Windows 7 Installation - Transfer to a New Computer

How to Transfer your Complete Windows 7 Installation to New Computer​

To start, a warning from Microsoft:

   Note

Important

You must use the Sysprep /generalize command to generalize a complete Windows installation before you can use the installation for deployment to a new computer, whether you use imaging, hard disk duplication, or another method. Moving or copying a Windows image to a different computer without running the Sysprep /generalize command is not supported.

This tutorial will show you how to do the transfer.

   Information

Windows 7 System Preparation Tool is a powerful, native Windows tool. When for instance used in so called Audit Mode, it let's you to freely configure Windows 7 to be then deployed to other computers as hardware independent image.

In this tutorial we use System Preparation Tool (sysprep) to prepare your Windows 7 installation to be moved to a new computer, keeping all your installed applications, program settings and user profiles. You can use this method for instance when you have bought a new PC and want to transfer your existing setup completely, without need to reinstall everything, or when you want to make major hardware changes like change the motherboard or GPU, which would usually cause Windows to stop booting normally.

   Warning

Using this method causes Windows 7 to lose all activation information, and it needs to be reactivated afterwards. If your Windows 7 is an OEM version, you might not be able to reactivate it, at least not without phone activation option.

I do not recommend to use this method on RAID systems. All experiments on RAID I know have failed.

With the speed of today's hardware evolution, most of us geeks are upgrading the hardware more often than operating system. Upgrading hardware can be painfully slow process if we need to reinstall the operating system and all our installed applications, plus transfer program settings and user profiles.

Using sysprep makes this easy. Changing the motherboard, or for instance an old ATI GPU to a new nVidia GPU quite often causes Windows 7 not to be able to boot anymore. This fact is usually accepted by the user, who then reinstalls the OS and all applications and transfers user profiles from a backup location.

Same thing when buying a new computer with completely different hardware setup compared to the old one, or trying to restore a system image to different hardware setup. Normally this would include a complete reinstallation of Windows 7 and all applications.

Why not use sysprep to avoid reinstalling? Here are the different scenarios where you can use it.

   Warning

An upgraded Windows cannot be sysprepped. As this method is based in sysprepping, this tutorial is valid only for Windows setups which have not been upgraded.

This means that if you have for instance in-place upgraded Vista to Seven, or using Anytime Upgrade upgraded for instance a Home Premium to Ultimate, you cannot sysprep and this tutorial cannot be used in your case.

Notice that a repair install is also an upgrade install, so if you have ever done a repair install (= in-place upgrade to same edition), you cannot sysprep.

PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO CREATE A SYSTEM IMAGE BEFORE PROCEEDING!​

As you can read on this thread, on rare occasions this method does not work. If this happens, you can always restore your system using your backup image.

Backup Complete Computer - Create an Image Backup
System Image Recovery

IE10 Users: Please read this article first: Sysprep Fatal Error With IE 10 (FIX) | System Administration

METHOD ONE

Changing hardware components but keeping old hard disk(s)

Use this method if you:
- Change other hardware components but keep your old HD containing Windows 7
- Move the HD containing Windows 7 to another computer

1. Before installing new hardware, boot Windows 7 normally
2. Disconnect all external hardware except mouse, keyboard and main display. If your system folders are located only on C: drive, disconnect all other hard disks except that containing the C:. In case of relocated system folders, for instance the profile folder Users located in another drive and other system folders on C:, first move the relocated system folders back to C: then disconnect all other drives. Reboot after this
3. Run Command Prompt as administrator
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4. Type to Command Prompt: %windir%\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep.exe, and hit Enter
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5. In sysprep dialog that opens, choose System Cleanup Action as Enter System Out-of-Box-Experience (OOBE), select Generalize, select Shutdown Options Shutdown. Click OK
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6. Sysprep generalizes now your Windows 7 setup and shuts down your computer. Do not run any other programs during this phase!
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7. Switch the main power of your PC off and install the new hardware OR dismount the hard disk(s) and mount it (them) to a new computer
8. Boot the PC from sysprep generalized hard disk. You will notice Windows booting as if it was the first boot after installation, installing default drivers and updating registry. One or two reboots are needed, depending on your system specifications
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9. When Windows finally boots up, you will need to enter all information as if this really was a new, fresh installation
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10. Because your old user profiles already exist, Windows does not accept your normal username, but instead you have to create a new temporary user. I use username Test for this purpose
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11. When login screen appears, choose your old user account to login
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12. Windows boots now to default OOBE first boot desktop, with default 800*600 resolution and default theme. All your installed applications are there, as well as your old user profiles and folders. Windows has installed the default drivers for your setup, you can update them if needed
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13. Go to Control Panel > User Accounts and delete the temporary user account (in this case Test) that you just created

