Re: How to move a Windows installation to different hardware

Read through the KB article I see many problems. At the very start it says:

"Microsoft does not support restoring a system state backup from one
computer to a second computer of a different make, model, or hardware
configuration. Microsoft will only provide commercially reasonable efforts
to support this process. Even if the source and destination computers appear
to be identical makes and models, there may be driver, hardware, or firmware
differences between the source and destination computers."

This pretty much sums it up. The procedure may or may not work. Don't blame
us if it doesn't.

If the installation is corrupted why are you trying to duplicate it? Create
a new server, transfer roles to it, move data to it, reconfigure the
workstations to look at the new server, take the old server off line. This
way you don't duplicate the corrupted install.

--
Kerry
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

Nico wrote:
Thanks for the answer.

Much harder to do if you can't take the server offline. I've only
done this by installing the new server then transferring any roles,
shares, etc. while both are up and running.

I'm just trying to make a duplicate of the original server so I can
later on pull the original server offline, then I will put online the
duplicate, so I can reinstall the original one (because the
installation on that machine is quite corrupted). Then later on I
will put online the reinstalled server. I also want to test my
backups with this process, and make a disaster recovery plan so your
last post was very welcome.

I've also only done this with quite simple setups.
Hopefully someone with more experience will speak up. I imagine it's
a fairly expensive undertaking requiring 3rd party software to synch
the servers then take the old one off line.
Well, I can take the server offline for 1 or 2 hours, so the syncing
won't be such a major problem. It's just that I will not take it down
for trying to make a good image.

In the meanwhile I already restored the server according to kb article
249694, but it won't start yet (already replaced the hal + ntoskrnl,
and tried some other tricks so i'll try an inplace upgrade now). But
I still don't understand those steps I described earlier on with the
copying of the %systemroot%\repair folder... But I don't think it is
very important.

Thanks for the answers and tips though...


"Kerry Brown" wrote:


If you have everything ready and are familiar with the procedures
the first method I outlined can be done overnight. It all depends on
how long the imaging takes. If you need 24/7 up time what are you
using now for redundancy? Can it be leveraged for the move?

--
Kerry
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

Nico wrote:
That is a very nice way for distaster recovery. I once tried it in
combination with sysprep but that didn't work out very well, but
your idea sounds quite good. I'll try that.

But, it doesn't answer my question. I need to restore a machine now
which is in production, it's quite impossible to take it offline
now. That's why i still need an anwser to my question.

"Kerry Brown" wrote:

Nico wrote:
I'm trying to restore a windows installation to different
hardware. According to the documentation in the knowledgebase
(http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=249694) I have to do this:

6. On the destination computer, create a C:\Backup folder. Put a
copy of the Boot.ini file in that folder and in the
%systemroot%\Repair folder that includes subfolders.

and later on:
Replace the Boot.ini file and the %systemroot%\Repair folder that
has the copies that you made in step 6.

I think this is incorrect. Or, I don't understand it. It sounds
like me i have to copy c:\boot.ini and %systemroot%\repair to
backupfolder, and after the restore copy those files back.
According to the above i have to copy boot.ini to c:\backup and
to the repair folder, and later on I have to copy the files that
are restored by the backup and copy them over my backupcopies of
those files, which sounds like a waste of time.

Another question is: If i'm correct, what is the exact purpose of
restoring the repair folder from the original windows
installation? This folder contains registry settings of the
original windows. I would guess this could corrupt the restored
version of windows if those files where copied over the ones in
C:\WINDOWS\system32\config

Thanks for any feedback.

I usually use disk imaging software to move to different hardware.
Image the system, restore the image to new hardware, do not boot
yet, perform an in place upgrade or repair install booting from the
install media, boot new system, check Windows updates, go live with
the new system. The updates will revert back to whatever level the
media used for the repair was at. You will need install media
slipstreamed to the same service pack level as the install you are
using. Make sure you have any storage drivers needed by the new
system handy when doing the repair install. Load them the same as
you would with a new install i.e. press F6 during the boot from the
install media.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/816579

If something goes wrong you always have the old system to fall back
on until you can schedule another session to try the move. The
gotchas are the imaging software has to work with whatever storage
controllers you have in both systems. Another gotcha is SBS. I
haven't been able to figure out how to slipstream the SBS media.

--
Kerry
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User


.

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