Move Windows XP to new hardware?

[Curley_Boy 0]

Is is possible to move an existing XP installation to a new PC?

 

I have heard it is possible to do this by installing a fresh copy of XP on the new machine and then using the ntbackup program to restore the 'old' xp installation onto the new PC.

 

Here is the url of the site I found the info on (I can't detail it all here because I don't understand alot of it myself):

 

http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/49584.html

 

My current disk setup is this:

 

Disk1: Primary Master (Dynamic NTFS file system)

Windows Dir: C:\WINXP

(the other system dirs are at default locations and use default names)

 

Disk2: Primary Slave (Dynamic NTFS file system)

User Profiles dir: D:\User Profiles\...

Shared Temp dir (for SYSTEM and all user profiles) D:\TEMP

Pagefile.sys is located in the root of this drive

Windows XP setup files folder and ServicePackFiles folder is located on this drive also.

 

OS: Windows XP Pro SP1

 

I need to understand how to successfully restore my XP installation without the new hardware causing plug & play (the hal and everything else) to throw fits.

 

I need to know whether using a dynamic file system will cause problems.

 

Will registry and file security be restored?

 

How does the altered names/locations of the system componants listed above affect the restore process?

 

 

If anyone could clears things up for me I would be greatful (provided it's not and outright 'Nooo it's not possible! 8)' ) I like a good challenge.

[sapiens74 0]

I have done so when upgrading most of my components. I use Drive Image 2002, or you can put the hard drive into the new machine, let it detect all the drivers and such then do a backup with the new hardware

[adamvjackson 0]

If it is at all possible, I would recommend against trying to transfer the existing install, unless the systems are very similar, as in same chipsets, mass-storage controller, etc.

[Mr.Guvernment 0]

^^^^

 

exactly - you are asking for some serious B.S.O.D and really bad system perfromace in most casses if you do that, not worth the future hassle, just format and install again.

[Curley_Boy 0]

I'm sure it should be possible provided I duplicate the file system, drive lettering and system directory structure.

 

In addition to the originally referenced article note the following from the MS knowledge base:

 

How to Move a Windows 2000 Installation to Different Hardware:

 

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;249694

 

 

Recovering from Failed System Drive with Non-Default %SystemRoot% Folder:

 

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;235478

 

 

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP:

 

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341

 

 

Problems with different hardware configurations are taken care of by the ntbackup.exe program, plug and play should deal with the rest.

 

Startup environment config and HAL mismatches could be solved by using a customised boot floppy.

 

The only thing that concerns me is the %systemroot%\repair folder. According to the knowledge base the only way to update the contents of this folder (and thus make use of it with the repair option in nt setup) is to perform an in-place upgrade over the top of my existing XP installation. This would of course mean I would have to reinstall (ie spend hours re-downloading) all my service packs and hotfixes again... part of reason why I want to move my XP install to a new PC in the first place. Under Windows 2000 the ntbackup.exe program had a feature that would update this without needing to re-install the OS 'Emergency Repair Disk' was it?? Is there any way to update the contents of this folder without the need to re-install?

[adamvjackson 0]

All you should really have to do after you transfer the hardware is boot from the XP CD and choose the repair option, if you're determined against a clean install.

[Tomay 0]

I had no problems switching systems with the same xp install with intel systems. If it didn't boot up I just choose the repair option in the setup. I also done the same when I switched from intel to via. The system works, but I have problems with power management. The system just shows "preparing to hibernate (standby)..." screen and nothing happens, but for now I can live with that.

[Champion_R 0]

I strongly recommend against trying to transfer Windows installations across systems or major hardware changes. It always gets messy and there is usually a performance hit too.

 

If you don't want to format the drive, you can always load the recovery console and rename the Windows, Program Files, Documents and Settings folders. Also you can rename boot.ini, ntldr and ntdetect.com. After this you can install a new copy of Windows and preserve the drives contents.

[sapiens74 0]

It can be done.

 

Better to do a fresh install, but if you don't want to go through then give it a shot

[duhmez 0]

Curley_boy, you can easily update the contents of \repair directory.

 

 

Run NTbackup, and choose to make an emergency repair disk. Then check the option to "backup registry"

 

This updates it to current. Also if you run "Backup system state" in backup, it wil also save a backup which can be aplied to a fresh windows install to make it the same as it was. your biggest issue will be the mass storage controller. If its similar ebough itll be fine, if totaly different it won't work.

[Curley_Boy 0]

As far as I am aware the make emergency repair disk option was only avaliable in the 2000 version of ntbackup. So any ideas on how to make one for XP?

 

Using the method on the MS knowledge base it should be possible.... and with a complete system backup, boot disk and the repair option in NT setup I see no reason why it shouldn't work... Although I have said that on more than one disaterous occasion.

 

I want to try this because I have Windows set up the way I want it now, and I don't see why I should have to re-install the OS everytime I do a major upgrade. If I could transfer a DOS/Win3.x/9x setup to new hardware then it should also be possible to do so with an NT based OS. It just requires more careful planning. By attempting something challenging (however frustrating the outcome) I learn. Simply saying it isn't possible at the first hurdle acheives nothing.

[sapiens74 0]

It will most likely work unless you are switching to a controller which XP does not recognize natively