Easiest way to clone or transfer to a new computer

This is how I add the drivers. Extremely simple.

hsehestedt said:

Forgive me if I have missed something here. I waded through this thread but still feel like I might be missing something.

If you are not able to disable the Intel RST in the BIOS on that HP, why not simply load the driver at boot time?

Step 1: Download the driver here:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/hp-laptop-pc-14-d2000/model/2100648340?sku=3Z7M4EA

View attachment 136754

Step 2: Extract the contents of that driver into a folder and drop that folder onto your Windows installation disk.

Step 3: Install during Windows setup if you doing a clean install. To do so, simply boot your Windows installation media and at the following screen point it to the EXTRACTED contents of the driver you downloaded in step 1.

View attachment 136755

Alternative Method

Follow steps 1 and 2 above.

3) Create a folder on the root of your Windows installation media. It MUST be named "$WinPeDriver$" although uppercase / lowercase do not matter. Drop the EXTRACTED contents of the driver in that folder.

NOTE: Subfolders inside $WinPeDriver$ are okay. So, if you have multiple drivers you can place each inside a separate subfolder. Here is an example of what my $WinPeDriver$ folder looks like (only folders are shown, I'm not showing all files):

View attachment 136756

That is all. Windows setup will automatically grab this driver(s).

Again, my apologies if I've missed something. Feel free to scold me if desired

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info but my problem is that I'm not doing a clean install. I've cloned a drive from my old laptop to a new one because I want it laid out exactly like my old one without re installing apps etc (big headache)

I've tried 3 different cloning apps and when the finished result is compared in a partition manager, they are IDENTICAL. But as soon as I try to boot from the new drive, I get a BSOD & INACCESSIBLE BOOT DEVICE. Something is missing, maybe the tiniest thing, but it's enough to not boot. It's either the clone (which I doubt) or the new laptops bios. Someone earlier said my bios was set for RAID, and there is no option of Legacy/EUFI boot which is ridiculous.

1974darrenh said:

Thanks for the info but my problem is that I'm not doing a clean install. I've cloned a drive from my old laptop to a new one because I want it laid out exactly like my old one without re installing apps etc (big headache)

I've tried 3 different cloning apps and when the finished result is compared in a partition manager, they are IDENTICAL. But as soon as I try to boot from the new drive, I get a BSOD & INACCESSIBLE BOOT DEVICE. Something is missing, maybe the tiniest thing, but it's enough to not boot. It's either the clone (which I doubt) or the new laptops bios. Someone earlier said my bios was set for RAID, and there is no option of Legacy/EUFI boot which is ridiculous.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification. I knew I wasn't comprehending it correctly . I was in an extreme hurry to get to something pressing and didn't take the time I should have to completely get it.

But here is my question now: Have you tried NOT cloning but doing it this way:

1) Almost every disk imaging program has a way to load drivers to the recovery media (I've never encountered one that does not). Make sure you have the RST driver loaded on your recovery media.

2) Rather than cloning, do a disk image backup, and restore that image to the new system. That is when it can use those drivers.

3) Hopefully restore will now work.

I have had bad luck with actual clones in the past. But backup / restore to dissimilar hardware has always worked for me.

What happens at the Configuration screen on the BIOS? It just shows the disk? Does it open any settings if you press ENTER or something? Download the IRST drivers and try to extract the contents in Windows\System32 with Strelec, or try to install it with the relevant tool in Strelec. Then try booting Windows again. This time it might find the IRST driver, install it, detect the disk properly and avoid the BSOD. However, if you can disable IRST in BIOS and use plain good AHCI it would be much better. The performance difference should not be noticeable.

PS: Have you tried to install IRST in the old laptop and then clone again? If it allows you to install IRST, the driver will be already available and installed when booting the clone in the new laptop, so the disk should be detected properly and no BSOD.

Thanks. Will try all these options from @hsehestedt and @spapakons. I'm really appreciating all your help.

The BIOS configuration does nothing when selecting, shows the disk but if you try to enter it, it does nothing.

Do I just put the driver anywhere in the system32 folder or does it need to go in a particular folder?

I will also try loading the driver into the old laptop and do the clone again.

If that doesn't work, I will try imaging rather than cloning.

Will let you all know the outcome later

Since the folder Windows/System and all subfolders is t system path, if you put the files there< Windows should find them and install the driver.

PS: Don't bother trying to install IRST on the old computer. I just tried on mine, it displays a warning that I tried to install it on an unsupported platform (meaning I don't have a compatible Intel storage controller) and quit.

