Copyright: © 1994-2000 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved.
Citation: © 1994-2000 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved.


Introducing Image

Image takes a "snapshot" of a disk's critical file information, a process called imaging. The disk's image is used by the Norton Utilities programs UnErase Wizard and UnFormat (a DOS utility program) to restore deleted files or directories and rebuild deleted folders if you accidentally format or seriously damage a disk.

Image saves your disk's boot record, file allocation tables (FATS), and root information to an image data file (IMAGE.DAT). It also creates an image backup file (IMAGE.BAK) of the previous IMAGE.DAT file, which you can use if your current image file is damaged. Without a disk's image, reconstructing deleted files can be difficult, especially if the files are heavily fragmented. Using Image provides peace-of-mind data protection and ensures the best chance of a full recovery.

Every time you add, modify, delete, or move files or folders stored on your hard disk, the file location information on the disk changes. You should therefore run Image on a regular basis to keep the IMAGE.DAT up-to-date. If you have multiple hard disks or disk partitions, create an image for each one. Although you can run Image from a network, you cannot image a network drive.

Speed Disk, which defragments files as it optimizes your disks, automatically creates or updates each disk’s image. Therefore, you need not image a disk immediately after running Speed Disk.

The Image sensor in Norton System Doctor keeps track of how recently Image was run and can be configured to run Image automatically at regular intervals.

To begin imaging your disk, click here  [image]  to start Image.

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About Image files

A disk's image information is stored in a special file named IMAGE.DAT. Whenever Image runs, it creates a new IMAGE.DAT file. By default, it renames the existing IMAGE.DAT (if any) to IMAGE.BAK. IMAGE.DAT resides in a disk's root and is a read-only file to prevent accidental deletion. Image also creates a hidden file called IMAGE.IDX, which is an index file that stores the locations of the IMAGE.DAT and IMAGE.BAK files.

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About the IMAGE.BAK file

By default, Image creates an Image backup file named IMAGE.BAK for every disk imaged. Before a new disk image is created, the existing IMAGE.DAT (if any) is renamed to IMAGE.BAK. IMAGE.BAK is a read-only file to ensure that it is protected from accidental deletion.

IMAGE.BAK is an important insurance policy against imaging a damaged disk. If you image a damaged disk and, as a result, bad data is stored in IMAGE.DAT, the IMAGE.BAK file can be used to recover the previous image. For more information, see To recover from imaging a damaged disk.

In rare instances, such as when disk space is extremely limited, you may need to disable the creation of an Image backup file to image a disk.

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About the IMAGE.DAT file

A disk's image is stored in a file called IMAGE.DAT file. This file contains the disk's current boot record, file allocation tables (FATs), and root data. IMAGE.DAT is a read-only file to ensure it is protected from accidental deletion.

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About the IMAGE.IDX file

IMAGE.IDX stores the locations of the IMAGE.DAT and IMAGE.BAK files. It is stored on the last available disk cluster. The IMAGE.IDX file is both hidden and read-only to ensure it is protected from accidental deletion.

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Command-line options for Image

You can run Image from the command-line by clicking Run from the Start menu. Use the following syntax:

IMAGE32 [drive:]...[/NOBACKUP][/OUT | /Q]

drive:	Saves disk information for the specified drives. Each drive letter specified must be followed by a colon. This option overrides those that may have been previously chosen in Image.

/NOBACKUP	Prevents the current IMAGE.DAT file from being renamed IMAGE.BAK. You should not use this option unless disk space is limited.

/OUT or /Q	Runs Image minimized unless it requires more information.

The options may be entered in any order.

For example, to run Image minimized and save information for the C: and E: drives, you would enter:

IMAGE32 C: E: /OUT

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When you should not use Image

There are times when it is not a good idea to image a disk:

You should never image a disk if you suspect the boot records, file allocation tables (FATs), or root information is damaged. Imaging a disk with damaged information does not cause immediate problems but, if the image is used to recover erased files, the recovered files may have errors or be unusable.

If you have imaged a damaged disk, do not image the disk a second time. For instructions on how to recover, click here  [image].

Do not use Image immediately after making repairs with Norton Disk Doctor or after restarting Windows from a failed session. Always make sure Windows is fully functional before imaging any disk.

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To image a disk

1	Click here  [image]  to open Image.

2	Check the drives you want to image from the list.

3	Click Image.

By default, Image creates an Image backup file for every disk imaged. The Image backup file is an important insurance policy against imaging a damaged disk. If you inadvertently image a damaged disk, the Image backup file can be used to recover the previous image.

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To image a disk when Windows starts

1	Click here  [image]  to open Image, if it is not already open.

2	Click Options.

3	Check Start Automatically With Windows.

4	In the Drives to Image list, check the drives you want to be imaged automatically when Windows starts.

You cannot image removable disks, such as floppy disks, automatically when Windows starts.

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To open Image

You can open any of the Norton Utilities programs from Norton Utilities Integrator.

To open Image:

1	Double-click Norton Utilities Integrator on the Windows desktop.

2	Click System Maintenance in the left pane.

3	Click Image in the right pane.

Or, click here  [image]  to open Image now.

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To recover from imaging a damaged disk

Warning: If you image a damaged disk, your IMAGE.DAT file will contain bad data; do not image the disk again. The IMAGE.BAK file contains data from the previous IMAGE.DAT file, which may still be recoverable.

The IMAGE.DAT and IMAGE.BAK files are read-only files that cannot normally be renamed or edited. Before you can rename them, you must clear their read-only attributes in Windows Explorer or DOS.

To clear the read-only attribute from IMAGE.DAT or IMAGE.BAK

1	Right-click the file whose read-only attribute you want to clear.

2	Select Properties from the context menu.

3	Uncheck Read-Only.

To clear the read-only attribute from the DOS prompt

1	Type   ATTRIB -R filename   at the DOS prompt.
(filename is the name of the file whose read-only attribute you want to clear.)

2	Press Enter.

To recover from imaging a damaged disk

1	Rename the IMAGE.DAT file, or move it to a different folder.

2	Rename the IMAGE.BAK to IMAGE.DAT.

3	Click here  [image]  to run Norton Disk Doctor and repair any disk problems.

4	In the list of disks, click the name of the damaged disk.

5	Click Diagnose, and let Norton Disk Doctor fix any problems it finds.

6	Check the disk for missing files.

To recover missing files (if necessary)

Click here  [image]  to run UnErase Wizard.

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Lists the drives available for imaging.

You can select more than one drive to image.


Configures Image to create a backup file (Image.bak) when imaging the selected drives. This backup file can be used to restore your file system information if the current Image data file (Image.dat) is corrupt.


Images the selected drives.


Stops imaging your disk.

If you stop the image process, you will need to image your disk again in order to have a complete image.


Displays the options for Image.


Displays the associated topics from which to choose.


Closes Image.


Configures Image to run automatically when Windows is started.


Lists the drives that can be imaged automatically when Windows is started.

You can select more than one drive to image automatically.


Configures Image to create a backup file for drives that are imaged automatically when Windows is started. This backup file can be used to restore your file system information if the current Image data file is corrupt.


Closes this dialog box and saves any changes you have made.


Closes this dialog box without saving any changes you have made.


Lists the drives that can be imaged automatically when the Norton System Doctor Image alert is triggered.

You can select more than one drive to image automatically.