Moving System Drive to Another PC

Discussion in 'hardware' started by Aaron Here, Sep 17, 2011.

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  1. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Aaron,

    When you run the osdtool.tbs and select "Remove installed drivers", all drivers including the chipset drivers are uninstalled (they are backed up however). When Windows loads, the appropriate drivers are installed. The main issue is getting Windows to load past the storage controller stage. With WinXP, if you have the wrong storage drivers it appears Windows is loading, you see the scrolling dots and then you see a 7B BSOD. With Win7, if you have the wrong drivers it appears Windows is loading, you see the glowing squares and then the computer reboots.

    I've found Win7 is easier to use on different hardware than WinXP. (I haven't tried Vista) Sometimes you get a surprise and the OS boots without needing the osdtool.tbs. Often you don't need specific drivers. In the TeraByte video "Install a specific driver" is used. You may not need this. Instead choose "Install default IDE and AHCI drivers". If that doesn't allow Windows to load then run osdtool.tbs again and Load a specific driver.

    Once you can get Windows to load to the desktop your worries are over. It will go through a long process of Finding New Hardware and installing Windows drivers. When it has finished you then can load your custom video drivers etc. All of the custom drivers are available on your Dell download page. Just enter your Service Tag.

    I've been surprised how easy it is to run an OS on different hardware.
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2011
  2. Johnny123

    Johnny123 Registered Member

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    The key word here is "simply". Switching out the drives isn't hard if you know what you're doing. If you are really intent on doing that, google sysprep for Vista. This is a Microsoft tool that is usually used by system admins to make images they can then use on varying hardware. It will strip out all the device drivers and a few other things depending on the parameters you choose. You can then make an image of the system in this state or just move the drive to the other computer. I've done this before and it works (assuming you read the instructions and follow them correctly).

    Now for the simple way. Install the eight apps and copy the data over. If your son backs up his files (he does, doesn't he?) then you can just copy it from your backup. If not, you can network the two notebooks via a router. If you don't have a router connect the two with a crossover cable. Share the Documents directory and copy over the data. Might take a while but it's really the easiest way to do this.
     
  3. Aaron Here

    Aaron Here Registered Member

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    Thanks Vic, but even if I were to opt for Spysnake's prefered method I really don't see any reason to consider a reformat and reinstallation of Vista. While I'm sure the Inspiron's Vista OS needs updating, it has very few installed apps!

    Aaron
     
  4. Aaron Here

    Aaron Here Registered Member

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    Thanks Brian. I am reading-up on using TBOSD (and viewing the video). At this point in time that's the way I'm planning to go.

    Aaron
     
  5. Aaron Here

    Aaron Here Registered Member

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    Johnny, your 'simply way' is in Spysnake's camp, and yes, my son does backup. I'm just having difficulty understanding why you guys believe that this method is the 'easiest way to do this' - I'm guessing it would take a half a day just to reinstall my son's apps onto the Inspiron's drive! :doubt:

    Aaron
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2011
  6. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Aaron, I think it's because they haven't tried TBOSDT and the osdtool.tbs. What can be simpler than clicking Enter a few times?

    Sysprep is fine if you have to deploy an image to a lot of computers. But for a single computer osdtool allows you to omit the image/restore stage as osdtool strips out the drivers anyway.
     
  7. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Aaron,

    To refresh my brain, I just ran the osdtool.tbs on one of my Win7 systems. I "Removed all installed drivers". This took about half an hour. Win7 wouldn't load because it lacked storage drivers. I restored the osdtool.tbs backup (very fast restore) and Win7 loaded normally. I know you won't be running the restore process but I wanted to let you know removing all the drivers is a big cup of coffee procedure.
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2011
  8. Johnny123

    Johnny123 Registered Member

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    Great, then you're halfway home already.
    OK, here's the deal. First of all, you are going to have to prep the Toshiba drive in order to move it to the Dell. This will take some time to read up on it first and then to actually do it. Then you have to physically remove both drives and install the one you prepared. That takes a few minutes too. Then you will have to install all the drivers. That takes time as well with the requisite endless reboots which are usually involved. If you don't already have the drivers, you will have to dig around on Dell's site and find them first, then download them. That also takes time.

