Symantec > Security

Configuration Tool.

Click Add.

In the Enter the object names to select box, type the names of the users or

groups you want to add.

Click OK.

To delete users or groups, select a user or group, and then click Remove.

Click OK to apply your changes and close the Security Configuration Tool.

To configure access rights for users or groups

On the Windows taskbar, click Start> Programs> Symantec > Norton Ghost

> Security Configuration Tool

On Windows Vista, click Start > All Programs > Symantec > Security

Configuration Tool.

Select a user or group from the Group or user names box.

91Running and managing backup jobs

Adding users who can back up your computer

Choose from the following options:

DenyAllowPermissions

Select to deny the user or group administrative access to the features of Norton Ghost. They can run existing backup jobs, but they cannot create, edit, or delete them.

Select to give the user or group full access to all of the features of Norton Ghost. Full control gives users the right to create, edit, and delete backup jobs, including existing jobs.

Full Control

When you deny Status Only, the user or group cannot access any of the features of Norton Ghost.

Select to deny the user or group administrative access to the features of Norton Ghost. They can run existing backup jobs, but they cannot create, edit, or delete them.

Status Only

Click OK to apply your changes and close the Security Configuration Tool.

Running and managing backup jobs

Adding users who can back up your computer

Backing up remote computers from your computer

This chapter includes the following topics:

■ About backing up other computers from your computer

■ Adding computers to the Computer List

■ Deploying the agent

■ Using the Norton Ghost Agent

■ Managing the agent through Windows Services

■ Best practices for using services

■ Controlling access to Norton Ghost

About backing up other computers from your computer

Norton Ghost lets you connect to, and back up a second computer on your home or office network. You can manage as many computers as needed, but you can only manage one computer at a time.

Chapter

Note: Youmust purchase a separate license for each computer you want to manage. You can deploy the agent without a license for a 30-day evaluation. After that time, you must purchase and install the license to continue managing the remote computer. You can purchase additional licenses at the Symantec Global Store. Visit:

http://shop.symantecstore.com

First, you add a computer's name or IP address to the Computer List. Then, you deploy the Norton GhostAgent to the remote computer. Once the agent isinstalled, the computer automatically restarts. After the computer restarts, you can then connect to thecomputer. When you do, theNortonGhost product interface changes to reflect the status of the remote computer. At any time, you can switch back to manage your own, local computer.

Adding computers to the Computer List

Before you can back up drives on a remote computer, you must first add the computer to the Computer List. You can then quickly switch between your local computer and any other computer on the list.

To add computers to the Computer List

On the Norton Ghost menu bar, click Computers > Add.

Do one of the following:

■ Type the name of the computer

■ Type the IP address of the computer

If you are in a workgroup environment instead of a domain you must manually specify thecomputer name for the computeryou want to manage by browsing to it by using the Browse button.

If you don't know the name of the computer, or its IP address, click Browse and search for the computer you want to add, and then click OK.

Click OK to add the computer to the Computer List.

To add a local computer

On the Norton Ghost menu bar, click Computers > Add Local Computer.

Click OK.

Backing up remote computers from your computer

Adding computers to the Computer List

To remove a computer from the Computer List

On the Norton Ghost menu bar, click Computers > Edit List.

Select the remote computer that you want to remove, click the minus sign

(-), and then click OK.

Note: Removing a computer from the Computer List does not uninstall the

agent from the computer. You must run your operating system's uninstall

program.

Deploying the agent

You candeploy the Norton GhostAgent to the computers that are on the Computer List by using the Agent Deployment feature. After you install the agent, you can create backup jobs directly from Norton Ghost.

Note: Because of increased security with Windows Vista, you cannot deploy the Norton Ghost Agent to Windows Vista without making security configuration changes. The same issue occurs when you attempt to deploy the agent from Windows Vista to another computer. You can manually install the agent on the target computer using the product CD.