METHOD TWO

Change the hard disk(s) or move Windows 7 setup to a new computer using third party imaging software

Use this method if you:
- Replace the HD containing Windows 7 on your old computer
- Move Windows 7 to a new HD on another computer

1. Follow steps 1 through 5 above (method 1)
2. Boot PC with an imaging CD/DVD (Paragon, Macrium etc.). See Macrium Reflect Free:at our sister site TenForums.com: Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect Windows 10 Backup Restore Tutorials . Also see this post for a practical tip to create a Macrium system image.
3. Create an image of your system
4. Turn PC off, change the hard disk(s) and reboot with imaging application, restoring the image OR boot the new computer with imaging software and restore the image
5. Continue from step 7 above (method 1)

This procedure is failsafe, and works every time. There is nothing to worry, but of course it is recommended to make a backup before trying this. I have even used this method when some serious driver issues caused the PC to constantly crash (BSOD), to reset all drivers to Windows defaults and then reinstalling them one by one to find the culprit.

   Note

What does Sysprep generalizing do to my Windows 7 setup?

• All system specific information is removed or uninstalled
• Security ID (SID) of your hardware setup is reseted
• All system restore points are deleted
• All event logs are deleted
• All personalization is removed (taskbar, toolbars, folder options, start orb etc.)
• Built-in administrator account is disabled (if it was enabled) and needs to be re-enabled after the transfer if needed

What happens when booting first time after sysprep generalizing?

• First boot configuration is run
• New SID is created
• Re-arm counter is reseted if not already re-armed three times
• Windows 7 is booted using first boot default drivers and settings

I have tested all above mentioned methods with all versions of Windows 7, from Starter to Enterprise. It works every time, with one exception: for reasons unknown to me, sysprep seems sometimes dislike Windows Media Player networking service, which is by default started every time Windows 7 starts. In about every third time I've done this, I've got an error message when trying to generalize:



However, this is not a big problem. You just need to stop the WMP networking service, and run sysprep with generalize option again. You can stop the service in question by typing net stop WMPNetworkSvc to command prompt, and hitting Enter:



If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.

Happy computing!

Kari

EDIT: A Useful tip from xxxwea, as later confirmed by Victor:

Kari, just a suggestion.

You might note in the tutorial that if on first booting Windows can't finish configuring, a reboot into safe mode, then a normal reboot will allow it to finish successfully.

This has happened to me both times I used a sysprepped system drive in a new computer. I found the answer to this problem buried deep in this thread the first time I ran into it, and the same thing happened yesterday on a different computer.

It's a seemingly very silly solution, but it works. I do believe many people have abandoned their sysprep work when they encounter the problem.

I think the solution deserves more visibility.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

This sounds promising except for the initial warning about RAID. I'm going from a system with a RAID data drive (the boot drive is not RAIDed) to a new system that has an SSD boot drive and, again, RAIDed data drive. I can easily clone the data drive, but what is the easiest approach to get my system looking the same as the old one?

The old computer is Intel Core i7 870 Quad Core 2.93 GHz processor with 16GB memory. I can't find the specs of the new one I'm going to get, but it's a current Intel chipset. Windows 7 OEM is installed on both - I bought a license key for each one (and hope to sell the old computer with Windows 7 ready to go for the new person). Thanks!

Dilip

Hiyya dilip mate no offence but your query - best done through a new thread as this one will likely be marked as solved and maybe not read again. Just make sure you have all your specs as is and what is going to be required on board when you do

 

[dilipb]

Thanks. I'll try a new thread and didn't realize this was not the place to post. BTW, RAID may not be an issue as I was planning on copying the data drive to an external hard disk, then copying from that hard disk to the new data drive. The fact that the two computers have RAIDed data drives seems irrelevant. Maybe I could follow the tutorial here since the OS drive is not in a RAID, though the new one is an SSD? Also, I found built-in Windows Easy Transfer, but that doesn't move programs. Thanks!

