Ghost15: Doesn't really seem to support Win7 Bitlocker (in my tests)

Team:

 

I was unable to perform a full successful test run of Norton Ghost 15 with my Windows Vista Ultimate Laptop with Bitlocker enabled.

 

I was able to:

 

() Complete a backup (both the 100MB and C: drive partitions)

() Complete an offline / ghost CD-ROM boot disk restore of both

() Using the CD's "browsing function" I was able to see that the data was restored UNENCRYPTED back to the drive. That kind of surprised me.

 

I tried to reboot to test out my restore: The new (target) replacement disk did not boot. When re-booted, it only just "stopped" there... It never proceeded to actually boot. I tried to run the MBR fix from the CD.. and that didn't do anything to fix.

 

In a related test, on a non-Bitlocker machine, I was able to perfectly restore the 100MB and C: partition just fine.

 

Open to suggestions to:

 

() Get the partition to boot

() Restore automatically with Bitlocker

 

Unhappy as of right now.. hoping to get a satisfactory answer.

 

Jeremy Moskowitz

Microsoft MVP

Okay..

 

I'm okay with the restore NOT being Bitlocker-ed. Microsoft' own restore explains (at restore time) that Bitlocker is turned off after a restore, and to re-bitlocker after first reboot. That's fine.. that makes sense to me. I can understand that Ghost must work in a similar way.

 

Some questions and answers..

 

1. What does "including support for Bitlocker™" mean on the Ghost 15 home page mean then?

http://www.symantec.com/norton/ghost

 

2. If there is "support for Bitlocker" I wouldn't have to un-bitlocker the drive to backup restore

 

3. What options *SHOULD* I have checked off on the restore? I'm happy to re-try my restore again specifying the exact options you think I should click.

 

Let me know, and I'll try it tonite. Thanks.

 

 

Team:

 

I was unable to perform a full successful test run of Norton Ghost 15 with my Windows Vista Ultimate Laptop with Bitlocker enabled.

 

I was able to:

 

() Complete a backup (both the 100MB and C: drive partitions)

() Complete an offline / ghost CD-ROM boot disk restore of both

() Using the CD's "browsing function" I was able to see that the data was restored UNENCRYPTED back to the drive. That kind of surprised me.

 

I tried to reboot to test out my restore: The new (target) replacement disk did not boot. When re-booted, it only just "stopped" there... It never proceeded to actually boot. I tried to run the MBR fix from the CD.. and that didn't do anything to fix.

 

In a related test, on a non-Bitlocker machine, I was able to perfectly restore the 100MB and C: partition just fine.

 

Open to suggestions to:

 

() Get the partition to boot

() Restore automatically with Bitlocker

 

Unhappy as of right now.. hoping to get a satisfactory answer.

 

Jeremy Moskowitz

Microsoft MVP

Normally if encryption is present, previous versions would just give an error saying it's not supported.  In order to get a backup of a bitlocked drive, you need an unencrypted copy of the volume as the drive is keyed to the hardware and to the OS.  Locked you won't even be able to access the data as the key would not be present as the OS would be different.  As to what you are experiencing, it's possible that the BCD may be corrupt. 

 

As to what to do next, check out the following thread:

http://community.norton.com/t5/Other-Norton-Products/Windows-7-and-the-System-Reserved-Partition/td-p/171415/page/3

Can also check out this thread:

http://community.norton.com/t5/Other-Norton-Products/Copy-My-Hard-Drive-Window-7-and-Ghost-15/td-p/184679/page/2

 

 

 

Wait wait wait..

 

Let's take a it back to the 20 yard line here.

 

1. The SOURCE drive is encryped with Bitlocker

2. The SOURCE drive has the 100MB "related" partition

3. The SOURCE backs up just fine.

4. The SOURCE is RESTORED to the TARGET just fine, and is restored UNENCRYPTED .. all JUST FINE.

4. The TARGET is restored.. un-bitlockerd (which I expect.)

 

It sounds very incongrous to have to "turn off bitlocker" before a backup if:

 

1. The website clearly states that BItlocker is supported. If it WASNT supported, it shouldn't be on the web site so prominantly displayed.

 

2. The RESULTS I am getting show that restoring a SOURCE drive to a TARGET ... is un-bitlockered. Again, that is fine.

 

What is NOT FINE, is that the partition is not bootable from the TARGET upon a RESTORE.

 

I have read those articles.

 

I cannot see any advice in those threads which will result in a way to re-associate the BCD partition as active and the SYSTEM disk, and the C: drive as the BOOT disk.

 

What steps, using the Ghost bootable CD tool would enable me to do that, if that is indeed the problem? (Which it might be.)

 

 

Steps are also in the following document:

 

 http://www.symantec.com/norton/support/kb/web_view.jsp?wv_type=public_web&docurl=20100119144100EN

 

I have performed that. It made no change.