Note: If you deselected the Agent Deployment option during installation, this feature is not available. You can run the installation again, and select the Modify option to add this feature back in.

You can install the agent to a computer that has less than 256 MB of RAM. However, Symantec Recovery Disk requires at least 512 MB of RAM for restoring the computer. Your computer must meet the minimum memory requirement to run the Recover My Computer wizard or the Recovery Point Browser from the recovery environment.

Note: If you are installing a multilingual version of the product, you must have a minimum of 768 MB of RAM to run the Symantec Recovery Disk.

If your computers are set up in a workgroup environment, you should prepare your local computer before you deploy an agent.

95Backing up remote computers from your computer

Deploying the agent

To prepare a computer in a workgroup environment to deploy the agent

On the Windows taskbar, right-click Start, and then click Explore .

On the Tools menu, click Folder Options > View.

On the View tab, scroll to the end of the list and verify that the Use simple file sharing check box is unchecked, and then click OK.

On the Windows taskbar, click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Windows Firewall.

On the Exceptions tab, check File and Printer Sharing, and then click OK.

Note: You should close any open applications before you continue with the agent installation. If the Reboot check box is selected, the computer will automatically restart at the end of the installation wizard.

To deploy the Norton Ghost Agent

On the Norton Ghost menu bar, click Computers > select a computer from the menu.

You must have administrator rights on the computer to which you are installing the agent.

Click Deploy Agent.

In the Deploy Norton Ghost Agent dialog box, specify the administrator user name (or a user name that has administrator rights) and the password.

In a workgroup environment, you must specify the remote computer name. You cannot use an IP address, even if you have successfully connected to the computer by using an IP address.

For example, type RemoteComputerName\UserName

If you want to restart the computer when the agent installation is finished, click Reboot when finished.

Note: The computer cannot be backed up until the computer is restarted. However, be sure to warn the user of the impending reboot so that they can save their work.

Click OK.

Backing up remote computers from your computer

Deploying the agent

To manually install the agent

Insert the Norton Ghost product CD into the media drive of the computer.

The installation program should start automatically.

If the installation program does notstart, onthe Windows taskbar, click Start

> Run, type the following command, then click OK.

<drive>:\autorun.exe

where <drive> is the drive letter of your media drive.

For Windows Vista, if the Run option is not visible, do the following:

■ Right-click the Start button, and click Properties.

■ On the Start Menu tab, click Customize.

■ Scroll down and check Run command.

■ Click OK.

In the CD browser panel, click Install Norton Ghost.

In the Welcome panel, click Next.

Read the license agreement, click I accept the terms in the license agreement,

and then click Next.

If you want to change the default location for the program files, click Change,

locate the folder in which you want to install the agent, and then click OK.

Click Next.

Click Custom, and then click Next.

Click Norton GhostService, and then click This feature will be installed on

local hard drive.

This feature is the agent.

Set all other features to This feature will not be installed.

Click Next, and then click Install.

Using the Norton Ghost Agent

The Norton Ghost Agent is the unseen “engine” that does the actual backing up and restoring of data on a remote computer. Because the Norton Ghost Agent functions as a service, it does not have a graphical interface.

See “Managing the agent through Windows Services” on page 98.

See “Controlling access to Norton Ghost ” on page 103.

97Backing up remote computers from your computer

Using the Norton Ghost Agent

The Norton Ghost Agent does, however, have a tray icon available from the Windows system tray to provide feedback of current conditions and to perform common tasks. For example, you can view backup jobs created for the computer, reconnect the Norton Ghost Agent, or cancel a task that is currently running.

You can install the agent manually by visiting each computer you want to protect and install the agent from the product CD. A more efficient method, however, is to use the Norton Ghost Deploy Agent feature to remotely install the agent on a computer in the domain whose data you want to protect.

To use the Norton Ghost Agent

◆

On the Windows system tray, do one of the following:

■ Right-click the Norton Ghost trayicon, and then click Reconnect to restart

the service automatically. You cannot run a backup until the service is running.

