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If you have lost a hard drive, you'll appreciate how important your file backups are, but Windows makes it virtually impossible to create a complete hard drive image of your boot drive because it locks many system files when the OS is running. Of course, if you have the budget to mirror your drives, you don't really have a problem, however,
if you don't, the solution we found is awkward to implement, but ultimately effective. Considering how long it takes to rebuild a PC, reinstall your software and restore files from backup media, peace of mind is worth the effort.
The solution relies on PowerQuest's Drive Image Pro software (www.powerquest.com) and DOS networking. Drive Image Pro is DOS-based software that creates a compressed hard-disk image file, OS included. It is simple to install and intuitive to use. That would be the end of story, if you were backing up to a local removable drive or another
system hard drive, but given the size of most [C] drives you'd need at least a 2GB Jaz or equivalent HD to store the image. Most users don't have such a device on their machine.
It is cost-effective to put such a device on the network. We equipped our NT Server with a 2GB Jaz and designated a cartridge for each PC workstation on the network. Simple so far, but here's where it gets tricky. To use Drive Image Pro you have to boot in DOS at which point the network services you rely on in Windows are not present so you
can't see the networked Jaz drive.
To get those network services, you have to create an individual DOS Client boot disk for each workstation. Then you can run Drive Image Pro in DOS, connect to the Jaz network drive and image backup over the network. The instructions to do this are incomplete, confusing, and in some cases just plain wrong. We hope the explanation that follows
is easier to follow and saves you much of the time we wasted going round in circles.
Microsoft provides the necessary files to setup a DOS network client in a two disk set labeled "DOS Client", available from the Microsoft web site or on the NT Server CD, in directory Clients/MSClient. You should create a "Client" directory on your [C] drive and copy the two diskette directories to this folder. Create a new directory within
this "Client" folder and label it "NDIS" to contain specific driver files for the network adapter (Ethernet card) on your workstation.
C:\Client should contain three directories: disk1, disk2, NDIS
Find the installation disks for your network card, or download the latest files from the web and locate the NDIS directory. Copy the contents of this directory to C:\Client\NDIS.
Now you'll create a DOS Client boot diskette using these files. It is important to note that the key to success in the following process seems to depend on choosing the simplest option at every opportunity in the setup process.
Format a boot floppy (including system files) on a Win95 or Win98 machine (NT 4.0 doesn't have this capability) Restart the workstation with this boot floppy inserted Change prompt A:\> to C:\>
Run DOS Client setup, type: C:\>Client\disk1\setup hit Enter
Install without mail option (hit C)
When asked to optimize for adapters refuse (this chews up memory) hit C When presented with adapter list choose line 2... Adapter not in list
When prompted for OEM driver files enter... C:\>Client\NDIS\
If you have the proper files for your network card in the NDIS directory the card will be identified correctly by setup. Complication: Plug and Play for the adapter card may have to be turned off and the IRQ and address set manually for the card to work with DOS and the Network Client. To locate adapter information in the OS. In Windows95
choose the System control panel. In Win NT run Windows NT diagnostics in Admin Tools, and select the Resources Tab
Enter the following setup info: Change name: insert proper Domain name (this is your NT domain name) Change Setup Options: logon to domain, with full redirector to access shared volumes with NT security Change network configuration: remove IPX protocol, add NetBEUI or TCP/IP insert correct address for adapter card Hint: use tab to move between
the upper and lower choices in the setup program. Note: NetBEUI is faster than TCP/IP over the LAN. *Also Client Setup asks for OEM disk when configuring TCP/IP protocol, this is erroneous, the correct disk is the Client setup disk2 at A:\>Client\disk2
When complete press Enter, files will be transferred to boot floppy if certain files cannot be written just ignore. If there is insufficient disk space, expand.exe and setup.exe are not necessary. Setup.exe already exists in C:\Client\disk1 Net.msg and Neth.msg are required help files for the Client to run.
Press Enter to reboot with boot floppy in A:\
DOS Network Client should now be working A:\>NET VIEW will display list of all machines accessible on the network
Map network drive: map to the drive letter on the file server that is the Jaz or backup drive e.g. J A:\>NET USE J: \\domain\drive name
Copy test file to server: using DOS copy syntax A:\>COPY source target e.g. A:\> COPY A:\config.sys J:\
You can modify autoexec.bat file on the boot diskette for better directory display SET DIRCMD= /P /O:GNE and you may have to optimize memory in autoexec.bat and config.sys for detailed instructions regarding memory optimization consult the links below
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Running Drive Image Pro for hard drive imaging
Boot with DOS Network Client Change prompt to C:\> (if Drive Image is installed in Program Files on C) C:\>\progra~1\powerq~1\drivei~1\pqdi hit Enter to launch Drive Image.exe Select network drive and name image file
For additional information and screen shots see: www.helmig.com/j_helmig/dosclnt3.htm or http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/j_helmig/Dosclnt3.htm
Hope this helps and for all the backing up, you never have to use it.
- Michael Robertson
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