The answer to life, the universe and how to move an OS!


POLL: How do you "move" an OS?

  • System Image

    Votes: 15 50.0%
  • Clone

    Votes: 8 26.7%
  • Clean Install

    Votes: 7 23.3%

  • Total voters
    30

Ghot

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Win 11 Home ♦♦♦22631.3374 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦23H2
When the time comes, and for whatever reason, you need to move your operating system to a different drive,
what is your preferred method?

Inquiring minds want to know. So do minds that never inquire. So do Question Markians from the planet Curiousium.

This question has bothered wise men, down through the ages. It has also bothered idiots and the "I can haz cheeseburger" cat.
It's time to vote on this burning question, before any other civilizations are lost while pondering the answer.​



Image1.jpg
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦22631.3374 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 4702)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Internet Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 13 years?
os migration with diskgenius free version is easy and reliable.

if exclusions and other fancies are wanted, then winntsetup wincopy function for advanced users to play with.

I suppose you could call those "clones" of a sort.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    pentium g5400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    1x8gb 2400
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
I responded with "system image" but the real answer, for me, is more complex. If I truly want to move the whole OS with everything, I use a system image. However, I prefer a clean install, usually using an unattended install. After initial installation I have a single batch file that installs ALL system drivers and completely customizes my Windows installation with all my preferences.

The only manual part is the installation of my apps which I can do rather quickly.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
Generally, I just use a system image. It's simple and fast.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦22631.3374 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 4702)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Internet Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 13 years?
System image if to another drive in same system. System image with redeploy if moving image to entirely different system. Clean install preferable but just not practical if it's one of my systems.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 +256gb ssd+512 gb usb m.2 sata
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3930
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Memory
    24 gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still not telling
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
As often for polls that do not cover all solutions, none of the above!

I use MS deployment tools. This really is a great method and works every time. It does require a bit of learning of how to use dism, and how to manage .wim files

No third party tools are needed, and method can be used on Windows 10 or 11 (and even 7/8).

Steps as follows

1) create custom install.wim of existing installation

2) inject drivers needed for new pc into install.wim and boot.wim (boot.wim from standard iso)

3) create usb drive from standard iso and replace install.wim and boot.wim (using method to create usb drives if install.wim > 4GB)

4) Boot from usb drive on new pc and install.


All the above steps have excellent tutorials in www.tenforums.com and I have created batch files to do the hard work).

Sorting out new drivers in Step 2 is most important step - particularly irst drivers for nvme. If new pc comes preinstalled with Windows 10 or 11, I recommend exporting drivers to a usb drive, then step 2 is easy - avoids having to go to web sites.

I used this to transfer my existing OS from AMD pc with SATA to Intel with NVME, different wifi and graphics - nothing was same on new version as on old pc. Worked a dream!

In essence, method is still image (custom iso) and use redeploy (inject drivers). I used to use Macrium Reflect with Redeploy, but even that was a bit limited on driver changes.

The above puts you in greater control of drivers.

PS - most of kudos for above goes to @Kari's excellent tutorials.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
I mostly clone, never had a problem with it. I have used a sytem image a time or two.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3374
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i7-12700F
    Motherboard
    ASUS TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI
    Memory
    G.SKILL Ripjaws S5 Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3050 XC Black Gaming
    Sound Card
    RealTek HD 7.1
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming 27" 2K HDR Gaming
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 990 Pro 1TB NVMe (Win 11)
    SK hynix P41 500GB NVMe (Win 10)
    SK hynix P41 2TB NVMe (x3)
    Crucial P3 Plus 4TB
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x Shift
    Case
    Antec Dark Phantom DP502 FLUX
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black + 7 Phantek T-30's
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 320
    Mouse
    Razer Basilisk V3
    Internet Speed
    350Mbs
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Winows Security
    Other Info
    Windows 10 22H2 19045.4170
    On System One
  • Operating System
    Win 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3374
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-11700F
    Motherboard
    Asus TUF Gaming Z590 Plus WiFi
    Memory
    64 GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2060 KO Ultra Gaming
    Sound Card
    SoundBlaster X-Fi Titanium
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung F27T350
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
    Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB
    Samsung 870 EVO 500GB SSD
    PSU
    Corsair HX750
    Case
    Cougar MX330-G Window
    Cooling
    Hyper 212 EVO
    Internet Speed
    350Mbps
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
Boot any live Linux distro and run the simplest of commands which handles the whole kybosh and makes an exact clone of the old disk.

dd if=old disk of=new disk bs=1024M status=progress. (disks and partitions are usually /dev/sdx) and are NOT MOUNTED during this operation.

