Windows 7 About Disk Images

Brando · Mar 15, 2014

After reformatting and reinstalling W7 Pro and getting it all set-up and updated i am going to do an image ( with one of the tools on UBCD).
But it occurred to me that in the near future i am going to be upgrading my system entirely and am curious, what happens if i take the image of my current disk and image a new drive in my new system.
Or even if i just install the olde drive in the new system.
Will the OS choke because of all the new/different hardware? will it even work? or will windows then just re recognize components( audio video networking etc ) and install new drivers?
Hope that made sense.
Thanks

strollin · Mar 16, 2014

If you install the old drive in your upgraded system, you could use the sysprep command to remove all the system specific drivers and "generalize" the installation. You would run sysprep on the system just before shutting it down for the last time to do the upgrade. Then when you boot Windows for the first time, the new system specific drivers will be installed.

Here's the command: sysprep.exe /oobe /generalize /shutdown

Read more about sysprep here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd799240(v=WS.10).aspx

badrobot · Mar 15, 2014

Brando said:
Will the OS choke because of all the new/different hardware? will it even work? or will windows then just re recognize components( audio video networking etc ) and install new drivers?
Hope that made sense.
Thanks

Yes. It won't work. Your software (the OS) will not recognize the new hardware and it won't boot up.

Brando · Mar 15, 2014

Ok good to know. Thanks !

patcooke · Mar 16, 2014

Depends on how similar or dissimilar the hardware configurations is. It may fail to boot completely, it may boot perfectly. The most likely outcome is probably somewhere in between. You may well find some hardware components need different drivers, you may well find the difference causing a bsod. It's certainly worth a try as it could save you many hours of system updates, applicaions installation etc - just don't rely on it entirely and be prepared for the possibility of having to reinstall from scratch.

badrobot · Mar 16, 2014

I highly doubt the similarity when someone is "upgrading".

patcooke · Mar 16, 2014

Agreed - depends on whether the devices are just in need of upgrade or are completely incompatible but like most of us I'd got for a clean install anyway. If you're investing time and money on a system upgrade you may as well invest a bit more time and effort ensuring that you're not importing any potentially problematic baggage from a previous installation.

strollin · Mar 16, 2014

If you install the old drive in your upgraded system, you could use the sysprep command to remove all the system specific drivers and "generalize" the installation. You would run sysprep on the system just before shutting it down for the last time to do the upgrade. Then when you boot Windows for the first time, the new system specific drivers will be installed.

Here's the command: sysprep.exe /oobe /generalize /shutdown

Read more about sysprep here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd799240(v=WS.10).aspx

Windows 7 About Disk Images

Brando

Senior Member

strollin

badrobot

Senior Member

Brando

Senior Member

patcooke

Microsoft MVP

badrobot

Senior Member

patcooke

Microsoft MVP

strollin

Honorable Member

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