Restoring an image to a different system

Is it possible to restore a backup of an XP system from one PC to a different PC in any meaningful fashion ?

Tony

 

It depends. If the two systems are identical in config, then yes. There is no harm in trying.

 

If the hardware is different (e.g. motherboard chipset, graphics card etc) then you'll need to follow up with a Windows XP Repair reinstall as per this <post> by TheQuest. In either case, its more than likely that XP will need to be re-activated.

Regards

 

It's actually quite easily done if you take the time to learn how sysprep.exe works. It's found in the \support\tools directory of your xp cd in a cab file named deploy.cab. You first need to run the file named setupmgr.exe and make an answer file, which is sysprep.inf. You need to make a directory named sysprep on your c drive at the root. copy all of the files from the deploy.cab file and the sysprep.inf file made by setupmgr.exe file into the new sysprep directory. One you get your installation just like you want it, run this command from the run box.... c:\sysprep\sysprep.exe -reseal -quiet -mini -noreboot that will strip all of the critical drivers from the current installation (along with all doc's and personal info). Then you reboot and capture an image with true image boot cd (it's easier if you have set up the f11 function for secure zone, but don't make image in SZ). You can capture the image to an external harddrive of a network share or even another partition. MS makes sysprep seem pretty mysterious, but it's not. There's a little more to it than that, but that's a good start.

 

Don't we all love how XP/2000 server/2003 server binds itself to all that hardware

As many TI users are using it for Disaster Recovery and not just backups - the installation of an image to totally new hardware ( not just a replacement hard drive or motherboard ) including BIOS, motherboard, video, NIC, HD, SCSI controllers yada yada yada is critical to practise and understand. e.g. laptop is stolen or is unrepairable. Replacement is brought it and you have to do a restore and get the user productive in a couple of hours.

The good news is that you have a TI image.

I suggest starting with a Google search of http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=xp move to new hardware&meta=

Practise a D/R so that when one of your users is dead-in-the-water you can get them up and running toute d'suite and you know and understand the routine.

 

P.S. know how to deal with restore to new hardware when the PC brand changes. e.g. if you have a Dell with the hidden first partition where the Active/Boot partition is the second and you restore to a non-Dell.

Practise!

When you know what hits the fan, that is not the time to learn how to do it.

 

can you restore a image to the same computer and to a new system using one image or do you have to make two seperate images ?

 

@ Tsu: That is still my Problem unsolved, and what is Your best proposal to cope with this Partition Problem? Should I set all Partitions and sectors, cylinders and so on to zero (e.g. by using Partition Magic)?

ThanX Christoph

 

Hi... In the case of a Dell with the hidden first partition (1) and the boot partition being (2) I would restore the image but exclude the hidden partition. The PC won't boot because the BOOT.INI is now wrong and you need to edit it with something like WINTERNALS NTFSDOS.

Change the partiton (2) to a (1) similar to below:

multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP etc...

Follow with a Repair Install to get all the ducks in order in the HAL

It's a hack of a way to do it.

 

Could one restore the image to the first partition and then bootup via the XP CD into restore mode and use BOOTCFG to rebuild and/or fix the boot.ini file?

Thanks,
Harvey

 

I imaged a hard drive(a) onto another drive(b) that I had temporarily installed in a machine(x). Never having used true image, I goofed. I needed the 2nd drive(b) to be the new hard drive for my machine(x), but I had allready stored my uncompressed (.tib) copy there (on b). I then took the drive(b) and installed in yet another machine(y), and uploaded the .tib file to a network drive so I could restore it to the intended drive(b). I restored the
image to the correct hard drive(b) inside machine(y) and then returned it to machine (x) where it would boot and start windows 2000, BUT, and here is the kicker, I can't log on, as anyone! local admin, current user, any user in the domain... what's the deal? Help me please before the original drive I need a copy of dies, for good...

 

I used the sysprep method described above, but I was told to add a -pnp flag by someone.

The image restoration part via the Acronis software went fine...

The windows XP splash screen comes up

but as soon as it leaves the splash screen, all graphics are messed up and scrambled and scroll across the screen.

I am attempting to restore to a different PC with identical hardware (its the same model HP system).

What happened and can I fix it?

 

Just as an update:

I booted from an XP Pro CD, did the repair installation, about 30 mins later I am back up and running with all my apps already installed from the image.

I should have tried the repair before posting above.

thanks

 

Hello all,

Thank you for choosing Acronis Disk Backup Software.

I think that I should remind you the main scheme of transferring the operating system to a different hardware:

- Prepare your Windows for transferring using Microsoft System Preparation Tool as it is described in the following FAQ article;

- Create an image;

- Restore an image;

- Try to boot as usual;

- If your PC does not boot then perform Windows Repair Installation as it is described in Acronis Help Post.

Please also be aware that we can not guarantee the successful transferring of your operating system to a different hardware. Actually, no one can guarantee this.

If you have any further questions please feel free to ask.

Thank you.
--
Alexey Popov

 

Hi,

I've read the numerous threads in the forums about restoring an image to different hardware but am still a little confused about all of the sysprep options. In my case, I am sending my laptop off for repair to a USB host controller, and since my laptop is a few years old they might end up giving me an entirely different laptop w/ diff hardware, etc. I have created one image without running sysprep in case I get my same laptop back. However, I'd also like to create an image that can be restored to new hardware.

I have a question on some of the sysprep parameters. I plan on using the -nosidgen and -mini parameters. I'm not sure what the -reseal, -factory, and -pnp options do. The sysprep explanation is rather brief and I'm not quite getting it. I want to make sure that all the hardware specific drivers get reloaded when I load the image onto the new laptop. Also, the quoted text above says something about stripping all my personal docs and if possible I'd like to retain "my documents", my bookmarks, etc. Can someone please tell me what command line options to use and a brief description of what they do?

Thanks.