So I used Strelec to add the IRST driver from the HP site to the system32 folder. I extracted the driver files from the EXE. Rebooted and the same BSOD INACCESSIBLE BOOT DEVICE

I tried installing a fresh install of Windows 11 on the new drive in the new laptop and it installed and worked straight away!!!

Therefore, could I go down the route of using PC MOVER software and let that transfer everything over? Or is there another way?

just to bring some more doom and gloom to this thread.
in your other thread glasskutter did give warning that if cloning fails it would most likely be
a clean install of Windows on this new computer and its looking very much as if that will be the only remedy.

as this is failing to boot leads me to believe that there is some incompatibility with the clone and this new computer
and it is looking more and more like this is the problem. i have had direct upgrades fail which has led to clean installs with 24H2.

i would back up any data, most of the data is already on the other drive, and bite the bullet and attempt a clean install.
that is my advice at this time, so, best of luck, Steve ..

Idea! While you slowly install your applications one by one, you can either use the old laptop remotely via AnyDesk, or you can virtualize it. The second option means to install VMware Player or Virtualbox and create a virtual machine, but instead of using a virtual disk, use the old laptop disk connected via USB. Either option will allow you to use all your software whilst installing software to the new laptop. I would even install the most used applications to have a working system and then copy-paste my data to the new disk. That way I can add more applications on my own pace without having to use the old disk all the time and risk damaging it.

Advanced tip: To get your browsing data and passwords, you may create an account and enable sync on the old computer. Then install the browser, login with the same account and enable sync to get your data. The old school method is to copy all related folders and files of the browser from the old disk to the respective locations of the new disk BEFORE installing the browser. Then during installation Setup will think you already have the browser and offer to upgrade it. This will add the necessary files and Registry keys to make the browser work. In more detail, make sure you enable viewing hidden files on File Explorer. For Mozilla Firefox copy these folders into the same position on the new disk:

C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox for the 64-bit version
or
C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox for the 32-bit version
C:\ProgramData\Mozilla
C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Mozilla
C:\Users\username\AppData\LocalLow\Mozilla

If you were using the 32-bit version of Firefox for some reason on the old computer, you must download and install the 32-bit version from here:

After you copy all the relevant folders and files, install Firefox running the installer you downloaded. When you see the prompt to upgrade, proceed. you should have all your themes, settings, browsing history and even your passwords. The same method works with other browsers too and with some applications.

1974darrenh said:

Spoiler

Thanks. Will try all these options from @hsehestedt and @spapakons. I'm really appreciating all your help.
The BIOS configuration does nothing when selecting, shows the disk but if you try to enter it, it does nothing.
Do I just put the driver anywhere in the system32 folder or does it need to go in a particular folder?
I will also try loading the driver into the old laptop and do the clone again.
If that doesn't work, I will try imaging rather than cloning.
Will let you all know the outcome later

Click to expand...

Forget about cloning. That is designed for IDENTICAL / SIMILAR hardware scenarios. eg. 20 new PCs for business, and you clone the drives to save time.
As I said before, you should be looking at restoring to DISSIMILAR hardware. This is your key.
Google and look at what software supports this (I have spent considerable time posting links and listing this software to help you).

1974darrenh said:

Spoiler

I tried installing a fresh install of Windows 11 on the new drive in the new laptop and it installed and worked straight away!!!
Therefore, could I go down the route of using PC MOVER software and let that transfer everything over? Or is there another way?

Click to expand...

• You do not need to perform a fresh install. You could, but you do not need to.
• Clean up your current OS. Uninstall old unnecessary apps, clean up the registry, compact it, etc.
• Now backup your original PC - see software list I posted on prior page. I already gave you links to Veeam.
• Install the chipset drivers or motherboard (graphics, network, etc) drivers that relate to that proposed PC running the cloned disk. If it will not let you, you can often right-click on the INF file and click Install, and that should install and load the drivers into the driver store (eg) for when the device(s) are connected.
• I would also uninstall all drivers from the system.
• Did you try any of my earlier suggestions regarding this? eg. Downgrading to manufacturer's driver instead of "the latest" from the vendor/developer. eg. Use CloneApp (free) or Laplink etc to migrate your settings and app data between machines?
• Now, perform another backup (that will be used to migrate and restore on other system. You can always revert OLD PC back to prior backup above, before messing with drivers, etc.

