Moving the hard drive with OS to another computer.

[pinenut]

I am running Windows 7 in a 3-year old computer.

I had to upgrade Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Ultimate because not only have I had too many application programs installed but Windows 7 refused to do a clean install due to lack of the drivers for many hardware components.

I am now thinking of upgrading my computer to one with faster cpu and memory. If I should do it, I will move the hard drive on which Windows 7 resides to this new one because there are too many applications I am not prepared to ditch. I will uninstall the drivers of a few important pieces of hardware, such as graphic card, LAN card, etc. before I move it.

I don't think Windows 7 comes with an option of 'Repair Installation', that we are so familiar with under Windows XP. Do you think there is great likelihood that I will succeed in doing so?

 

[DeaconFrost]

Windows 7 is much more forgiving for hardware changes, but I still always prefer a clean install on new hardware. That being said, if you remove your drivers, and then move the hard drive, you should be okay. Just have the new drivers handy on a flash drive.

Windows 7 does have a repair option, but I believe you have to boot from the install disc to access it.

A three-year-old computer shouldn't have any hardware limitations for doing a clean install either, just for the record. You only need the basic system drivers, and they would be included.

 

[richc46]

I am running Windows 7 in a 3-year old computer.

I had to upgrade Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Ultimate because not only have I had too many application programs installed but Windows 7 refused to do a clean install due to lack of the drivers for many hardware components.

I am now thinking of upgrading my computer to one with faster cpu and memory. If I should do it, I will move the hard drive on which Windows 7 resides to this new one because there are too many applications I am not prepared to ditch. I will uninstall the drivers of a few important pieces of hardware, such as graphic card, LAN card, etc. before I move it.

I don't think Windows 7 comes with an option of 'Repair Installation', that we are so familiar with under Windows XP. Do you think there is great likelihood that I will succeed in doing so?

The repair installation may differ a bit from XP. Here are the instructions on how it should be performed.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3413-repair-install.html?filter[2]=General Tips

 

[Tepid]

Do you think there is great likelihood that I will succeed in doing so?

As stated,,, maybe.... but be prepared to nuke and reload.

 

[whs]

Depends - if the original OS came with your current PC, it will not work. OEM systems are stuck with the mobo they were originally installed. If, however, you have a genuine MS version of the OS, it might work.

 

[Tepid]

Good point,, forgot all about the whole OEM versus Retail stuff.

 

[gregrocker]

When you swap the HD into new hardware and start up, it will switch out all of the drivers requesting several restarts. I have experienced no performance hit doing this about a dozen times. Some say it will not work on a different number of cores, but I haven't tried it yet.

I always immediately go to Computer>Properties and reinstall the product key, although several others have said that isn't necessary. I just assume it requires reactivation on new hardware. If activation fails, you can always run a Repair Install which resets activation.

 

[pinenut]

When you swap the HD into new hardware and start up, it will switch out all of the drivers requesting several restarts. I have experienced no performance hit doing this about a dozen times. Some say it will not work on a different number of cores, but I haven't tried it yet.

I always immediately go to Computer>Properties and reinstall the product key, although several others have said that isn't necessary. I just assume it requires reactivation on new hardware. If activation fails, you can always run a Repair Install which resets activation.

This is the best help so far.

My current computer is a home-built with an Asus motherboard as stated in my profile. I was surprised to see Windows 7 refused to do a clean install. but I did not investigate the reason for it because I was not planning to do so to begin with. I merely tried to see what would happen just to kick the tires so to speak.

The 'Repair Install' will only be possible once I am able to start Windows 7 in the normal mode. So, I am hoping that what gregrocker stated is true.

In that case, I don't have to unintall hardware drivers before moving to a new computer. Am I right, gregrocker? I would still uninstall the driver for the graphic card because this is the most troublesome component when migrating to a new box.

When I say I am going to get a new computer, I mean to say I will get a new motherboard with a faster CPU, memory sticks and a graphic card if not onboard. The mother board comes with its own hardware drivers and I think the reason why Windows 7 refused to do a clean install because it doesn't have the drivers for the mother board.

 

[gregrocker]

I have not changed my drivers ahead of time, letting Win7 autochange all of the drivers when started in another machine.

You will have to try it to see. No guarantees. Others haven't been as lucky as I have.

Edit: Since this time we have learned that booting into Safe Mode to install new chipset and display driver can often start a HD or image moved to new hardware. So can running Startup Repair from Booted DVD or Repair CD. There are programs that will support doing this as well: Paragon Adaptive Restore removes drivers from HD before moving it, while Acronis 10+ will reimage to new hardware after removing all drivers if you select that option.

 

[Tepid]

Just like with anything,,, your millage may very.

Be prepared to Nuke and Reload.

 

[claib1]

Windows 7 Upgrade

I have tried several things from the posts above. I have a hard drive that has a working copy of Windows 7 that I want to move to a new system, primarily because I don't want to have to reinstall all my software and programs.

With Windows XP, you could do this by reinstalling windows from the installation DVD and tell it that you wanted to keep your existing files on the hard drive. This just reinstalled windows without wiping out the whole hard drive.

The problem I am running into is that with Windows 7, you have to run the upgrade installations from inside your old version of Windows. It won't let you run it from the DVD. That becomes an issue because you can't get the system to boot on the hard drive from the other machine until you fix all the drivers.


Any suggestions?????

 

[Robert Cartman]

First of all, don't forget to make a backup from your current system!