 

[derekimo]

If it is about this tutorial, you can post here, probably the best place to post.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Thanks. I'll try a new thread and didn't realize this was not the place to post. BTW, RAID may not be an issue as I was planning on copying the data drive to an external hard disk, then copying from that hard disk to the new data drive. The fact that the two computers have RAIDed data drives seems irrelevant. Maybe I could follow the tutorial here since the OS drive is not in a RAID, though the new one is an SSD? Also, I found built-in Windows Easy Transfer, but that doesn't move programs. Thanks!

Oops sorry dilip I forgot we were in a tutorial as Derek pointed out

Just ask away my friend

 

[dilipb]

Can I use this approach to get up and running on my new computer?

Thanks. Are there suggestions given that I do have RAID or, as my last comment above, is it the case that RAID is a non-issue as my boot drive is not in a RAID? Thanks.

Thanks. I'll try a new thread and didn't realize this was not the place to post. BTW, RAID may not be an issue as I was planning on copying the data drive to an external hard disk, then copying from that hard disk to the new data drive. The fact that the two computers have RAIDed data drives seems irrelevant. Maybe I could follow the tutorial here since the OS drive is not in a RAID, though the new one is an SSD? Also, I found built-in Windows Easy Transfer, but that doesn't move programs. Thanks!

Oops sorry dilip I forgot we were in a tutorial as Derek pointed out

Just ask away my friend

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Something I cannot answer dilip as I have never used RAID the other s are far more knowledgeable re that stuff.

 

[pat222]

its a bit late but im new so thanks

 

[kevsosm00th]

The first method tells me there has been a fatal error.. what should I do?

 

[Kari]

The first method tells me there has been a fatal error.. what should I do?

Hi, welcome to the Seven Forums. Did you read the tutorial through before sysprepping your Windows? This quote is from the end of the tutorial:

I have tested all above mentioned methods with all versions of Windows 7, from Starter to Enterprise. It works every time, with one exception: for reasons unknown to me, sysprep seems sometimes dislike Windows Media Player networking service, which is by default started every time Windows 7 starts. In about every third time I've done this, I've got an error message when trying to generalize:

However, this is not a big problem. You just need to stop the WMP networking service, and run sysprep with generalize option again. You can stop the service in question by typing net stop WMPNetworkSvc to command prompt, and hitting Enter:

Kari

 

[kevsosm00th]

The first method tells me there has been a fatal error.. what should I do?

Hi, welcome to the Seven Forums. Did you read the tutorial through before sysprepping your Windows? This quote is from the end of the tutorial:

I have tested all above mentioned methods with all versions of Windows 7, from Starter to Enterprise. It works every time, with one exception: for reasons unknown to me, sysprep seems sometimes dislike Windows Media Player networking service, which is by default started every time Windows 7 starts. In about every third time I've done this, I've got an error message when trying to generalize:

However, this is not a big problem. You just need to stop the WMP networking service, and run sysprep with generalize option again. You can stop the service in question by typing net stop WMPNetworkSvc to command prompt, and hitting Enter:

Kari

Thank you very much for you fast reply. I will try to do this once I get home and if it doesn't work I will send u screen shots of what happens

 

[Strudelbaum]

Recommended procedure when you put in a new mother board?

Hi - thanks for the tutorial. I just put in a new mother board and now they are trying to push a new OS down my throat.

Which method would you recommend?

Thanks.

Another Kari

 

[Kari]

Hi Kari (?), welcome to the Seven Forums.

Method One is for situations when you keep the HDD (OS) but change other components. However, if you have already changed the motherboard it's too late.

Changing the motherboard is essentially same than transferring the OS to a new PC. When doing it, it is important to remember what Microsoft has said about the project (source: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh825033.aspx):

Important

You must use the Sysprep /generalize command to generalize a complete Windows installation before you can use the installation for deployment to a new computer, whether you use imaging, hard disk duplication, or another method. Moving or copying a Windows image to a different computer without running the Sysprep /generalize command is not supported.

Kari

 

[Ghidrah007]

Works great

I rebuilt my computer over the weekend and used the following steps which are a combination of what you wrote and what I did. It worked flawlessly - one of the rare times this has ever happened!
Thanks Kari!