Simple, quick, doesn't rely on file system type etc.

Then afterwards use GPARTED or any partition manager to re-arrange partition sizes if you want -- this is good if cloning to a larger HDD. This also copies any DATA on other partition you may have on the disk.

Macrium of course can work but I'd prefer if I'm using that to boot the stand alone recovery tool and use that.

For Windows I keep the OS in its own 60GB partition (W11 on updates etc mandates a disk size of 48GB as a minimum - even though you might have only a few applications on it) .

I know this is a Windows Forum but many can use a Linux live distro - and what's wrong with using tools from any quarter if they work easily. I've used Windows tools to repair Linux too e.g to "unhose a totally screwed up hdd" with Diskpart and scandisk.

I think whatever method you use cloning a disk from the RUNNING OS to a new one isn't the best idea - best to have both disks not in use by the RUNNING OS !!!. I know Macrium etc can lock the partition being cloned but I'm suspicious of VSS in any case. It's easy enough to mack a stand alone copy of Macrium --simply create an iso via the tools and then make a bootable USB stick.

Cloning to SMALLER HDD's is another issue but I doubt whether many here want to do that. GPARTED (stand alone bootable version) will copy and resize partitions if you need to clone to smaller HDD's or reduce size of other partitions e.g orig windows size 500GB on the disk, of which around 35GB was actually in use by the Windows OS

So say you want now a Windows "clone" to fit in say 55GB and have the other 435GB as "data" / spare space. Easily done via partition cloning with GPARTED.

Note System Image requires 2 operations which means 2 chances for something to go wrong although Macrium is usually very reliable -- you need to create the system image, then you have to restore it - wheras cloning means in general the system is ready to boot after just one operation. There may be cases where system imaging is the only solution but for simply moving an OS from disk A to Disk B cloning IMO is the sensible way to do it.

Added -- About drivers :

As for drivers --if moving the OS to a new PC system - alternative is to save all the drivers from the NEW system to a folder called say Win11 drivers - copy both any proprietary drivers and the Driverstore from Windows as well. Then after you've booted into the OS just go into device manager and update any drivers needed (use install from this computer) and point to the W11drivers folder you've created.

I use this method when cloning a VM to a REAL machine. (Another topic but this also is the easiest way of making a V2P --Virtual to Physical Conversion).

Cheers
jimbo
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
Up until a few years ago, I would have always done a clean install. Now I would clone - up to the point where I have a completely new build. To be honest, now I'm getting older (and more forgetful) I can't be doing with all that (a) remembering to cancel passwords on old applications and (b) reinstall the applications with usually subsequent hassle about how many machines are you installing this on? and (c) then setting all the apps, email and the OS up with the myriad tweaks which I have put in place over the years and have now completely forgotten how to do. These days there are also unforeseen irritations like your bank deciding that you might be someone else because you have tried to access your account from "a new machine". Frankly it's a pain from first to last and I don't like to think about it. /rant off :sick:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home built
    CPU
    Ryzen 3900x
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Aorus Master x570 rel 1.0
    Memory
    32GB (2x16) @ 3600 MHz Corsair Vengeance LPX
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Windforce RTX 2080
    Sound Card
    No separate sound card.
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U2718Q
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    1TB WD-Black SN850; 1TB Samsung Sata 850 Evo; 4 TB WD Blue Sata SA510 2.5''; 4TB Samsung Sata SSD 870 EVO 2.5".
    PSU
    Be Quiet Dark Power Pro 11 750W
    Case
    Lian Li PC-8FIB
    Cooling
    CPU: Noctua NH-U12A; Case: BeQuiet + Lian Li fans.
    Keyboard
    Steelseries Apex 7 brown keys.
    Mouse
    Logitech (wired) G403
    Internet Speed
    940 Mb/s down; 105 Mb/s up
    Browser
    Edge (Chromium)
    Antivirus
    Eset Internet Security
    Other Info
    Pioneer blu-ray optical drive.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7373 2-in-1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 8th Generation
    Motherboard
    Dell 0HG1FH (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 620 (Dell)
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Touch screen generic monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    256GB Micron SATA SSD.
    Browser
    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Eset Internet Security
    Other Info
    Dell says this system is not Windows 11 capable, but Microsoft seems happy with it.
Boot any live Linux distro and run the simplest of commands which handles the whole kybosh and makes an exact clone of the old disk.

