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Recovering content from a dynamic disc under Server 2003

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by markchip

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The scenario:
Me - an IT amateur running a small business with a small network on Server 2003.
Hardware - small server running 2003 with mirrored dynamic sata discs...
Problem - One drive fails and I want to copy the OS to an image to reinstall on replacement discs. BUT I don't realise what dynamic discs are or how to manage them. Meanwhile I have installed the new discs and read up on dynamic discs and intend to go the hardware raid route. However I would still like to image the OS from the old discs and copy it onto the new ones. How can I access them on either an XP workstation or the 2003 server to do this and what method should I use?
Thanks to all, Regards, Mark

5 replies

by toivo talikka

You can clone a hard drive using Symantec Ghost. There are other such utilities, too. One of the functions of Ghost is to make an image of the hard drive, or each partition, which is compressed. A compressed image from a disc which has just been installed with an operating system would fits onto a DVD.

In your case, if the disc contains both the operating system and all the data, unless the utility can span DVDs, your best bet is to clone the disc or the partitions, one at a time, depending on the size of the destination disc.

by markchip

I'm afraid I've already tried Ghost without success. The data files have been backed up separately so it's just the OS I'm after - to try and save me a full reinstall of Server 2003 (remember I'm an enthusiastic amateur only!).

When I tried Ghost I got nowhere running it with the disc attached to another pc either via usb or direct to the m/board as the "dynamic" nature of the disc wasn't compatible. Running Ghost from a boot floppy also got me nowhere as it refused to go further after reporting bad sectors.

I feel like I'm going to have to bite the bullet and do an OS reinstall and just take my time and read plenty first!!

Thanks, Mark

by toivo talikka

Ghost did the right thing, it refuses to clone the partition if there are bad sectors.

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