Norton Ghost 9 / Converter (take two).

[VirtualAlexS]

Hi

This is a rehash of a recent post, I though it best to start again...

I'm using vCenter Converter standalone client v4 build 146302 on Windows XP.

I'm trying to convert Norton Ghost 9 files (version 9.0.2.3981), which appears supported....

However when I select the "Backup image" option and give it my ghost file (with .sv2i extension) and click next it comes up with:

"The source virtual machine is not recognized"

Norton Ghost is supported according to the documentation:

• Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 or 2007

• Microsoft VirtualServer 2005

• Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery 6.5, 7.0, 8.0

• Symantec LiveState Recovery 3/6

• Norton Ghost versions from 9 to 14

• Acronis True Image Backup

• Parallels Desktop for Microsoft Windows 2.5, 3.0

• ShadowProtect Desktop, Server, SBS, IT, etc versions from 2.0 to 3.2

• VMware Consolidated Backup

I then started using VMImporter, it gave me better clues as to what might be going on (I note that MS XML 4 Parser SP3 must be installed for it to work).

It seems that it's fussy about the destination drive (anyone know about this?), and there is an issue whereby if a partition is not active it will not work. I would have hoped the software could make the cloned image "active"..

Further Background:

I use a bootloader that allows me to use more than 4 active partitions, the way it works is that it makes the parition active when you select the option from the bootloader. All my disks are SATA

So is anybody specifically having issues specifically with Norton Ghost 9 and this software, and shouldn't there be an option to make an VMImage active if it's inactive? And why is it fussy about destination disks (sometimes it states a path is missing for example when trying to copy the cloned image, when I've easily pointed the software in the right location).

NB this software is supposed to be supported so please avoid telling me to use other products :). I just need to convert my images to VM's then I can throw away Ghost...

Thanks

[victorg]

If you were trying to use VMware's VMImporter,Ghost 9 would not work at all. It's a much older version of Converter. I have googled the error returned by Ghost (ED800019) and one hit was related to incremental backups. Is your source incremental? Do you have other Ghost backups you could try importing?

[VirtualAlexS]

Hi Victorg...

All my ghost images are full paritions taken in one shot, I definately don't do incremental, I back up the whole lot overnight using ghost. I've tried lots of Ghost backups, all recently created, none of them work :(...

NB I was using both the Converter and importer (out of despiration). The logs attached are from Converter.

Thanks!

[paragsha]

We have updated the Symantec library to support newer versions of Symantec software. From the logs it looks like this is not supporting Ghost 9 images anymore (or there could be a problem with the image itself).

There is one way to verify this. If you can get converter 3.0.3 or WS 6.5 (both of these have older versions of the Symantec library) - that surely support Ghost 9. I will also try and verify it our end and confirm.

[RDPetruska]

Don't try to use Converter to do the imaging step. You already have a Ghost image. Create a new VM, boot it up using the Ghost restore CD, and restore the ghost image onto the virtual hard drive. Then, shut down the VM; run Converter and just select the reconfigure task. This will inject the appropriate drivers into the VM so it will boot properly.

[VirtualAlexS]

Thanks, that sounds interesting. Have not had the time to try the older version of converter.

However I'd like to get it running as designed with converter, or at least inform VMWare that the product does not work as advertised in the hope of a fix on the next release... thanks.

[victorg]

VirtualAlexS,

Thanks for reporting the problem. We are trying to clear this out with Symantec, but it may take some time and will not neccessarily result in a fix. We don't have direct control over third-party image support.

[victorg · Accepted solution]

VirtualAlexS,

Did you use compression in your image and if so, what level of compression was that? It appears we don't support medium compression in old Ghosts. To work around it you would need to convert your image using Ghost export recovery point function. You can convert to any other compression level.

[VirtualAlexS]

I set it at high compression... it still doesn't work I'm afraid... I've had to goto each machine and create images from there...

If Norton Ghost doesn't work (and I do understand you are at the mercy of Symantec's programming libraries) I would take steps to state it is not supported:

Update the external documentation

Update the applicaiton documentation

Detect the version of Ghost and refuse to continue with the application.

... I hope a fix is made for the next version as this is a really useful facility...

Many thanks....

[victorg]

At this point there is nothing we can do without seeing the image. We have some Ghost 9 images and they work fine. However, Symantec will only support 2 most recent version, so we will probably drop Ghost 9 support from the supported formats list in the next version.