Windows 7: Windows 7 Installation - Transfer to a New Computer

Oops yeah you're right mate I had forgotten I had started with Vista

Hi Brink, thanks a lot for the advice!

Anytime.

Dear Kari,

I wish to thank you for an excellent Tutorial.I just now purchased a new Computer except for the original Hard Drive which had had windows 7.I followed your instructions and in just 10 minutes I was working on the new Computer with no problems whatsoever. And it would have taken me at least 3 to 4 days and that too with many a other problems if I had gone in for a fresh installation.

I am really grateful.

Manju

Thanks, Manju

Here is my experience using sysprep to do a mobo/cpu swap. I am 1 for 2.

First scenario was with my older Windows 7 pc, so lots of data and apps on it. It has a retail OEM license. Went from an Intel setup to an AMD without a hitch. Windows even re-activated all by itself. Yay!

Second scenario was going from an AMD CPU/VGA to a new AMD APU. This PC has an UPGRADE license. After getting around the "can't do sysprep on an upgrade version", I thought I'd be cruising to success. No such luck. Windows refused to start, and was even unable to repair itself. Luckily there weren't any important files, so I just did a fresh install. I'm sure I'll have to call to activate, as I've already used the key for a fourth time. Have no clue what went so wrong here, but I'm suspecting the major change to an APU. It's interesting to note that vga was still low-res after the re-install, which it's never been with any other of my many setups. Either that, or sysprep on an Upgrade install doesn't clean up as well as the other versions.

EDIT: I just realized that the new motherboard came with UEFI BIOS, not sure if it was enabled in that mode but I assume so. Maybe that's what caused the major snafu?

Just my story, for those of you scoring at home.

Kari, just a suggestion.
You might note in the tutorial that if on first booting Windows can't finish configuring, a reboot into safe mode, then a normal reboot will allow it to finish successfully.
This has happened to me both times I used a sysprepped system drive in a new computer. I found the answer to this problem buried deep in this thread the first time I ran into it, and the same thing happened yesterday on a different computer.
It's a seemingly very silly solution, but it works. I do believe many people have abandoned their sysprep work when they encounter the problem.
I think the solution deserves more visibility.

Thanks for the tip, Victor. Added.

Kari

Victor, what messages did you get when Windows failed to start?

Something like "Windows can't finish configuring the system."
Sorry I don't remember the exact wording. It's basically a dead end loop and if you reboot normally it just repeats itself.
If you then boot into safe mode it just stops loading drivers at some point that makes no real sense. Doesn't take long at all.
Then if you reboot into normal mode it flawlessly configures, and you see a percentage sign progress.
This is where I first saw the solution.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials...de#post1524322

But as I recall from last night there was no message in safe mode. It just stalled.