1974darrenh said:

Spoiler

Thanks for the info but my problem is that I'm not doing a clean install. I've cloned a drive from my old laptop to a new one because I want it laid out exactly like my old one without re installing apps etc (big headache)
I've tried 3 different cloning apps and when the finished result is compared in a partition manager, they are IDENTICAL. But as soon as I try to boot from the new drive, I get a BSOD & INACCESSIBLE BOOT DEVICE. Something is missing, maybe the tiniest thing, but it's enough to not boot. It's either the clone (which I doubt) or the new laptops bios. Someone earlier said my bios was set for RAID, and there is no option of Legacy/EUFI boot which is ridiculous.

Click to expand...

I really don't think you are going down the right avenue. And I am really confused why you are using cloning software / features when you are not even cloning a system. EG. 1) cloning old drive to replace with new drive. or 2) cloning drive for computers with identical H/W or similar H/W.

Did you even try Veeam Agent? Backup and restore to dissimilar hardware? I gave you the links.
I think I'm wasting people's time. Have a clear and concise objective and share information about old and new devices, specs, age, etc. Share what you've tried. Contact the developers / vendors who develop the software suites that allow restoring disk backups to different hardware. See links I have posted.
There is no further help you actually need until you do the research and ascertain and share what you are doing, and you understand the subtle differences with cloning vs restoring to dissimilar hardware.

As I said in my 1st or 2nd post - stop blindly following advice and steps. Go and research the software and the functions you want to perform
Do not go down the sysprep and cloning paths. You are wasting so much of your own time.
Sorry for being blunt, but you need to slow down - what you are trying to achieve is so very very simple and straight forward. Pus you won't learn anything unless you start reading up on the functions you are trying to perform (and realise you may have been given numerous wrong suggestions) so you can clarify exactly what you are trying to do. It ain't cloning!
Write up a short 2 paragraph objective of what you are trying to do - with what hardware, OS, software and device drivers. Convert it to bullet points and send it to each backup S/W developer followed by "Which of your software products would satisfy my needs and do you have any user guides demonstrating it works?" (proof of concept/works).
See what they say!
Cheers!

Hey Dazza / Darren, This is my last message on this topic. I have already suggested to use CloneApp or Laplink / PCMoveer etc. as an option. I have suggested dozens of S/W to perform a backup and recovery to **dissimilar hardware** (key words you are looking for!). Avoid Cloning. It is not what you need!

If I had seen this post earlier, I would have told you to simply backup with Paragon / Veeam / Macrium, convert to a virtual machine. Open in VMWare or virtualised platform (have you made those changes to the BIOS yet??), then test everything works. Then perform a restore from virtual machine format to the new PC. Called P2V (physical to virtual) and V2P (virtual to physical) is the most obvious and first suggestion anyone should have given you if you had a hiccup in this migration to new PC. If it fails, guess what - you go back to the virtual machine and make some changes.

And if it doesn't boot on the new PC, have you tried
- reboot into recovery and load the driver manually?
- or reboot into safe mode w/ networking and install?

Whether or not you read this post or any of my prior advice, it doesn't bother me. It's your own time that you are wasting... Good luck.

1974darrenh said:

Spoiler

I tried installing a fresh install of Windows 11 on the new drive in the new laptop and it installed and worked straight away!!!
Therefore, could I go down the route of using PC MOVER software and let that transfer everything over? Or is there another way?

Click to expand...

1974darrenh said:

Spoiler

Thanks for the info but my problem is that I'm not doing a clean install. I've cloned a drive from my old laptop to a new one because I want it laid out exactly like my old one without re installing apps etc (big headache)

I've tried 3 different cloning apps and when the finished result is compared in a partition manager, they are IDENTICAL. But as soon as I try to boot from the new drive, I get a BSOD & INACCESSIBLE BOOT DEVICE. Something is missing, maybe the tiniest thing, but it's enough to not boot. It's either the clone (which I doubt) or the new laptops bios. Someone earlier said my bios was set for RAID, and there is no option of Legacy/EUFI boot which is ridiculous.

Click to expand...

Mate, why are you cloning? You are using the wrong software! It will never work!

spapakons said:

Spoiler

Idea! While you slowly install your applications one by one, you can either use the old laptop remotely via AnyDesk, or you can virtualize it. The second option means to install VMware Player or Virtualbox and create a virtual machine, but instead of using a virtual disk, use the old laptop disk connected via USB. Either option will allow you to use all your software whilst installing software to the new laptop. I would even install the most used applications to have a working system and then copy-paste my data to the new disk. That way I can add more applications on my own pace without having to use the old disk all the time and risk damaging it.

