My problem was similar to one titled "Ghost 15 Backup Destination Problem" which is labled as solved, so I could not post this addenda to it.
The above thread did not have the final piece I seemed to need to get mounts and dismounts to work properly.
Environment:
- Brand new Dell laptop
- Windows 7 64-bit with all current Microsoft Updates installed
- Brand new, Boxed, Norton Ghost 15 showing as: 15.0.1.36526. Symantec Update shows this to be current
- GenericMountHelperx64.exe showing as: 1.0.0.36225
- Ghost Backup of my old machine, created using the Norton Ghost 9 installed on that old machine.
Problem Outline:
On the new Win7 machine, I was successfully using the Ghost15 browser to inspect files contained in that backup
When I tried to mount the backup file on the Win 7 machine from within the Ghost 15 image browser:
- I got a display indicating that Norton Ghost was being configured. (not expected!)
- I got the E98F002C error.
- The mount appeard to have succeeded. I could view directories and open files from windows explorer.
- When I tried to dismount the image I got the "no information" failure described in the above referenced thread.
It took a windows restart to dismount the backup file.
Attempting to mount the backup via windows explorer failed.
Having found the above problem thread, I went to Services and determined that I did not have an entry for a "GenericMountHelper" service listed.
I then went to the Control Panel-> -> Programs and Features and invoked Repair for Norton Ghost.
When that completed, Services showed a "GenericMountHelper" service with startup type "Manual".
I again attempted to mount the backup from withing the Ghost15 browser. This resulted in the same unexpected Ghost configuration sequence, the E98F002C error, and a mounted backup file that I could work in via windows explorer but could not dismount.
Inspection of Services no longer showed a "GenericMountHelper" service.
I restarted the machine to get the file dismounted, Inspected Services to verify that there was no "GenericMountHelper" service, andi performed the Repair on Norton Ghost again.
This time I restarted after the repair completed. Inspection of Services again showed a "GenericMountHelper" service with startup type "Manual".
Another mount try, same problem.
Repair, Restart...
I decided to try something different.
I manually started the "GenericMountHelper" service. No "configuration" messages. Service showed as started.
Once again I attempted to mount the backup from within the Ghost image browser.
- - > Success! and No Errors reported!
I attempted a dismount. Also Success! and No Errors Reported!
I manually stopped the "GenericMountHelper" service.
From with in Windows Explorer I navigated to the backup location and mounted it. Success and no errors likewise the dismount.
I returned to the image browser. Again I was able to mount and dismount the backup from within the image browser.
- - > Mounts and dismounts have worked correctly ever since.
My guess is that by manually starting the service something got set somewhere in the registry or within the Norton Ghost environment that was not properly set during the initial install or subsequent repairs. And that this "something" was what caused the mounts to invoke the Ghost configuration sequence that appears to have killed the "GenericMountHelper" service.
Inspection of Device Manager-> Generic Mount Devices shows two "Generic Mount Control Device" entries, each flagged with a yellow triangle with exclamation point. When I open properties on either of these, I see "This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device. (Code 31)".
From the View menu I turned on "Show Hidden Devices" which revealed a third "Generic Mount Control Device" entry which does not have the yellow triangle and whose properties indicate that it is working properly.
A registry scan shows that there are now many seemingly duplicate entries with "GenericMount" or "Generic Mount" as the searchable key which are all tagged as being "Symantec" related.
Bottom Line:
At least in my instance, the trick was to manually start the service at least once before trying to mount anything. It would appear that by doing so (I was logged on under an admin ID) things got loaded/configured where they belonged.
Speculation on my part:
The CODE 31 seems to indicate that the "Ghost configuration" sequence that was launched for the first "GenericMountHelper" service start after install/repair (invoked by way of the first attempted mount) did not run at high enough authority to configure/load the necessary bits.