How to Prevent Old OS Drive Issues on New Build?

I’m going to build a new Skylark computer. Other than new hardware, it’s going to be an identical system as I’m staying with Win 7 Pro 64. My last build (this box) was quite pain as I’ve got so many programs, utilities, and games, on it that I’ve never got everything re-installed that I had on the build before, if that makes sense.

As I usually do, I’m simple going to clone/copy my two program/data drives to the new hard drives. No problem there. (Both are 4TB drives going onto two 5TB WD Black Caviar drives, keeping the same partitions and Drive Letters.)

But what I’d like to do is, instead of a fresh OS install, is to clone the OS drive (SSD) so that everything is still ‘installed.’ As a working adult, that’ll save me a month or two of time, in theory anyways. And that’s not to mention all the security updates and the like.

So the question is how do I do this? I figure that on first Safe Mode boot I’d uninstall current video card drivers then the new video card drivers.



But what about all the now old motherboard drivers, LAN drivers, USB drivers, and the like? Will simply installing the new motherboard drivers/software do the trick? I have No idea how to uninstall all that…

What other problems could I run into? How do I mitigate them?

New parts:
Motherboard, CPU, RAM, video card, DVD burner, power supply, all new drives.
And yes, a fresh, legal copy of Win 7 Pro 64 bought from New Egg with all the hardware.

Keeping/reusing in new build:
Blu-Ray drive, card reader, PlusDeck 2 (PC cassette unit), and video capture card.


I have another case and will be keeping this system as a fully functional unit and will be using it (a ‘hand-me-down’ of sorts)

Any and all tips, tricks, and help will be appreciated!!

LOL! Yeah, a Buick! It's going to weigh a ton!

Thanks for the tips and the links. I skimmed the links and will have to make time and read them thoroughly.

Security updates would take a while, but, if I remember right, I had a big pain with installing a lot of software updates. Since a lot of them were 'upgrades' I had to go back and find the original early versions, the key codes, install them, then layer on all the different updates. Not fun finding all that stuff...

Just another reason I'm trying avoid a fresh install. Yes, I know it's the best way, but last time it did take me a couple of months to get the majority of software reinstalled as it's a spare time project. Just tons of little things like getting my all Outlook rules, and the Dictionary AutoCorrect settings on the new computer was quite a hassle. And so on.

Yes, I'll lay everything out and will try to be 'methodical' in building. Hopefully I'll be able to get to it in a week or so.

I'll post back and let you know how things work out.

Again, thanks for the post :)

bigmck said:

As was said, a Clean Install will make things much easier in the future. One PC's software will not work as good or if at all on another PC. You are talking about a few hours work installing Win 7 and your programs. Not to do that with a new machine is very bad judgement.

Thanks bigmck. If it were as easy as “You are talking about a few hours work…” then yeah, I’d sure agree and would just do that. I did my last build (this box) about 2 1/2 years ago and never got all the stuff installed that I had on the prior build. Some of it I didn’t want, a lot I did/do.

A lot of my software is ‘updates,’ not full installs. So to reinstall it, I have to figure out what version was the first install, and it’s product code, then the next update/version, and it’s product code, and rinse and repeat for a lot of programs. For just one example, I think it was maybe Photoshop or Lightroom (or both?), I had to come up with over 4 sets of product codes. Who keeps all that handy? I’ve even had programs that make you install each and every update version (which kind of defeats a clean install, yes?) in succession, with prod codes! So now, if I can afford it, I buy the full version of the program instead of the update version (some are only about $20 difference, so it’s worth it to me to avoid the hassle).

And there are things like MS Office. I have each program in it customized with its own menus, shortcuts, and the like. Take Outlook for instance. I’ve got about 40 email ‘rules’ on what to do with various emails as they come in. I have a ton of ‘junk’ mail rules, too. And there’s the custom dictionaries and other items, not to mention all the custom pst files and locations or the hassle of setting up all the email accounts and the like.

And so on, and so on….

At least with my test today of the tip above from AddRAM on SysPrep, things still seem to be installed and the few programs I opened asked just for the prod key to (re)activate. Heck, even Outlook had all the Rules in place as well as my 8 for so custom pst files along with my couple thousand emails.

So, being a working adult with barely/rarely enough time to check out the few forums I like (and SevenForums rocks!) it takes at least a few months to reestablish all the ‘must have’ items I need, and wait to install things like my DVD label printer program when the actual need arises.

But yeah, I agree. If only it were that simple for me …

AddRAM said:

Skylark ? You`re building a computer out of a Buick ?

Awesome

You should really do a clean install, if the hardware is different, there will be nothing identical about it, and you`ll have way too many issues using a clone from different hardware.

The updates are nothing, you`ll be done in a day, and I mean everything.

You should actually be laying the parts out on a table and doing your install, and take your time duplicating everything if that`s what you want. I`ve had my Z170 for a month and it`s still on the table, but it`s pretty much done, all I have to do is get it in the box and install my games.

But here are some tutorials, good luck :)

Windows 7 Installation - Transfer to a New Computer

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/...(v=ws.10).aspx

Sorry for the delay… Between personal issues and more (like motherboard error problems) I just today got to trying out your SysPrep tip.

To figure out the motherboard problems, with help from here, I’ve been using a clone of this OS drive. Since I finally got things to boot to Windows, I was able to try SysPrep. That (SysPrep) took over three hours alone. But I suspect part of it is/was the keyboard/mouse issues I’ve been having.

After SysPrep was done, I was able to run the motherboard driver CD, which I was unable to do prior today. So all that seems to be OK. I just hope that when I do all the again with the real/fresh clone, I can remember what all I did.

It’s at least a partial success. I was hoping more things would be remembered, like product codes and the like. But at least the few programs I tested/opened up were still installed. However, a lot of my programs are installed on one of my data drives, so it’s yet to be discovered what all is working or not.

Worst case scenario is that I might have to un/reinstall some programs and the like, but at least all my data, like My Documents, and the like are still present without that hassle of wiped drive.

At least the testing phase is over!! And thank you Very Much!!!

Now to find time to do it all ‘for real’!!! Heck, just to clone my three physical drives takes about 13-14 hours alone. And there’s the prep work, like figuring out all the product codes I need and the like.

But I’m ecstatic that your tip will save me months of work! I do appreciate it.

(The doors are on the Buick; now for the hood and trunk! LOL)