dd if=old disk of=new disk bs=1024M status=progress. (disks and partitions are usually /dev/sdx) and are NOT MOUNTED during this operation.

Simple, quick, doesn't rely on file system type etc.

Then afterwards use GPARTED or any partition manager to re-arrange partition sizes if you want -- this is good if cloning to a larger HDD. This also copies any DATA on other partition you may have on the disk.

Macrium of course can work but I'd prefer if I'm using that to boot the stand alone recovery tool and use that.

For Windows I keep the OS in its own 60GB partition (W11 on updates etc mandates a disk size of 48GB as a minimum - even though you might have only a few applications on it) .

I know this is a Windows Forum but many can use a Linux live distro - and what's wrong with using tools from any quarter if they work easily. I've used Windows tools to repair Linux too e.g to "unhose a totally screwed up hdd" with Diskpart and scandisk.

I think whatever method you use cloning a disk from the RUNNING OS to a new one isn't the best idea - best to have both disks not in use by the RUNNING OS !!!. I know Macrium etc can lock the partition being cloned but I'm suspicious of VSS in any case. It's easy enough to mack a stand alone copy of Macrium --simply create an iso via the tools and then make a bootable USB stick.

Cloning to SMALLER HDD's is another issue but I doubt whether many here want to do that. GPARTED (stand alone bootable version) will copy and resize partitions if you need to clone to smaller HDD's or reduce size of other partitions e.g orig windows size 500GB on the disk, of which around 35GB was actually in use by the Windows OS

So say you want now a Windows "clone" to fit in say 55GB and have the other 435GB as "data" / spare space. Easily done via partition cloning with GPARTED.

Note System Image requires 2 operations which means 2 chances for something to go wrong although Macrium is usually very reliable -- you need to create the system image, then you have to restore it - wheras cloning means in general the system is ready to boot after just one operation. There may be cases where system imaging is the only solution but for simply moving an OS from disk A to Disk B cloning IMO is the sensible way to do it.

Added -- About drivers :

As for drivers --if moving the OS to a new PC system - alternative is to save all the drivers from the NEW system to a folder called say Win11 drivers - copy both any proprietary drivers and the Driverstore from Windows as well. Then after you've booted into the OS just go into device manager and update any drivers needed (use install from this computer) and point to the W11drivers folder you've created.

I use this method when cloning a VM to a REAL machine. (Another topic but this also is the easiest way of making a V2P --Virtual to Physical Conversion).

Cheers
jimbo
This and a number of other ways all have the same inherent weakness i.e. will pc boot after transferring OS to new hardware?

For sure Windows 10/11 are better than older versions of Windows at handling hardware changes but NOT perfect.

Most obvious case is transferring from a SATA pc to and NVME pc requiring IRST drivers. Graphics cards etc can also be an issue.

That is why you need some form of redeploy facility for those cases where new pc will not reboot.

I know you love Linux but using this method and injecting windows drivers before installation is just going to be way over the heads of most users if even possible.

Frankly I cannot see any benefit in your suggestion over just using any standard windows image backup tool.

See my earlier post how to do it using native windows commands - no need for Linux, even Macrium Reflect or similar. The custom image is created in Win PE so does not use VSS.

I am not trying to get into a p#ss#ng contest but merely making point Windows provides a proper deployment tool - DISM.