1) Remove old programs and clean up C drive of all non essential programs.
2) Run ccleaner then remove ccleaner from drive
3) Unmount all extra drives except for the SSD
4) Boot up and verify normal boot.
5) Open cmd prompt as administrator
6) net stop WMPNetworkSvc at cmd prompt
7) Type to Command Prompt: %windir%\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep.exe, and hit Enter.
8) In sysprep dialog that opens, choose System Cleanup Action as Enter System Out-of-Box-Experience (OOBE), select Generalize, select Shutdown Options Shutdown. Click OK
9) Switch the main power of your PC off and install the new hardware including extra HDD’s
10) Boot into BIOS and set parameters for boot priority, etc.
11) Boot the PC from SSD. You will notice Windows booting as if it was the first boot after installation, installing default drivers and updating registry. One or two reboots are needed, depending on your system specifications
12) When Windows finally boots up, you will need to enter all information as if this really was a new, fresh installation
13) Because your old user profiles already exist, Windows does not accept your normal username, but instead you have to create a new temporary user. I use username Test for this purpose
14) When login screen appears, choose your old user account to login
15) Windows boots now to default OOBE first boot desktop, with default 800*600 resolution and default theme. All your installed applications are there, as well as your old user profiles and folders. Windows has installed the default drivers for your setup, you can update them if needed
16) Update the drivers
17) Go to Control Panel > User Accounts and delete the temporary user account (in this case Test) that you just created

Notes:
This worked flawlessly for me and I am very grateful to you for sharing this procedure!
I notice that the PC name was Test-PC after this, so I went in and changed it back to its original name.
I was interested to see if this worked since I had purchased the Family 3-Pack of WIN7 Home Premium Upgrade. You had indicated that upgrades wouldn’t work. Mine did work I suspect because I had upgraded from XP and so was considered a fresh install.
I did have trouble with my audio cards failing, but this turned out to be faulty connections and nothing to do with the transfer.

 

[Kari]

Hi Gidrah, welcome to the Seven Forums.

Thanks for sharing your experience. The reason your computer was named TEst-PC is that when you create an initial (first) user profile during the OOBE boot phase and you need to use a temporary username as your preferred username already exists, you forgot to change the computer name to whatever you'd like to have.

If a computer name is not specified when the window shown in screenshot below is presented, Windows names the PC automatically as USERNAME-PC, in your case you used the temporary username Test as told in tutorial so Windows named the PC as Test-PC.

Kari

 

[Strudelbaum]

Whoa!

I'll have a go at this ASAP and report back.

 

[Ghidrah007]

Thanks Kari
I should have mentioned that I had replaced the MB, CPU and RAM and so was essentially a new computer.
Thanks again!
Cheers
Ghidrah007

 

[Kari]

You are most welcome .

 

[Britton30]

Will this work on a system installed with this tutorial?
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...reate-move-during-windows-7-installation.html

 

[Kari]

Will this work on a system installed with this tutorial?
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...reate-move-during-windows-7-installation.html

Short answer: Yes.

Long answer:
The two methods, two different usage scenarios for Sysprep have nothing to do with each other.

Relocating the main user profile folder using Sysprep and an unattended answer file as told in the tutorial linked to in your post changes the value of the internal Windows environment variable ProfilesDirectory to point to a user defined location instead of the original C:\Users. It does nothing else.

The method to transfer a complete Windows installation as described in this tutorial is based on the Generalize function of the Sysprep command. What Generalize does is it removes all hardware specific drivers and registry entries replacing them with generic Windows drivers, doing nothing else. It leaves all user data absolutely intact.

An example of the Generalize function:
You have Windows installed on hardware with an ATI Radeon GPU and Beats Audio system, among other hardware. You want to take the hard disk with Windows to a new PC where you have an nVidia GPU and Intel sound.

Running sysprep /generalize as told in this tutorial goes through the installed hardware, flagging all hardware specific (non-generic) drivers. It then removes these drivers, in this example it removes the ATI and Beats drivers and replaces them with generic Windows display and audio drivers.

HD can now be connected to a new computer, which when booted first time runs a so called OOBE boot. Instead of using the old ATI and Beats drivers it boots to Windows desktop using the generic Windows drivers, and the user can then install the correct nVidia and Intel drivers.

   Note

This is the only recommend and supported method to transfer a Windows installation. Some third party sites give complicated instructions in removing the drivers and editing registry manually, but it is not recommended.

This warning from Microsoft (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...h825033.aspx):

Important

You must use the Sysprep /generalize command to generalize a complete Windows installation before you can use the installation for deployment to a new computer, whether you use imaging, hard disk duplication, or another method. Moving or copying a Windows image to a different computer without running the Sysprep /generalize command is not supported.

Kari

 

[Britton30]

Thanks a lot Kari! I will be going from an AMD to Intel system so I wanted to be sure to get rid of all the "old AMD drivers.