Advanced tip: To get your browsing data and passwords, you may create an account and enable sync on the old computer. Then install the browser, login with the same account and enable sync to get your data. The old school method is to copy all related folders and files of the browser from the old disk to the respective locations of the new disk BEFORE installing the browser. Then during installation Setup will think you already have the browser and offer to upgrade it. This will add the necessary files and Registry keys to make the browser work. In more detail, make sure you enable viewing hidden files on File Explorer. For Mozilla Firefox copy these folders into the same position on the new disk:

C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox for the 64-bit version
or
C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox for the 32-bit version
C:\ProgramData\Mozilla
C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Mozilla
C:\Users\username\AppData\LocalLow\Mozilla

If you were using the 32-bit version of Firefox for some reason on the old computer, you must download and install the 32-bit version from here:

Download Firefox in English (US) and more than 90 other languages

Everyone deserves access to the internet — your language should never be a barrier. That’s why — with the help of dedicated volunteers around the world — we make Firefox available in more than 90 languages.

www.mozilla.org

After you copy all the relevant folders and files, install Firefox running the installer you downloaded. When you see the prompt to upgrade, proceed. you should have all your themes, settings, browsing history and even your passwords. The same method works with other browsers too and with some applications.

Click to expand...

This entire thread is getting a bit ridiculous. Why wouldn't he use Firefox Portable? or even FF Portable x86 / 32bit? Or install a proper cross-platform browser like Yandex or Brave that are all 64bit and far more secure, 64-bit, stable and privacy conscious? Or even Firefox 64bit?

The user can easily download the old v8 of Macrium (use Redeploy) from installed or bootable ISO. Check it out. It is part of Macrium Reflect (MR).

This is why I said to use Driver Magician to backup your drivers to a folder. OR the drivers of the destination PC. Then using your OLD PC, load those drivers into the bootable image (see my previous posts on plenty of software examples that do this) and prepare the recovery media. DONE!

Why would you even tell him to copy these files and folders?? So many free tools exist! CloneApp is free and open source, and will allow him to choose exactly what software to backup and migrate to a new install.

This whole thread is getting ridiculous.

Flipmode said:

Try using some software that will load these drivers for you automatically.
Example: Veeam Agent. It's free!

Click to expand...

*cough* *cough*...

1974darrenh said:

So this Veeam...is this to do another clone or to fix the existing clone?

Will I have to pay for it to do what I need it to do?

Click to expand...

Come on mate. Did you not read any of my recommendations??? You didn't click an follow the link when I was explaining it to you? Again when saying it's free and repeating to just try it. Wish I could edit and delete my recommendations now. I can see I have wasted my time.

Scott said:

Spoiler

Well dang. There's gotta be a way to disable the VMD controller.

My ASUS board makes it easy...

View attachment 136738

Click to expand...

Isn't it CTRL-F1 or something to show advanced / hidden BIOS options? Or is that only from 286-386 days? Maybe FN-F1? or FN-Tab on notebook?
@1974darrenh Why not just call the laptop company and ask? Save your time and everyone else on the forum?

@1974darrenh Darren, Have you done a BIOS update? Downloaded the latest bios firmware from manufacturer? That often will give you options. Call the manufacturer and asked how to disable it. Think outside the box...
Also... often there is a SECOND prompt after the BIOS that you enter to manage/rebuild/disable the RAID.
Sorry you've been given so many wrong things to do and that you've wasted your own time. Please go back and read my posts. The answers are all there for you!
Unsubscribing.

Flipmode said:

• ou do not need to perform a fresh install. You could, but you do not need to.
• Clean up your current OS. Uninstall old unnecessary apps, clean up the registry, compact it, etc.
• Now backup your original PC - see software list I posted on prior page. I already gave you links to Veeam.
• Install the chipset drivers or motherboard (graphics, network, etc) drivers that relate to that proposed PC running the cloned disk. If it will not let you, you can often right-click on the INF file and click Install, and that should install and load the drivers into the driver store (eg) for when the device(s) are connected.
• I would also uninstall all drivers from the system.
• Did you try any of my earlier suggestions regarding this? eg. Downgrading to manufacturer's driver instead of "the latest" from the vendor/developer. eg. Use CloneApp (free) or Laplink etc to migrate your settings and app data between machines?
• Now, perform another backup (that will be used to migrate and restore on other system. You can always revert OLD PC back to prior backup above, before messing with drivers, etc.

Click to expand...