DISM stands for "Deployment Image Servicing and Management"

Surely we should encourage people to use DISM and do it the official way?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
This and a number of other ways all have the same inherent weakness i.e. will pc boot after transferring OS to new hardware?

For sure Windows 10/11 are better than older versions of Windows at handling hardware changes but NOT perfect.

Most obvious case is transferring from a SATA pc to and NVME pc requiring IRST drivers. Graphics cards etc can also be an issue.

That is why you need some form of redeploy facility for those cases where new pc will not reboot.

I know you love Linux but using this method and injecting windows drivers before installation is just going to be way over the heads of most users if even possible.

Frankly I cannot see any benefit in your suggestion over just using any standard windows image backup tool.

See my earlier post how to do it using native windows commands - no need for Linux, even Macrium Reflect or similar. The custom image is created in Win PE so does not use VSS.

I am not trying to get into a p#ss#ng contest but merely making point Windows provides a proper deployment tool - DISM.

DISM stands for "Deployment Image Servicing and Management"

Surely we should encourage people to use DISM and do it the official way?
Dism is great but probably not for beginners. Maybe someone could write a good GUI for using it.
Creating a customised image with drivers in it isn't easy either for beginners.

I haven't yet experienced any problems with graphics cards where computer won't boot -- at a minimum the Ms basic video driver will come up before a proper driver can be loaded (although basic vga on a large screen is a bit problematical).

I agree with you about NVME and IRST drivers though -- that is an issue which Ms should address -- at least let the computer boot in basic SATA mode. After which the correct drivers could be installed. I'm sure it could be done.

Cheers
jimbo
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows XP,7,10,11 Linux Arch Linux
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    2 X Intel i7
A few years ago, I would do a clean install of the OS. That’s what I do with Linux Mint in my dual-OS pc. With Windows 11, it’s more complex on this non-supported system, so I image and hope the restore works when the time comes. I haven’t had to use it yet. On my other post, I’m trying something slightly different using imaging.

As far as the philosophical part of your title, I’m still wondering if we are in a multiverse and it is all an illusion. :cool:
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11/Linux Mint
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 960
    CPU
    Intel Core 2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00 GHz x 2
    Memory
    8 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel 4 Series Chipset Integrated Graphics Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP x22LED
    Hard Drives
    Crucial 250 GB SSD, HD 1Tb
I've only once needed to migrate an OS with all its installed apps from an old machine to a new one, that was my System One below. That had to be a 'move' as some of the software could not be reinstalled. As the move also required converting from Legacy/MBR to UEFI/GPT then a system image was the only practical way.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
Understanding what you mean by move would be helpful lol.

Move to:

  • A new machine
  • A VM
  • A new HD in existing machine
I'm sure there are other things as well.

