Solved Will a Win 7 back up be readable on another machine, just in case?

[chuckiechan]

Once upon a time, I did a back up of XP prior to doing a clean install of Win 7. I was unable to open and use the Windows back up. I suspect it was "chained" to the XP serial number, and for security would not allow me to open it. (fortunately, I had DVD back up's to save me)

So my question is, if I back up with Win 7, and do a clean install for Win 10, is Microsoft going to "protect" me and not let me use my backed up data to reconstitute "Users" folders (docs, photos, music, etc)?

My test of a back up has always been to plug my back up drive into another computer to see if I can read it, but thats not doable for me right now.

Or should I just keep it simple and do the Win 10 as an upgrade?

I'm not anyone who has confidential documents, etc. beyond my dog's shot record.

Thanks in advance...

 

[Boozad]

Take a system image with Macrium Reflect as linked in my signature, if you don't like Windows 10 then you can restore the image of Windows 7 so you'll be back where you were before the upgrade.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html

 

[Brink]

Hello Chuckiechan,

In a worse case scenario, you will still be able to manually extract the files from your backup if it's not able to see your backups to restore normally.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/648-restore-backup-user-system-files.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/174270-backup-manually-extract-files-vista-windows-7-a.html

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/24771-system-image-extract-files-using-disk-management.html

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Well you should use a reliable system image with a recovery disk incase things with the upgrade goes wrong,
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html

Win-10 does have a system restore to get back your previous install but as all things can go wrong without notice so refer back to a reliable system image as backup plan #2

#3 would be to backup all of your personal files on a separate hdd than either of the first 2.

 

[chuckiechan]

I presume Macrium will work on an SSD back up to an external back up.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Yes

 

[ThrashZone]

I'll just add there's really no need to be in a hurry with the upgrade offer it's good for a year and the release is only 2 weeks old now so there will be bugs in all of the process.

 

[chuckiechan]

I notice the tutorial is from 2010, is it still up to date?

And BTW, thank you for you help.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
You can skip to some of the more recent replies on the tutorial on the last page and review backwards
Or simply post there and I'm sure someone will respond

 

[sgage]

Once upon a time, I did a back up of XP prior to doing a clean install of Win 7. I was unable to open and use the Windows back up. I suspect it was "chained" to the XP serial number, and for security would not allow me to open it. (fortunately, I had DVD back up's to save me)

So my question is, if I back up with Win 7, and do a clean install for Win 10, is Microsoft going to "protect" me and not let me use my backed up data to reconstitute "Users" folders (docs, photos, music, etc)?

My test of a back up has always been to plug my back up drive into another computer to see if I can read it, but thats not doable for me right now.

Or should I just keep it simple and do the Win 10 as an upgrade?

I'm not anyone who has confidential documents, etc. beyond my dog's shot record.

Thanks in advance...

What kind of 'backup' was that XP backup - a System Image? What do you mean by 'open' and 'use' that backup?

If it was a Windows System Image, you should be able to mount it under Win7 and access it just as if it was another disk drive. Unless, of course, MS totally changed the image format...

I don't think it was a matter of chaining it to an XP serial number or anything like that.

 

[chuckiechan]

The issue is that if I back up before I do Win 10 as a clean install, then I try to retrieve "users" (my doc's, etc.), it will not work because Windows sees my back up as coming from a different machine.

I didn't expect the image to work, but I did expect to get Users off my old HDD and on to the new one.

 

[Brink]

Personally, I like doing just a straight copy and paste of files for backups. This way you don't have to worry about compatibility since you'll just be copying them back.

 

[chuckiechan]

I think that is the best advice.

I'm going to mark this a "Solved".

Thanks to all for you input!

 

[Brink]

Glad we could help.