What's the point? If you clean all of these is hardly makes a difference over a clean installation. I would do a clean installation instead which should be faster and better in performance and compatibility.

PS: Generalizing Windows before cloning (make it hardware neutral) is NOT going to work since Windows will try to install the storage controller driver and won't be available, so it will again give a BSOD "Inaccessible Boot Device". The only way to make it work is to provide Windows with the IRST drivers so it can install them and properly detect the disk to proceed loading Windows. I would copy all drivers to Windows\System32 and the INF files to Windows\INF but I am not sure if this is enough. I would probably boot with Strelec, locate the driver installation tool and properly install the IRST driver to the new disk. This should have higher chance to succeed.

PS: I found this video how to access the Advanced BIOS setting in an HP laptop. Let's hope it works and the option to disable IRST is there. If you manage to switch from IRST to AHCI, the old disk should boot without BSOD since the required drivers are already installed.


I also found these instructions:

1. Restart your Computer. Stop whatever you are doing.
2. Enter BIOS Settings. Press the Esc key repeatedly until the Startup menu opens.
3. Power Off/ Restart your Computer. Power off or restart your computer again, and this time press F9.
4. Press F10 and Get the Advanced Tab.

Wow..... A simple question of cloning a drive turns into a white paper of complicated deep diving, when all the OP said was....

1974darrenh said:

All I want to do was make the new computer exactly like the old one (Clone) so everything is where I remember it. I know it will need drivers but I know how to do that.

I have clone software at my disposal.

Hope someone can help

Click to expand...

The simple answer is use software that clones drives. Follow the instructions and clone. Simple. All this you need and should do this and that just overcomplicates things.

I myself use Acronis to clone my drives. Simple easy, quick. Sure I could make it complicated, but for a simple clone it isn't.... just choose the source drive (drive being cloned), destination drive (drive being written to). follow on screen prompts. Clone. You now have an exact copy of the drive cloned. Simple.

That said, would help if you specified the clone software you have at your "disposal".

Some of you have got a bad attitude. I'm not tech savvy and just needed a way of transferring all the data over without reinstalling tons of software. Anyway, I used PC MOVER and it's done a fantastic job. My new laptop is now up and running and I don't have to worry about BIOS issues etc. All my files are there and I didn't have to install any programs.

Thank you to the people that helped.

I really appreciate the time taken to explain things but it all got a bit too much for my brain with all the contradictory information.

I have broached this subject many times and I am somewhat reluctant to reply to it as my approach isn't exactly standard or even popular. I clone and I clone often. I like my options. Whenever a a new Windows OS arrives on the scene I keep my old OS and simply opt for dual or multi-boot. This means that I have the best of both worlds. Over time I transition those apps and programs that I am fond of to the new OS. I keep clones of every OS I use. SSDs today are relatively inexpensive so it won't break my budget to do this. A person can spend an equal amount of hours trying to coax an older operating system to work on newer hardware so why not opt for the best of both worlds by having a fresh installation of the latest OS handy? This will allow the user to tweak away on the old operating system at their leisure while having a current OS to boot to when it is needed and they don't have time to fiddle.

Backups fail. That doesn't mean they shouldn't be made. Clones, when made properly, will almost always boot up. Fresh installations are not without issues. Where does that leave me? Well, I must look at my options. Make clones, keep a fresh installation handy, make a generous number of restore points, and backup my data once a week. This is a system that works for me. I also have a large designated storage that I call my archives that I copy my desktop to once a week. I simply over write the duplicate files. I'm not saying that everyone should do what I do but perhaps it will give others some ideas about how they want to back up their data. My archives are in RAID 1 so that even if a drive physically fails I still have one working copy.

Different users have different needs and again, user preference prevails. IMO simply relying on a backup to preserve your data is a recipe for failure. Cloning provides a viable alternative in the event of a failed backup. Even if the clone is old in most cases personal files can be easily extracted from the drive with the failed OS and copied to the clone when your PC has more than one operating system.

Depending on how you did the clone it might something as simple as changing the bcd entries and/or the os letter alias. Not all cloning programs will adjust appropriately.

clone\copy\migrate\whatever you want to call it can be done in numerous ways

In ye olden days when dinosaurs strode clone used to mean an exact copy. Which meant the source disk had to be detached before attempting to boot from the cloned disk. Otherwise, windows will change the sig of the second disk to be brought online with obvious consequences. More recently the "cloning" program will correct the "clone" so that isn't a problem. Some programs are not very good at it. Always use the best tool for the job.