    You don't need half a day to install eight apps. In that amount of time you could reinstall the OS with the drivers and the eight apps. Also if you do it "the easy way" you are guaranteed not to have any hardware problems and your chances of borking it are practically nil. Copying the data over is about as simple as it gets, start the copying and go eat lunch. By the time you're finished it will probably be done.
     
  9. cozumel

    cozumel Registered Member

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    ^^^^What he said lol^^^^

    Also a clean installation is basically just a few clicks of the enter button. Can't get much simpler than that....

    Edit: Having said all that I will be trying out TBOSDT.
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2011
  10. Aaron Here

    Aaron Here Registered Member

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    I understand where you are coming from, but I'm guessing it will take at least half a day to install his 8 apps especially when you consider that his original install disks are 3 years old. Since then he has updated all 8 apps via download to their current versions, so I would have a lot of downloading to do (and some of those apps are very large) before actually installing them!

    Aaron
     
  11. cozumel

    cozumel Registered Member

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    Why can't your son do all the downloading? You could head down the bar, have a couple of beers and maybe watch the football or whatever.
     
  12. philby

    philby Registered Member

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    Aaron - I don't know whether this will help you or not, but I just took the HDD out of my Samsung notebook (that came with Win7 pre-installed) and installed it in a new desktop I've just today finished building.

    The system booted fine and I then added all the necessary drivers from my motherboard support disk.

    Importantly, Win7 activated fine using the product key from the original Samsung notebook and the whole operation took no more than half an hour.
     
  13. Aaron Here

    Aaron Here Registered Member

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    I should be so lucky!
     
  14. Aaron Here

    Aaron Here Registered Member

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    I'll drink to that. :isay:
     
  15. philby

    philby Registered Member

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    I was surprised too - I only tried it because of your thread :)

    Give it a go - if it doesn't work, you can always re-instate the Dell's HDD and then do it the long way...
     
  16. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    philby,

    Nice result. Do you plan to leave the Samsung HD in the new computer or will you upgrade to a larger HD?
     
  17. philby

    philby Registered Member

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    Hi Brian

    The new build already has a Crucial M4 and I've been starting up from the Samsung just to see about the activation issue, with Aaron in mind.

    I've been using diskpart.exe to mark the system partitions on both the Crucial and Samsung 'inactive' as required. I don't know any other way of doing that - if I don't do it, I have to unplug the Crucial to boot the Samsung. The Crucial is always listed in the boot section of the BIOS, but I can only boot from the Samsung if I hit the 'quick' boot options key on start up. Still learning...!

    The Samsung's size is not a problem but it's a 5400rpm drive and noticeably slower than the M4 of course...

    Anyway, the activation of Win 7 on the Samsung seems to have 'stuck' but I'll post back if Windows decides it wants to change its mind and press EULA related charges...!

    philby
     
  18. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    philby,

    Thanks. Understood.
     
  19. Brian K

    Brian K Imaging Specialist

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    Aaron,

    Have you caught up with your son?
     
  20. Aaron Here

    Aaron Here Registered Member

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    Brian, I just got this done on Sunday. I'm giving my son a week to work with the Inspiron to make sure all is ok. I will be speaking with him this coming weekend and will post back ...stay tuned. ;)

    Aaron
     
  21. crofttk

    crofttk Registered Member

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    Aaron:

    My son's Toshiba Satellite flickered in and out and then died altogether a few months ago. I replaced the inverter board for the LCD at a cost of about $13 and all is fine now. That was our simple solution. Did you consider that possibility? Maybe it's too late for that now. Sorry I didn't see your thread earlier and pipe up!
     
  22. Aaron Here

    Aaron Here Registered Member

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    Interesting, but although my son still has the Toshiba, I'm not adventurous enough to attempt disassemling it. While the Inspiron has a removable panel allowing direct access to the inverter and cable, the Satellite doesn't. :doubt:
     
  23. crofttk

    crofttk Registered Member

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    For what it's worth - In my son's case, there were 5 or 6 little black rubber nibs on the bezel surrounding the display which, when peeled off with a fingernail, revealed screw heads. After removing these screws, I inserted a guitar pick in the seam between the bezel and the lid and moved along the seam until I heard the click of plastic tabs releasing around the perimeter of the bezel. Then it was simply a matter of lifting the bezel away and there was the inverter easily accessible just below the display panel. The adhesive on the rubber nibs was still there and they pressed neatly back into place after I replaced the screws. Does that whet your appetite for adventure?:D
     
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