Norton Ghost 14.0 [Old Version]

I have an older pc with an outdated version of Windows XP. After contracting a virus that forced me to wipe my computer clean, I decided to get Norton Ghost because I dont want to have to call Microsoft every time I need to reinstall the operating system. Its the peace-of-mind in knowing that even after a catastrophe, I can restore my computer to a save point. I havent had to use it, yet, though, knock on wood.

Norton Ghost is a program that lets you back up your computer in the following ways: 1. Drive based backup: Backups the complete disk drive. This is my choice... if the hard disk fails, I can put in a new drive and get the system back in less than an hour. I also use this type of back up to refresh my system every few months... I install a new copy of Windows and all of my basic software, run a backup and anytime my system gets junked up and running slow, I just restore it back. 2. File and folder based backup: This backs up selected files and folders. Faster backing up but a lot longer to get a crashed system restored. You have to reinstall windows and all of your software before restoring the data. 3. Drive copy: Very useful when you want to upgrade your hard disk to a larger one. Ghost also has some nice features: 1. The ability to backup to another hard disk or a network drive. 2. The option to create a recovery disk specific to your computer. This option creates a CD or DVD with the drivers from your computer that will boot it so that you can run Ghost to recover your hard disk. You can create a generic one, but the specific one is much safer. 3. The option to back up another computer from yours (assuming your connected via a network). 4.Conversion to a Virtual Disk format: This is not a backup but something you do to a backup. This converts a drive based backup to an image that can be run in VMware or Microsofts Virtual Server. If you dont know what it is, you dont need it (and most people dont). This is the one function that didnt work for me. I tried to load a Vista image in VMware and after a load of messages about Vista configuring things, it crashed. Conclusion: As is typical with Symantec products, It works and works well (except for the Virtual Disk format using VIsta and VMware). The software is fairly easy to use, but if youre new to this type of software you will need to read the manual.

good luck to you if you have windows 10. And worse yet, if your drive is already encrypted with Symantecs Endpoint Encryption (SEE). And even more luck to you if your drive is NTFS. I got Ghost specifically because it was said in a couple symantec pages that Ghost 7.5+ allows you to make a system disk of a SEE drive. And Ghost 11.5+ also lets you unencrypted the backup. Well, 3 hrs after installing, I still cant get the !#@$#^& thing to do a stinkin system backup to a USB drive. Why? Oh, now the documentation I get with this thing, states that it is capable of making a system backup to another drive, but not a Networked or Removable drive. So, I guess they didnt want to say in the Symantec web site that system backups are only for pc with multiple internal drives?!? Dang, they could have said that in their stinkin web pages *before* I bought this stupid thing...

The reviews say it works with Windows 7, but dont believe it. After a reboot it did try to finish, but I wouldnt trust the program on Windows 7.

Saves a lot of time when things go wrong

All I can say is it plain didnt work. All I wanted to do was a simple system backup to a new hard drive and replace the old one with the new one. The system would not boot with thew new drive. Tried the same process with a free download of a different software and it worked with no problems at all. Norton/Symantec is allowing feature creep to destroy their products. Hey Norton!... users want products that are simple and effective.

] Norton Ghost is supposed to be a top-of the line backup program. I got it from Amazon for a steep discount. It requires matching the drivers on your computer to the drivers contained on the software CD. IF your drivers dont match or if your CD/DVD drive does not use GEAR technology, you cant perform the function I bought the software for -- creating your own system recovery disk to recover your system in the event of failure. This version is supposed to have both 32- and 64-bit drivers on its disk. it apparently had some 64-bit drivers, because I passed its driver validation test with the exception of my WAN miniport driver. My system is 64-bit. The program told me that I couldnt create a system recovery disk because my drivers didnt match the drivers on the Norton Ghost disk (32-bit drivers). It wanted me to add my own 64-bit drivers from my own system to its disk. I couldnt find all of my own drivers. If I did, how am I going to know Ive found them all and none were left? Oh, also if you dont have an external hard drive to save backups on, Norton Ghost 14 thinks youre screwed. Also, my CD burner stopped functioning while NG 14 was installed... Tried to send Symantec feedback using their feedback feature in the software and they timed out my connection before I finished. I gave up and uninstalled NG 14.0.

Ive used Ghost for a few years. It usually works fine. I use off the shelf PCs and do not have any trouble restoring (luckily only once in all this time). Recently, I added Network Attached Storage (NAS) to my home network. Ghost 10 and 12 worked for a while then had problems doing incremental backups. This newest rev seems to have solved whatever the issues were as I have been doing incremental backups fine for a few months now.

Unfortunately not able to use it, as it had expired. I purchased this in the US, while on holiday there, but it was more than a month before I was able to use it in my computer in Australia. Never the less, Amazon gave me a complete refund, including postage for sending it back to them. Amazon is a great retailer, no wonder they are very successful. Thank you for the great service.

I have enjoyed using Ghost 9, and for some stupid reason, decided to upgrade to 14. It installs a menu system that dumbs down and limits your options. Major problem using if you have an IDE, SCSI, or SATA drives, especially if you installed a Promise type card to get more drive slots. If you need support, all their 800 numbers go through (even during USA daytime) to India or Philippines for support, and they are all following scripted answers. If you try their CHAT they want to have you install software so they can remotely control your desktop in every case, and they still dont fix the problem, or know what is going on. The Gear Software drivers do not work in many cases. If you have other products that use drives/burners like Nero, AnyDVD, etc., you will have conflicts. The price at Nortons website is $70 and it will take more than 10 days if you select the most cost effective method of shipping box. I have wasted almost 5 hours in chat, endless on hold, ridulous telephone routing qeues, and there are no phone numbers to speak with anyone at Symantec in the USA. I will never use another Symantec product again for the rest of my life...and returned this Ghost 14