Norton Ghost backup image size

Hi everyone,

I can't find ANY info ANYWHERE that will tell me roughly what size image I can expect to end up with.

I have an 80Gb HD with about 55Gb of data on it, just reloaded after a clean install of the OS. I have Norton Ghost and I'd like to create a backup of its current state.

Nothing in Ghost or anything I can find on the web tells me what to expect. I started saving an image on CD-ROM but after filling 4 disks the thing was only 7% done. So I've gone out and bought some DVDRs and the first one was full after about 11%.

Is this normal?!

If I'm going to fill up 10 DVDs then that's almost a 1:1 "compression" ratio, and this is starting to look like an expensive exercise! As for doing a 'weekly' backup I'd need to get a second job to afford the media!

Am I doing something wrong here?

 

I run a slimmed down XP pro.Total used space on C is 1.43 gig and ghost images on F are 830megs.This link may help.

 

Thanks Franklin.

It looks like I might need to partition my C drive, as Ghost wants to back up a whole partition, and a lot of the data currently on there is audio & video (ie already compressed and not compressible much further).

I think I'll have to delete all the audio and video files (backed up elsewhere anyway) then Ghost the basic system before reformatting C and creating an extra partition for the multimedia stuff.

Hopefully then I can restore the C partition with the Ghost image.

Does this sound like it will work?!