Win 7 Mirror Image

[nithig]

This question might belong on the Win 8 Forum ... but i'm not registered there yet so asking here.

If a mirror image (backup) of a Win 7 computer exists on an external HD
could this be loaded onto a new computer which has Win 8 as the OS?

Has anyone tried this?

 

[Kaktussoft]

What do you mean by mirror image? You mean you made a win7 system image with standard (built-in) backup?

 

[nithig]

Hello Kaktussoft,

excuse me ... i used the wrong term. It is a "systems image" (not mirror)
and yes, one created using the built in backup in Win 7.

I haven't seen or used Win 8 and so have no idea how different it is and do not
wish to lose the data and configuration I now maintain.

 

[Brink]

Hello nithig,

It's pretty much the same in Windows 8 as well, except the Control Panel icon is named Windows 7 File Recovery instead.

System Image - Create in Windows 8

System Image Recovery - Restore Image on Computer in Windows 8


Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Victor S]

Hello Kaktussoft,

excuse me ... i used the wrong term. It is a "systems image" (not mirror)
and yes, one created using the built in backup in Win 7.

I haven't seen or used Win 8 and so have no idea how different it is and do not
wish to lose the data and configuration I now maintain.

Keep Win7 and Win8 images entirely separate. I suggest you use free Macrium and use the bootable Macrium CD to do your imaging/restores. Name the images using your own scheme.
This is the "safe" way handle images. Image your Win7, then do your upgrade to Win8. Then image your Win8. You can keep the Win8, or go back to Win7 by doing an image recovery using the Macrium CD.
Then maybe you decide to give Win8 another try. That's no problem, again using the Macrium CD.
I'm still not sure your question was answered, or maybe you phrased it wrong.
So I'll ask the question differently using a scenario that an average Windows user might encounter.

----
I imaged my Win7 system, using "Backup and Restore" within Win7 , then I upgraded to Win8. After upgrading to Win8, I then made a system image using the Win8 "Backup" function from within Win8.
I've found I don't like Win8. I want to go back to my original Win7 system by restoring my Win7 image. How do I do it? Will my Win8 system recognize my Win7 image, and restore it?
If not, do I need the bootable CD that can be created from within Win7 "Backup and Restore?"
Will that still work, or did making the Win8 image from within Win8 somehow make my Win7 image unusable?
----
Those are the kinds of questions that should be answered before proceeding. Maybe more. I don't use Win8, so I don't know the answers. But if you get familiar with doing your imaging/restoring from a CD with Macrium, you don't need those answers. Personally, I use Ghost, but many here recommend free Macrium. I tested Macrium, and it works.
I don't recommend using the Windows-provided image/restore functions when there are more flexible free alternatives. The above example is a case in point. No such questions need answering if you cold image (that's imaging from a bootable CD) using something like Macrium or Ghost (there are others.) The learning curve isn't steep.
Hope I'm not coming off as pedantic, but I've been imaging many years, and found that following a few simple rules keeps me out of "gotchas". Anyway, I'm sure I'll be corrected if I'm off base.

This is whs's excellent Macrium tutorial.

http://www.sevenforums.com/backup-restore/43219-image-your-system-free-macrium.html

 

[nithig]

Thanks for responding Brink ... however, yr response was a little off the question.
As Victor S pointed out I may have phrased my question in an unclear way ... but he
foresaw that and asked the right question on my behalf (thanks Victor S):
"I've found I don't like Win8. I want to go back to my original Windows 7 system by restoring my Windows 7 image. How do I do it? Will my Win8 system recognize my Windows 7 image, and restore it?"

Yes, that's what I want to know. Can I superimpose a Win 7 backup image onto a Win 8 machine?

Meanwhile am d/loading Macrium Reflect and will play with it and learn how to use it to back up.

thanks, appreciate the imput!

 

[mjf]

If you are talking about a system image made on computer A which has Windows 7 then do a system image restore on computer B which has Windows 8 then the answer is no.
If you have a legit version of the Windows 7 OS then it is possible to install it on a new W8 PC. But it may involve some fiddling and there are tutorials here to help.

 

[nithig]

thanks mjf - that's the clear answer I was after.

I do have a legit Win 7 but interestingly the disk supplied is for Win XP SP3 and not
Win 7. I remember when it was new a choice somewhere about using XP or Win 7.
It's a bit of an irk that the laptop does not come with a Win 7 Pro disk even though
that is what is pre-installed.

I'll play with Macrium Reflect and otherwise will just have to manually copy my files to the
external HD and then re-load them when I'm on Win 8. Personally I'd be happy to remain
on 7 as the OS and not shift as I'm not convinced from reading that 8 adds much beyond
commercially oriented apps so I look fwd to seeing it in action.

 

[Kaktussoft]

So you want to get rid of win8 totally? Is the win7 system image made on same machine?