Drive letters are to make it easier for you. Windows is really looking not for c:\something .exe. It is looking for longseriesofnumbers\something.exe

longseriesofnumbers is the disk and partition id. If the disk or partition changes there are consequences unless you make the necessary adjustments.

1974darrenh said:

Thank you to the people that helped.

Click to expand...

My pleasure! Thank you for the acknowledgement.

spapakons said:

What's the point? If you clean all of these is hardly makes a difference over a clean installation. I would do a clean installation instead which should be faster and better in performance and compatibility.

Click to expand...

Good of you to be so patient and helpful to Darren.
The point? You should always clean-up to speed up your OS and avoid/simplify complications. Have you done any mass-cloning, mass-sysprep or deployment of systems?
The point? Install / load / download drivers? So destination can load them or you can reboot into safe mode and install them.
The point? Hitting XX after Bios screen will access RAID and disable it. Resolving the issue.
The point? Using CloneApp allows you to migrate data and even applications to a destination OS.
The point? Backing up prior to clean-up or making changes means Darren can revert backwards. You should always recommend this to anyone you are trying to help.

What you do not understand is both PC's have different hardware. Thus cloning frequently does not work. Restoring to dissimilar hardware triggers a different process and I suggest you understand the difference.
I suggest you install something like Veeam Agent and see how such software operates and restoring to different hardware works. And why so many suites allow the ability to load additional drivers so that the restore processes succeed without the 3 pages of issues here.

Just my two cents, coming from a person with NFR licences from Storage Craft, Acronis, Veeam and ESET; and deploys these solutions.

SIW2 said:

In ye olden days when dinosaurs strode clone used to mean an exact copy. Which meant the source disk had to be detached before attempting to boot from the cloned disk. Otherwise, windows will change the sig of the second disk to be brought online with obvious consequences. More recently the "cloning" program will correct the "clone" so that isn't a problem. Some programs are not very good at it. Always use the best tool for the job.

Click to expand...

So very true! Terminology does change, and developers certainly do not adhere to any standards in naming these days. Plus it used to be so simple to edit the boot.ini. But with EFI, partition IDs, signatures, bitlocker and so on, I find myself having to use tools like EasyBCD (freeware). 28 yr later it's not any more straight forward... maybe it's middle-age!

Dru2 said:

The simple answer is use software that clones drives. Follow the instructions and clone. Simple. All this you need and should do this and that just overcomplicates things.

Click to expand...

Hmmm yes and no. Just because the OP said the word "clone" doesn't mean the answer is HDD cloning software. But yes, this entire thread has been incredibly counter-productive. Backup the OS and hidden partitions, select important drivers for new PC, create a boot disk, recover to a new computer.

Scannerman said:

A person can spend an equal amount of hours trying to coax an older operating system to work on newer hardware so why not opt for the best of both worlds by having a fresh installation of the latest OS handy?

Click to expand...

Yes, too true. I feel so many users don't understand it is incredibly beneficial starting fresh every 2-3 years. I remember when Storage Craft brought out their backup solution and I thought "forever incremental imaging? whaaaat?" so approaches do change and technology has had a huge impact this evolving backup methodology. Imaging is still a concept that I find so many clients are not aware of and its benefits. Cloning has a time and a place, but it is much more restricted in its application. Makes me think back to cloning DVD's with Nero and NRG files. lol
Yes, and backing up your old Windows to a virtual disk allows, as you said, have a playground to test and perform actions.

Yeah, exactly! Cloning gives you a viable option in the event of a failed backup - for that device. But I think the others don't understand there is no guarantee it will work when restoring to other hardware. Even a robot vacuum would struggle being taken from one home to another - bumping into walls, falling down stairs, and getting stuck, and not knowing where to go to recharge. So no one can expect a clone to work without issues.
Backup software that can restore to a "new home" recalibrates your robot vacuum, so it does know where the walls are, where the stairs and charging station are.
Exactly. So glad to see you have experience in backups. A multi-faceted multi-dimensional multi-<insert-fancy-words> approach to backup solutions are the only way. There is no holy grail software or hardware to solve it.

I worked at a large backup S/W and a UPS vendor in the mid-2000's and was able to implement their teachings and methodology in my out-of-hours IT consulting. You always have to be open to new ways of doing things. If you don't have that perspective and you believe your way is "the way" then you will never learn and you will never adapt. Everyone needs to have the attitude "everyone knows more than me".
People's "needs" and "wants" may not always align, but we must always be open to change.

Good luck everyone.