You might look around here also.

 

[bobtran]

I have tried several things from the posts above. I have a hard drive that has a working copy of Windows 7 that I want to move to a new system, primarily because I don't want to have to reinstall all my software and programs.

With Windows XP, you could do this by reinstalling windows from the installation DVD and tell it that you wanted to keep your existing files on the hard drive. This just reinstalled windows without wiping out the whole hard drive.

The problem I am running into is that with Windows 7, you have to run the upgrade installations from inside your old version of Windows. It won't let you run it from the DVD. That becomes an issue because you can't get the system to boot on the hard drive from the other machine until you fix all the drivers.


Any suggestions?????

Actually you CAN do a clean install with Upgrade media: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31402-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html

You can use "Windows Easy Transfer" to get your customizations back but you will still have to re-install your other programs with a basic vanilla install without any custom options. When you import the transfer file it restores your customizations for most products....there are some products it will not handle but most of the most common programs it works just fine for. I used this method to move from the Release candidate (RC) to the Release to manufacturer (RTM). I ended up with the new install looking/performing just like the customized release candidate. You get the added benefit of having a clean, lean install without carrying over any issues from the previous install.

You will also find all your files, pictures, music, documents, etc in the Windows.old directory of the C: drive after the install.

 

[claib1]

Custom Install

OK. So I tried the custom install as suggested. Got a little farther. The drive I copied the image to is working fine. I tested it on another computer and was able to open files and navigate folders normally.

My new problem is now the install program for Windows 7 won't recognize the disk at all. What is funny is it asks me to browse for a driver to load so that it can find a hard drive. Under the choices to browse is the hard drive that I am trying to install windows to. I can open folders and browse normally, but it won't recognize it as a drive available to install windows 7 to.

I am at a loss as what to try next.

Any Ideas???

Thanks

 

[spyknee]

Hmmm,
I was under the impression that you could not take a HD off one mobo and use it with another. This due to the fact that, at OS install the system hardware is mapped togather by the install.
This thread seems to refute this.
So, could someone start another thread explaining this and/or point me too a guide, tutorial, website that will explain.
My last ASUS mobo was RMA'ed 5 times and I had seen info stating that you had to re-install, re-image the drive with the new mobo.
Trying not to hijack threader's thread.

ty

 

[madtownidiot]

Hmmm,
I was under the impression that you could not take a HD off one mobo and use it with another. This due to the fact that, at OS install the system hardware is mapped togather by the install.
This thread seems to refute this.
So, could someone start another thread explaining this and/or point me too a guide, tutorial, website that will explain.
My last ASUS mobo was RMA'ed 5 times and I had seen info stating that you had to re-install, re-image the drive with the new mobo.
Trying not to hijack threader's thread.

ty

That only applies to oem installs. If you have a retail windows license, it's within your rights to install it on any computer and then later move the install to any other computer, as often as you want, so long as the previous computer is not going to be used with that particular license again. The same applies if you have a retail windows license and an upgrade disk.

however it's been my experience that it's always better to do clean installs whenever possible. the time you might save by trying to migrate an entire OS and software configuration to an entirely different set of hardware by image transfer quickly be lost because of errors and poor performance.

 

[spyknee]

I do not mean a new install, I mean physically moving the HD to another mobo with the existing OS on the drive intact. I had read some stuff that you could prepare the drive ahead of time, thru repair/recovery, if moving HD to the same make and model mobo, but it was considered problematical.

 

[kodi]

I do not mean a new install, I mean physically moving the HD to another mobo with the existing OS on the drive intact. I had read some stuff that you could prepare the drive ahead of time, thru repair/recovery, if moving HD to the same make and model mobo, but it was considered problematical.

I have had TWO motherboard failures on two different systems and have just replaced the motherboards with Different ones than the original, booted them up and Windows 7 started then installed all the correct drivers without me having to do a thing.
I love windows 7

 

[madtownidiot]

It can be done but I haven't done it that way since the early days of XP, because the windows compiler has been crippled by Microsoft's effort to reduce piracy, to the point where after the initial installation it's almost impossible to get it an intact OS to work on any other set of hardware. Back in the days of win 9x, it was possible, but not any more

 

[gregrocker]

Update on starting Win7 on new hardware

With XP, you needed to do a Repair Install from boot to get the HD or an image to start on new hardware.

However, Win7 has such a huge catalogue of drivers and is supple enough to often start up on new hardware and then run fine without errors. In fact, the first dozen times it did this for me I chkdsk'd, sfc'd and other tests with no errors each time.

If it won't start, then you can try booting into Safe Mode to change the chipset and display drivers which will often start it, or try other drivers until it starts if it will. Some have reported that Startup Repair will also start which makes sense because the MBR might not be read as before, or other of the many tests might start it.

There are programs which will prepare for this: Paragon Adaptive Restore removes the drivers from HD beforehand - I suppose you could do that yourself to save the cost of the software. And Acronis 10+ removes drivers and otherwise prepares an image to start on new hardware if you select the option.

There have been reports that reactivation is not needed but I find it hard to comprehend, so always try to remove the activation ahead with elevated slmgr -upk command. If I forget then I've been able to reinstall Product Key at Computer>Properties to reactivate with updated hardware signature.

As for whether it will work to start up or reimage an OEM copy on new hardware to then reactivate with a Retail key, it has worked for me. As with XP, if there is any problem then activation can be completely reset with a Repair Install.