Solved Windows 10 to 7 image restore question

[seltzermx]

Hi everyone!

With the deadline coming up, I finally decided to start some prep work to update my laptop to Windows 10. However, before I do, I want to make sure I'm prepared to restore to Win 7 in case anything goes wrong. I plan to do a full wipe and clean install of Win 10 to avoid any potential driver/incompatibility issues.

My system currently does Windows Image backups to my Synology DS1512+ on my network. So my question is, if I run into issues with Win 10, how quick/easy is it to restore my last Win 7 image and be up an running again? What's the actual process for going back to Win 7 using this method?

Images are a couple of hundred GBs, so the restore itself might take some time, but I'm concerned about compatibility stuff with Win 10 not "finding" the images or something of that sort.

Thanks!!

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello and welcome seltzer mate my best advice is to clone your 7 drive now to a new drive and use the clone to install 10 because there are so many people who are doing this and then not liking 10 try to get back and have issues plus. If the 10 "experience" for want of a better term is not to your liking then slip the original drive back in the machine and you have 7 back in an instant. You can then clean all the new drive and have it as a spare.

I don't advise you to just upgrade on the original drive for reasons I have just outlined and because I have been there and done that and it was a nightmare as 10 is really a mish mash of 7 and 8 plus there is still a lot of bugs to be sorted out with 10.

Having said that you might like 10 but I would just hate to see you posting back in a while saying you are having trouble reverting back to 7.

 

[Barman58]

I would advise the use of a third party backup system that comes with a bootable restore system, (will run from CD/DVD or USB Pen Drive), so the installed OS if a restore is needed is not an issue.

The current favourite amongst the members here is Macrium Reflect which is fully Windows 10 compatible anyway, and free

As you are looking at a clean install the state of the updates on your Win7 is not an issue, (any install must be fully patched for an upgrade to Windows Ten).

If you do decide that Windows Ten is not for you you have a 30 trial period built into the install, but as always the clean recovery is usually best

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Yep Nigel thats ok but I still think my method is a lot "safer" and yes I use Macrium for the clone too.

With drives really not being that expensive it saves all that hassle that folks get trying to get back to 7 from 10 as there seems to be numerous posts/threads that have folks having real problems getting back and especially those who use a machine with a pre installed system.

But each to his own I guess and I for one wouldn't do it any other way.

 

[Barman58]

The backup, (not Clone), could be made to the existing Synology DS1512+ NAS system although this could have issues with Windows Ten, (not sure if the issue here has been addressed yet by Synology), so a separate HDD internal or External would be more secure

What you may want to do is a trial restore from your existing data, or Macrium, if you have the resources (space), just to be sure.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
Yep Macrium Reflect is good,
Create a system image to a totally separate hdd and be sure to create the rescue cd/ flash drive media when you first open Reflect it is what you would boot too to restore the system image,
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQA7NlLvxg8

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Well I still maintain that the best method is to clone the orignal drive and use the clone to try 10 because I reckon that upgrading to 10 then restoring back to 7 using whatever method causes more problems than it is worth - one only has to look at the number of members who post threads with restoration issues.

Or am I just being a little too simple or uncomplicated??

 

[Barman58]

In my experience ...

The best method is to make an image backup, store this on one side

Clear the existing drive completely

Install Windows 10, or any other new OS fresh on the existing drive, so you can trial the new OS without any upgrade baggage.

If you decide the New OS is not for you you then wipe the drive and restore the original OS from your Image backup

 

[ThrashZone]

Yea I believe system images take a lot less space than a clone would.

 

[seltzermx]

Well I still maintain that the best method is to clone the orignal drive and use the clone to try 10 because I reckon that upgrading to 10 then restoring back to 7 using whatever method causes more problems than it is worth - one only has to look at the number of members who post threads with restoration issues.

Or am I just being a little too simple or uncomplicated??

I guess from a simplicity point of view, having a separate HDD with Win 7 which I can just swap back to is definitely the best option. However, I'm not sure I want to spend $150 on another 500GB SSD.

I've never used Macrium (or heard of it to be honest. I've used EaseUS for 2 simple HDD to SSD migrations), but I'll look into it. I do have a lot of 750GB USB drives from my pre-NAS days, so I can defintely use those to store any kind of image.

I'll look into Macrium and the video guides about it posted here (can't right now since I'm at work), but lemme just ask this now since it seems you guys may have the answer. I've interpreted that I can do the following:
1) Install Macrium on my Win 7 laptopand create an image which I store on an external USB drive.
2) Clean install Win 10 on my laptop
3) Decide I wan't to revert to Win 7.
4) Install Macrium on Win 10 laptop, and choose restore from the image on the USB drive. This will restore my system to exactly how it was, as if Win 10 had never happened.

