Long story short is I am using Ghost 15 in Windows XP SP3. I started With a new Windows install then installed Norton Ghost 15 first with updates. I created several (about 10) "Complete" images not incremental backups while installing Windows Updates and all the different Software used for my Application.
Since my last Image backup, the computer has been shut down & restarted about 50 times with no problems with my OS or applications.
I started getting an error message from one of the software programs that is installed. I couldn't figure out why & how to fix the error so I figured I would restore my hard drive.
Same error now occurs even with a Ghost 15 restore. No matter what Image I restore from the same error is there.
Why would the same error show up after a image restore when it was working corecttly when the Image was created?
Remember since the last image created the computer was restarted about 50 times with no errors.
I thought maybe it is not a complete image backup but then I formatted the hard drive before restoring from a backup and the image restored with the same error.
Why is this happening?
Why isn't Norton Ghost restoring without the error?
Try restoring a "good" image again and choose Restore original disk signature and Restore master boot record. Normally we don't restore these items when restoring images to the same HD but if you have something in the First Track such as a rootkit it will persist after a standard restore without the above options.
I actually tried the Restore original disk signature and Restore master boot record the last few restores I tried with the same end result.
It's a Run-time error but like you said before it sounds like it has to be a hardware problem. Maybe a hardware problem can cause a runtime error? I don't know.
Not sure if you saw but I added above that if I do a Clean Windows install with everything else the error is gone again for a while but then comes back and can't do a image restore that works. I have had this system running in the car for years for the most part trouble free except for recently.
Except for Windows XP & Norton Ghost & almost all of the software installed is not commercially made, just made by hobbyists that know what they are doing. very few bugs except for mine :)
If you or anyone else has any more suggestions please let me know. This is really bugging me.
Tomorrow I will try to swap out some hardware: CPU, Memory, Video card & hard drive and see if it helps but...
If you restored an image that did not contain this program or visual basic I'm sure you wouldn't get the error.
Dave
Edit- Maybe I misunderstood.
If you could restore an image from before that program was installed you wouldn't get the error.
As to why the error keeps coming back, there is something wrong with the program, driver, or associated drivers.
Just like how the error happened the first time, it will reappear sooner or later in the same way from a restored image or a fresh installation. It's a reproducible error and not something happening by chance.
I removed 2 USB Pci cards, I swapped out the Memory & Cpu with same result. Video & audio is on the motherboard. Stil going to try to swap the hard drive and put in a pci-e video card to see what happens.
If I restore the drive to a point before the sofware that is causing the error was installed the error is not there obviously. Then if I install the software it works for a while, weeks-months or even longer until the error comes back (bug, corrupt file, "my guess"). Sounds like a software broblem to me but why am I not getting a true 100% backup from Ghost?
Is there a setting I am missing in Ghost when creating the backup or restore?
I do full backups, manually. All I did was run or manage backups and defined a new backup select the drive to backup and the drive to put the image files on. Then I always select Independent Recovert point so I have a full backup each time I do a backup.
No errors shows up on the backup or restore.
Would it be better to do a backup with the recovery disc and rebooting the computer anhd not doing it in Windows?
If Ghost restores the drive than it is definitely a 100% clean restore of the image in question. It's not a case of things being left behind on the drive you're imaging, so it must be something else.
Since the hardware works again after a re-install, it would appear to be a software or config issue. The software could be saving configuration or other data files in places OTHER than the drive you're restoring and problems in these files may be an issue. For instance, if your USERS folder is on another drive, this may occur. Alternatively, if the software sync settings to an online account of some kind, it could be getting corrupted there.