  • New machine == clean install.
  • VM == convert existing to .VHD (normally)
  • A New HD == Clean install (usually as well)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 Current build
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HomeBrew
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
    Memory
    4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12G-P5-3955-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Eve Spectrum ES07D03 4K Gaming Monitor (Matte) | Eve Spectrum ES07DC9 4K Gaming Monitor (Glossy)
    Screen Resolution
    3x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3x Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 2 TB SSD (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM) } 3x Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1 TB SSD (USB)
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling’s Silencer Series 1050 Watt, 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 XL Dark ATX Full Tower Case
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN Z73 73.11 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (3x 120 mm push top) + Air 3x 140mm case fans (pull front) + 1x 120 mm (push back) and 1 x 120 mm (pull bottom)
    Keyboard
    SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S | MX Master 3 for Business
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
    Browser
    Nightly (default) + Firefox (stable), Chrome, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender + MB 5 Beta
  • Operating System
    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E5470
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 + RealTek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell laptop display 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 128GB M.2 22300 drive
    INTEL Cherryville 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SATA III SSD
    PSU
    Dell
    Case
    Dell
    Cooling
    Dell
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S (shared w. Sys 1) | Dell TouchPad
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
Understanding what you mean by move would be helpful lol.
Also the reason for doing any move obviously plays a role, e.g. if the machine still runs, you can clone, but if the machine no longer runs, you can't clone any more > answer is 'depends'
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
System image if to another drive in same system. System image with redeploy if moving image to entirely different system. Clean install preferable but just not practical if it's one of my systems.
Same for me -- as I have a LOT of customizations and doing a clean-install goes into days, not hours.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
    CPU
    Ryzen 5600X
    Motherboard
    ASRock Steel Legend
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GT 710
    Sound Card
    None
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23",24", 19" - flat panels
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    None - only M.2 SATA and NVMe drives
    PSU
    750W
    Case
    Antec
    Cooling
    stock Wraith cooler
    Keyboard
    Corsair gaming
    Mouse
    Logitech M720
    Internet Speed
    1Gb
I've only once needed to migrate an OS with all its installed apps
I have done it so many times I have lost count.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    pentium g5400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    1x8gb 2400
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
Every time I do a clean install (and that is as often as every 3-4 months, though I'm trying to hold out for once a year, not even twice), it's a migratory install lol. I feel you, @SIW2
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 Current build
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HomeBrew
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
    Memory
    4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12G-P5-3955-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Eve Spectrum ES07D03 4K Gaming Monitor (Matte) | Eve Spectrum ES07DC9 4K Gaming Monitor (Glossy)
    Screen Resolution
    3x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3x Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 2 TB SSD (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM) } 3x Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1 TB SSD (USB)
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling’s Silencer Series 1050 Watt, 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 XL Dark ATX Full Tower Case
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN Z73 73.11 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (3x 120 mm push top) + Air 3x 140mm case fans (pull front) + 1x 120 mm (push back) and 1 x 120 mm (pull bottom)
    Keyboard
    SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S | MX Master 3 for Business
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
    Browser
    Nightly (default) + Firefox (stable), Chrome, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender + MB 5 Beta
  • Operating System
    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E5470
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 + RealTek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell laptop display 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 128GB M.2 22300 drive
    INTEL Cherryville 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SATA III SSD
    PSU
    Dell
    Case
    Dell
    Cooling
    Dell
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S (shared w. Sys 1) | Dell TouchPad
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
Dism is great but probably not for beginners. Maybe someone could write a good GUI for using it.

I haven't used it, and it only covers some DISM commands. I'm not sure you would regard it as a "Good" app, but at least someone sees a need for one.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home built
    CPU
    Ryzen 3900x
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Aorus Master x570 rel 1.0
    Memory
    32GB (2x16) @ 3600 MHz Corsair Vengeance LPX
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte Windforce RTX 2080
    Sound Card
    No separate sound card.
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U2718Q
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
    Hard Drives
    1TB WD-Black SN850; 1TB Samsung Sata 850 Evo; 4 TB WD Blue Sata SA510 2.5''; 4TB Samsung Sata SSD 870 EVO 2.5".
    PSU
    Be Quiet Dark Power Pro 11 750W
    Case
    Lian Li PC-8FIB
    Cooling
    CPU: Noctua NH-U12A; Case: BeQuiet + Lian Li fans.
    Keyboard
    Steelseries Apex 7 brown keys.
    Mouse
    Logitech (wired) G403
    Internet Speed
    940 Mb/s down; 105 Mb/s up
    Browser
    Edge (Chromium)
    Antivirus
    Eset Internet Security
    Other Info
    Pioneer blu-ray optical drive.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7373 2-in-1
    CPU
    Intel Core i7 8th Generation
    Motherboard
    Dell 0HG1FH (U3E1)
    Memory
    8GB DDR4
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 620 (Dell)
    Sound Card
    Realtek Audio (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Touch screen generic monitor
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    256GB Micron SATA SSD.
    Browser
    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Eset Internet Security
    Other Info
    Dell says this system is not Windows 11 capable, but Microsoft seems happy with it.
I have a Windows 10 install on my spare machine that was on 2 different computers before it ended up on this one. A Macrium image restore using redeploy went slick'ern owl poop. I highly recommend redeploy.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 +256gb ssd+512 gb usb m.2 sata
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3930
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Memory
    24 gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still not telling
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium

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