Is this interpretation accurate, or does it not work that way?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Barman58]

Your Interpretation is accurate

Except ...
Step 4 would normally be achieved by use of a bootable DVD or USB stick to perform the restore operation on a totally clean drive. ( ideally you would create this at stage 1) although there are downloads available if you forget )

Microsoft's OS upgrade systems have always been a weak point, so I tend to avoid upgrade where possible, although the Windows Ten one is about the best they've done

BTW I'm also an EaseUS user myself, (and make weekly images), so that is also an option if you are more comfortable with that way

 

[ThrashZone]

Yep,
Personally I just clean installed the qualifying 7 os on another ssd and upgraded through the GWX icon
Being a clean install of win-7 there were no conflicts and it still shows restore back to win-7
If I wanted to go back I'd use it and just put the other original ssd back in and be done with it.

Almost a clone but not quite
More like a clean clone

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Yes well I am still going to do what I do for the sake of a new drive to test 10, and the clone drive could be just a cheap spinner - if you like 10 then just clean the original drive (with all your programs on it) and clone the 10 back to the SSD.

I know trying 10 on a spinner might be slow but at least you will get some idea of what you are dealing with. If it is anything like my experience of upgrading to 10 then trying to get the wretched thing back to 7 in a normal state of operation using the restore methods I eventually gave up and I had to clean all and reinstall onto the original drive.

Personally I think 10 for what it is worth is not worth the hassle that so many are having problems with. As you all may have guessed by now I am a simple minded person and like to keep everything simple as I do dislike the rigmarole of inserting this and adding that - far too convoluted for me.

Anyway good luck seltzer

 

[seltzermx]

Good god I must be dumb!! I forgot I still have the original laptop HDD that I upgraded from to an SSD. It's 750GB so no problem in using that for a clone.

So, new plan: Clone my current Win 7 SSD to the old HDD, and then clean install Win 10 on the SSD. If I don't like it, pop in the HDD and re-clone it to the SSD, pop that back in, and I'm back in business.

Any downsides to this plan? Any issues with potentially swapping drives like this, especially if I'd be switching back and forth between SSD and HDD?

 

[RolandJS]

Yea I believe system images take a lot less space than a clone would.

I recommend making two full images, just in case.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Yes well seltzer I think that is a plan and I do agree with making images to an external or something - it is simply that I think my method is just that - simple.

Edit I meant to say though that the drives have to be the same size ie 500GB to 500GB or 500GB to 750GB it is nigh impossible unless I am terribly mistaken to clone from large to smaller drive ie 750GB to 500GB though I have done that in the past with a little fiddling around .

 

[ThrashZone]

Any downsides to this plan? Any issues with potentially swapping drives like this, especially if I'd be switching back and forth between SSD and HDD?

Don't expect to dual boot them
If you don't like win-10 roll back then use the other drive.
You'll most likely create issues with the upgraded key if you attempt to dual boot the install you upgraded = big mess

 

[seltzermx]

AH, i have done a clone to a smaller drive in the past. Like here when I went from my 750GB to 500GB SSD. I was only using around 300GB, so it wasn't an issue. A bit more tedious to resize and all that, but not a problem.

And I don't expect to dual-boot. I'd either be using one or the other.

And hmmm... hadn't considered the license thing. I know you can now use a Win7/8 key for a clean install instead of having to upgrade, get the key, and then wipe if you wanted to start fresh. But now, I'm not sure what happens to they key itself. Does it change into a Win10 key or do i get a new key? Does the Win7 key become invalid if I used it for the upgrade?

And can I roll back if I go with a clean install?

 

[ThrashZone]

There is nothing to roll back too if you clean install win-10
The key is absorbed as digital entitlement

There is no "either or" there is only win-10 if upgraded using the 7 key.
You'd most likely have to call Microsoft to straighten out the validity of the win-7 key.

As far as I know you do have to use the restore back to win-7
At least that way you're informing M$ no thanks and you can add feedback as to why.
After that is done you have gone the normal way to roll back.
Even if the restore fails and most the time they will in some way
You can connect the other ssd and everything "should" be fine.

M$ is getting pretty good at keeping track of installs
Every time you connect to the internet the key is verified.

 

[seltzermx]

Ah got it. And yeah, I did have to call once to re-use a non-OEM key on a new system from a no-longer-in-use PC. They were very nice and helped me get my Win copy to use the key.

With some trips coming up, I'll probably try this late April/early May. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

Thanks for all the help!