Windows 7 Installation - Transfer to a New Computer

thanks for the quick reply Kari!

Sorry, I see that my questions didn't transfer over very well... :-( I think your responses clear up all of my confusion for now except one thing-what is the best way to do a system restore or whatever I need to do to bring my stuff back on each PC? What is the best way to transfer the image to the NEW PC-using system restore and then point/restore the new PC off of the old saved system image or some different way(hopefully it gives me this option)? Same question for the OLD PC as well? It sounds like the OLD PC is basically wiped clean, so no 3rd party software, VLC, itunes, etc. will be retained, right? I assume my system image will keep all of that 3rd party software (since they are all on the C: drive), so as soon as I figure out the best way bring that info back to the NEW & OLD PC I will be good to go!

I do have all of the different activation keys for windows 7, but they are OEM, so maybe a phone call is in my future... Sorry I am being overly cautious because I am still using all of the stuff on my old HTPC so don't want to lose anything-haven't messed much with system restore before. Thanks again for all of the assistance!

I did similar recently - kept my old system intact and also moved it to a new PC.
Here's the procedure I used. All images and restores done with a CD that the imaging software will create.
It's called "cold imaging." Images are written onto an external HD.
1. Image the original existing system. You should know imaging up and down and that it actually works as expected by doing restores.
2. Sysprep the existing system.
3. Reboot to the imaging system CD.
4. Image the sysprepped system.
5. Restore the original existing system image taken in step 1. Your original system is back in place, and you have a sysprepped image of it on the external HD.
6. Connect the external HD to the new PC.
7. Boot the new PC using the imaging software CD.
8. Restore the sysprepped image from the external HD to the new PC HD.
9. Reboot the new PC from the new PC HD.

See what happens.

Victor S said:

I did similar recently - kept my old system intact and also moved it to a new PC.
Here's the procedure I used. All images and restores done with a CD that the imaging software will create.
It's called "cold imaging." Images are written onto an external HD.
1. Image the original existing system. You should know imaging up and down and that it actually works as expected by doing restores.
2. Sysprep the existing system.
3. Reboot to the imaging system CD.
4. Image the sysprepped system.
5. Restore the original existing system image taken in step 1. Your original system is back in place, and you have a sysprepped image of it on the external HD.
6. Connect the external HD to the new PC.
7. Boot the new PC using the imaging software CD.
8. Restore the sysprepped image from the external HD to the new PC HD.
9. Reboot the new PC from the new PC HD.

See what happens.

Hi Victor thanks for the additional info-much appreciated!

I am building a few PCs right now so will try this in a bit... In step 3, you are saying to reboot the old PC, but how does one select the option to reboot to imaging system CD/HD? I assume you mean the one I just created-seems odd but whatever works. ;-) I am reading things correctly that steps 1-5 are all on the OLD PC, and 6-9 are all on the NEW PC?

Similar question for step 7-how does one select the option to reboot to imaging system CD/HD? Also, do I need to be in sysprep mode for step 7 to work and at what point do I do step 7? Before installing windows 7 at all or after installing but before setting up the PC name, etc.?

Thanks for any additional info, cant wait to try this out!

Brian

freetv,
You are exactly right about which steps apply to which PC.
Step 3 requires setting bios to boot from CD. Whichever computer you're booting to CD. I use imaging so much that my default boot is to the CD, but unless i press a key within about 5 seconds the boot sequence moves on to the C drive.
The only time sysprep comes into play is when you do it in step 2. All else is making or restoring images, or plugging in the external HD and the imaging software CD to the computer that needs it. You really have to be familiar with imaging to use the above method.
Your last comment makes me wonder if I understand what you are trying to do.
I thought you wanted to "Transfer your Complete Windows 7 Installation to a New Computer."
So there is no need to "install" Windows anywhere. I can't help with the registration part, because I never did it. I just made sure the process worked, and that Win 7 booted on the "new" PC looking like it had on the original PC, then reverted the "new" PC back to its prior system with an image I had previously taken.
It was all for "contingency planning" in case my primary PC goes kaput. I now keep a sysprepped image handy in case that occurs - and i had to know the process works. It does.

[* said:

Now create an image using whatever tool you'd like to use, as told in Part 6

Was finally able to find some time to go through this process but windows froze up on me in the middle of it... I really want to get this done but first I will need to recover my system image-which doesn't seem to be working to well. Any help would once again be greatly appreciated.

I did do a system image of the old PC before starting the process. Then I did the sysprep w/ generalize all is going well. I then tried to do another windows system image in sysprep mode (as quoted in your step above). It seemed to be going well, until ironically i got worried about the new image replacing the old image so i went into windows explorer created a new folder and moved the old image. I then tried to system image and windows popped back with an error (sorry cant remember the specifics). I closed out of windows back up and tried reopening it numerous times. then it froze up as did windows explorer (they were all just blank boxes) so I had to do a restart. When I restart it was setting up windows again which I got out of and into recovery mode.

I have tried several different ways to boot into the recovery and restore the original system image (even after moving it back to its original location) and windows just cant find it. I can actually find that image on my external hard drive, its now in the right spot even, but Windows just cant find it?!?

Can anyone please give me some pointers on how to get the original system image back, so that I can start over and finally get this done? I am excited to get this done but need to get past this bump in the road first... Thanks much!

Kari[/QUOTE]

Kari said:

Post your issue on Backup and Restore - Windows 7 Help Forums, you get better help on your imaging issues.

Posted there, but nothing yet... thanks

system restored, so back to square one and will try this again tomorrow!

freetvee said:

I didnt use a imaging CD but an External HD (since the image is 30GB with all of the software I want to keep on there). So I have used Aomei to backup a regular system image and a sysprep system image too both to my External HD. when I go to the new pc I load windows 7 first, install the LAN driver from disc and then install Aomei.

Do I need to be in sysprep mode again before doing the Aomei system restore on the new PC? I am confused about the method for "transferring" the system image to the new PC-any more details you can provide-should I be using cloning instead of system recovery since I am just wanting to copy everything to a new PC and leave the old on the same: AOMEI Backupper ? free disk imaging and cloning software, backup and recovery for your computer. Is there an easier way to do this when I can somehow boot to my external HD on the new PC and initiate a system restore-like this but I need more than a CD: AOMEI Backupper Helps to Create Bootable CD

BTW-the old PC seemed to keep most of the system image without me needing to do a system restore?!?

btw- I am all for paying someone if I can ever get this figured out correctly and efficiently. If anyone has a suggestion on how to best do this and get this done please let me know! thanks.