Home > IT Answers > Microsoft Windows > moving entire Windows OS and data from an old...
Help

Question

  Asked: Dec 29 2007   12:54 AM GMT
  Asked by: Nader

moving entire Windows OS and data from an old PC to a new one


Migrating OS, Microsoft Windows, OS

I intend to buy a new PC and move my entire old PC´s content(OS,apps and data)to the new one. Is there any way to make this posssible. Thanks, Nader

Subscribe to Alerts! Get questions and answers delivered to your Inbox.


E-mail me updates on this question



   SUBSCRIBE

hidden modal window
Help

Answer Wiki (Improve, edit or add to this answer)

IMPROVE THIS ANSWER
View History
 RATE THIS ANSWER
+1
Click to Vote:
  •   1
  •  0
Last Answered: Jan 4 2008  3:13 PM GMT  by CJMEDINA


Latest Contributors: Chipw, Mrdenny


Your new PC will come with it's own operating system. Moving the data over simply requires coping those files to the new machine.

There isn't an easy way to move the operating system from one computer to another. When you build a new machine it typically involves installing a new operating system on the new machine.

**********

It is possible by using Norton Ghost but you are really better off installing a fresh OS and the wanted applications, then copying over only the data files, everything you've actually saved. The problem with copying the OS and everything is if you have any problems, big, small or otherwise, in the OS you'll copy those over with it. That would degrade the performance of your new machine.

*******
The best option is to use the OS that came with the machine, remember that the new PC has different specificacions like more speed processor, memory, etc.
If the OS is the same, remember that the PC come with several drivers and configuration files, that the vendor had installed and are specific to the new model and maybe do not exist in your old PC.
About the other things that you have in your old PC, you can only copy the data. Generally the other programs installed in your old machine, has to be installed in your new PC again (you must verify if the new machine run the programs - compatibility).
  • AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Browse more Questions and Answers on Microsoft Windows.

Looking for relevant Microsoft Windows Whitepapers? Visit the SearchWinIT.com Research Library.


RSS - Discussions Help

Discuss This Answer


You must be logged-in to discuss a question. Log-in/Register

Papp  |   Dec 31 2007  12:10PM GMT

… of course there is all the junk and backdoors on new PCs. Not that standard Web objects have crossed that line long ago. ActiveX, .NET, Java, all good languages, in the hands of current human activities are way to broad in depth and scope to think you have a clean PC after 2 minutes on the web. So unless you have invested alot of time encrypting and scripting, the “copy partition” pay-off may not be so grand. Any decent security includes every device in the HAL and would not transfer well. Weed n’ seed applications “is” like trying to transport plants, “if” you get most of the root, they will work. Since you had not stated the OS version the complexity varries greatly.

 

Wrobinson  |   Jan 3 2008  5:04AM GMT

You might want to consider using VMware Converter http://www.vmware.com/products/converter/

 

JohnBF  |   Jan 4 2008  9:24AM GMT

I’m guessing here that you’ve got a “bare bones” machine that’s been supplied without an operating system. Otherwise as above copy data files across and then re-install all the software, it takes a while but this gives you all the benefits of the “new” machine.

This is no way an ideal solution but you could try removing the Hard disk from the old machine and installing it in the new one as the master drive so the new machine boots from it. It’s highly unlikely that the old machine will have the drivers required by the new one but, if you’re lucky you may be able to get it to start in “safe” mode and install them from there. If the new machine already has a hard disk this can be used as a slave for data storage.

 

Srooibok  |   Jan 7 2008  3:33PM GMT

Get a copy of Cbmr for windows (the winpe version) it will allow you to back up your old machine and using the recovery environment re-install the old system on the new system, then using the dissimiliar hardware wizard you can inject the drivers for the new machine all you will need to inject to get it too boot is the ide/scsi drivers, the rest you can do with plug and play in the rebooted system.

‘S’

 

Srooibok  |   Jan 7 2008  3:36PM GMT

Oops by the way you get a 30 day no limitation trial of Cbmr.

‘S’