This document describes how to use the Symantec Recovery Disk (included in Norton Ghost 12.0) to recover your computer.

About the recovery environment

When you can no longer start Windows, you can access your computer by using the Symantec recovery environment.

Note

If you can start Windows but you need to restore all data on a secondary drive, such as drive D or E, you can do so from within Windows.

The recovery environment makes restoring your computer possible after almost any computer disaster. Occasionally, a computer failure can leave the operating system intact but prevent you from restoring a recovery point after restarting. Or, a computer failure can leave the operating system inoperative, making restoration seem impossible. For these types of situations, you can restore your computer by using a recovery point from within the recovery environment (Symantec Recovery Disk). In the recovery environment, you can run the Recover My Computer Wizard (to restore your computer) or the Recover My Files Wizard (to restore files or folders). After you run the Recover My Computer Wizard, you can restart the computer into its previous, usable state.

Note

If Norton Ghost 12.0 was already installed when you purchased your computer, the features that are included in the recovery environment depend on how the computer manufacturer chose to install Norton Ghost 12.0. Typically, the recovery environment was also preinstalled on your computer's hard disk. It can then be started without the use of a CD and after restarting your computer. Typically, keyboard keys have been assigned to enable you to start the recovery environment. When you restart your computer, watch for instructions on your computer monitor or refer to your manufacturer's instructions. If you received a product CD, be sure to store it in a safe and secure place.

Starting your computer using the recovery environment

The Norton Ghost 12.0 product CD is used to install the product and to start a computer by using the recovery environment. This disk is known as Symantec Recovery Disk. Be sure to store the CD in a safe place. If you have purchased the download version of the product, download the Symantec Recovery Disk image file and create a Symantec Recovery Disk. You may also create a custom Symantec Recovery Disk for your computer. Read Creating a custom Symantec Recovery Disk in Norton Ghost 12.0.

If you need to restore your computer, files, or folders using Symantec Recovery Disk (because you cannot start Windows normally), you can use the product CD to start the computer using the recovery environment.

Note

The Norton Ghost 12.0 recovery environment requires a minimum of 512 MB of RAM to run. If your computer's video card is configured to share your computer's RAM, you may need more than 512 MB of RAM to use the recovery environment.

Start your computer using the recovery environment

1 If you plan to use a USB device while you are running the recovery environment, attach the device.

2 Insert the Symantec Recovery Disk into the media drive of the computer.  If Norton Ghost 12.0 was already installed when you purchased your computer, the recovery environment is likely installed on your computer's hard disk.

3 Restart the computer.  If you cannot start the computer from the CD, you might need to configure your computer to do so.  See "Getting your computer to start from the CD."

4 As soon as you see the prompt "Press any key to boot from CD," press a key to start the recovery environment.

5 If you need to install storage drivers for the computer's hard disk subsystem, press F6 when you are asked as you start the recovery environment. If you cannot access the drive that contains your recovery points, see "Cannot access the local drive or the network drive where my backups are saved."

6 Read the license agreement, and then click Accept. If you decline, you cannot start the recovery environment and your computer will restart.

7 Click the time zone field at the bottom of the main window. In the Select Time Zone dialog box, in the Time Zone drop-down list, select the time zone location that you are in, and then click OK. If you need to see accurate recovery point dates and times, you might need to set the correct time zone while you are in the recovery environment.

Getting your computer to start from the CD

1 Turn on the computer.

2 As the computer starts, watch the bottom of the screen for a prompt that tells you how to access the BIOS. Generally, you must press Delete, F1, F2, or F10.

3 On the BIOS screen, select the Boot menu. (The term boot refers to the location where the software that is required to start a computer is stored.) The Symantec Recovery Disk contains a simple version of the Windows operating system. By changing the boot sequence of your computer to your CD drive, the computer can then load this version of Windows. ("Boot" is also used synonymously with "start.")

4 Change the CD drive or DVD drive to be the first bootable device in the list.

5 Save the changes and exit the BIOS setup.  When you start your computer with the product CD in the drive, you see the prompt "press any key to boot from CD." If you do not press a key, your computer will attempt to start from the next bootable device that is listed in the BIOS. The prompt to press a key is displayed only briefly, so you need to watch carefully as the computer starts.

6 Press any key to start the recovery environment (Symantec Recovery Disk).

Cannot access the local drive or the network drive where my backups are saved

The system in which you run the recovery environment may use a network interface card (NIC) driver or storage device driver that is not included as part of the recovery environment. You need to use the custom Symantec Recovery Disk if the recovery environment does not detect your storage device or NIC. For more information, read Creating a custom Symantec Recovery Disk in Norton Ghost 12.0.

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