■ If Norton Ghost is installed on the computer, double-click the Norton

Ghost tray icon to start the program. If only the agent is installed, double-clicking the tray icon only displays

an About dialog box.

■ If the computer has Norton Ghost installed, right-click the Norton Ghost

tray icon to display a menu of common Norton Ghost Agent tasks.

Managing the agent through Windows Services

The Norton Ghost Agent is a Windows service that runs in the background.

It provides the following:

■ locally running scheduled backup jobs, even when there are no users, or an

unprivileged user, logged on to the computer

■ Allows administrators to remotely back upcomputersthroughout an enterprise

from Norton Ghost running on another computer.

See “Using the Norton Ghost Agent ” on page 97.

To use the features of Norton Ghost, the Norton Ghost Agent must be started and properly configured. You can use the Windows Services tool to manage and troubleshoot the agent.

Note: To manage the Norton Ghost Agent, you must be logged on as a local administrator.

You can manage the Norton Ghost Agent in the following ways:

Backing up remote computers from your computer

Managing the agent through Windows Services

■ Start, stop, or disable the Norton Ghost Agent on local and remote computers.

See “Starting or stopping the agent service” on page 100.

■ Configurethe user name and password that isused by the NortonGhost Agent.

See “Controlling access to Norton Ghost ” on page 103.

■ Set up recovery actions to take place if the Norton Ghost Agent fails to start.

For example, you can restart the Norton Ghost Agent automatically or restart the computer.

See “Setting up recovery actions when the agent does not start” on page 101.

Best practices for using services

Table 9-1 describes some best practices for using services.

Table 9-1

Best practices for using services

DescriptionBest practice

The Events tab in the Advancedview can help you to track down the source of a problem, particularly when it is associated with the Norton Ghost Agent. You shouldview the most recent log entries in the Events tab for more information about the potential causes of the problem.

Check the Events tab first before using Services.

The Norton Ghost Agent is configured to start automatically when Norton Ghost starts. You can view the status information to verify that the Norton Ghost Agent has started. The Status area in the Task pane displays a Ready status message when the agent starts.

You can also test that the Norton Ghost Agent is starting automatically by looking inServices.You can check the status and restart the service if necessary. If the Startup type is set to automatic, you should restart the agent.

See “Starting or stopping the agent service” on page 100.

Verify that the Norton Ghost Agent starts without user intervention.

99Backing up remote computers from your computer

Best practices for using services

Table 9-1

Best practices for using services (continued)

DescriptionBest practice

Changing the default Norton Ghost Agent properties can prevent Norton Ghost from running correctly. You should use caution when changing the default Startup type and Log On settings of the Norton Ghost Agent. It is configuredto start andlog on automatically when you start Norton Ghost .

Use caution when changing default settings for the Norton Ghost Agent.

Opening Services

There are several methods you can use to open Services to manage the Norton Ghost Agent.

To open Services

Do one of the following:

■ On the Windows Vista taskbar, click Start > Control Panel > Classic View

> Administrative Tools, and then double-click Services.

■ On the Windows taskbar, click Start > Settings > Control Panel >

Administrative Tools > Services.

■ On the Windows XP taskbar, click Start > Control Panel > Performance

andMaintenance>AdministrativeTools, and then double-clickServices.

■ On the Windows taskbar, click Start > Run.

In the Open text field, type services.msc, and then click OK.

Under the Name column, scroll through the list of services until you see Norton Ghost (the name of the agent).

Its status should be Started.

See “Starting or stopping the agent service” on page 100.

Starting or stopping the agent service

To start, stop, or restart the Norton Ghost Agent service, you must be logged on as an administrator. (If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings might prevent you from completing these tasks.)

You might need to start, stop, or restart the Norton Ghost Agent service for the following reasons:

Backing up remote computers from your computer

Best practices for using services

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