System restore on dissimilar hardware

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I've tried restoring a disc image using Windows recovery tools off the Windows Vista installation disk, but without success. First of all, Windows restore wouldn't recognise the 1Gb hard disc. I then used another computer to format the disc. Even though I was then able to restore the disc image, Windows failed to boot each time, typically going to a blue screen memory dump. I'm wondering if this is Microsoft's way of preventing me from restoring to dissimilar hardware. Any ideas ?
 
It's not Windows PREVENTING you from doing it.

You just cannot do it. It rarely works, and when it does it's because your new disk controller is compatible with your old one's drivers.
 
Bare-metal recovery

I recently bought a similar piece of software for a different issue, which promised everything and delivered nothing. I was left £50 out of pocket and having to use a line of dos that I found on a forum instead.
 
I'm wondering whether an image taken in Windows Server Backup and Recovery enables restoration to dissimilar hardware. I noticed Windows Server mentioned bare-metal recovery while it was backing up. Is bare-metal recovery basically the same as we've already covered, or does it let you restore to a different machine ?
 
Bare metal recovery is bare metal recovery.

That is, you can get the whole system back up and running with nothing more than the hardware and bootable media/your backup media. It does not have to be the original hardware, but it has to be different physical hardware that is the same.

Baremetal Recovery is NOT Dissimilar hardware compatibility.
 
It's entirely possible (I do it all the time) but sometimes you'll run into problems as you've described. It can be as straightforward as your AHCI options being different on the new machine or as difficult as a driver problem that just won't let the OS load.
 
I guess it's a choice between restoring to identical hardware, buying an unbelievably expensive third party backup solution, or persevering and trying to discover whatever bios setting needs changing or missing driver needs adding.

By the way, how do you load missing drivers if you can't get into Windows. I think I saw that option on the Windows recovery tools, but I was't paying attention. Is that it, or can you force safe mode instead ?
 
h88p://www.todo-backup.com/home/home-backup.htm

it's cheap tbh and does work, cnet gives it a great review

and not im not a seller either, have heard good things about it that's all

h88p://www.todo-backup.com/support/solution-guide/

i'd still do a clean install myself as i just back up data only, never take over anything else or image a drive to re use, i just image a fresh install so doesn't take to long to do again after drivers and updates etc, new hardware then new image etc
 
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Sin_Chase said:
It's not Windows PREVENTING you from doing it.

You just cannot do it. It rarely works, and when it does it's because your new disk controller is compatible with your old one's drivers.
Click to expand...


Redeploy system to dissimilar hardware

"Recover to dissimilar hardware" feature will modify an existing offline operating system to work with new hardware. It installs the boot device drivers into the system during restore process so that operating system can boot successfully. In the process of recover to dissimilar hardware, Document when some new hardware is detected, you will get a prompt to load the drivers manually.

does work with the right program, inc windows 8 :D

or for some one else,

Clone hard drive

Clone hard drive to upgrade to bigger one without reinstalling the operating system and applications or transfer all data including operating system and applications from one hard drive to another so long Document as the capacity of destination hard drive is equal or larger than the used space of original hard drive.
 
I don't really have the option of a clean install. It's a work pc and too much time and effort has gone into setting up the installed software. If I was going to buy a piece of software, bearing in mind it's business use, I'd have to be totally confident in it, so it would have to be an industry standard. I was checking out the prices lately, and they can cost thousands. After my recent bad experience with a piece of software I bought through a software marketplace, I won't be trying my luck again any time soon.
 
well the link of mine only works if it's installed and has a image made before moving it anyway so no good for you anyway, sorry for that.

server version does cost a lot but home version is cheap, i'd use it on someone else drive as i'd image/clone the drive first so if it went wrong i had a back up etc

think what your trying to do now will be hard to not really possible etc, as there is too much difference, but i have got something for you to try.

clone first, then put drive in new hard ware
insert windows disk and recover option

h88p://www.appassure.com/support/KB/how-to-inject-a-new-driver-after-restoring-to-dissimilar-hardware/

h88p://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/668-system-recovery-options.html (windows 7) this is the best advice so far


this is what you should have done,

1. Partition Disk,
2. Install and configure win 7 (folders,disable services, shortcuts, software, etc.)
3. Sysprep
4. Restart
5. Make image of disk
6. Restore image in another computer!
 
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Are you saying I should do a clean install of Windows and then launch recovery from within Windows, rather than from the Windows installation disc recovery tools ?
 
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Windows installation disc recovery tools, ie reinstall windows over the top and to same place not making an old dir / back dir etc

windows folder gets over written but data and programs don't get wiped or moved etc

h88p://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/668-system-recovery-options.html (windows 7) this is the best advice so far

4. Click on Repair your computer.
 
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This Appassure thing is a Dell solution. It doesn't even say how much it costs. The advice relates specifically to options available from within the product.
 
Relapse said:
This Appassure thing is a Dell solution. It doesn't even say how much it costs. The advice relates specifically to options available from within the product.
Click to expand...

yes that just there way using there program, just saying it can be done where as others say it cant etc,

Why to reinstall Windows 7?
Users generally get confused between a repair installation and a clean installation. Repair installation is not same as clean installation. You should go for a repair option, if you want to preserve user accounts, data, programs and device drivers. One can also reinstall Windows 7 in order to replace corrupt system files but wants to keep all his personal data and programs intact.

Important: reinstall Windows 7 if and only if:

A System Restore didn't work for you
There is no other method that can repair your Windows 7
You don't want to perform a clean installation
You want to preserve your user accounts, data, programs, and system drivers and or install newer ones
Follow the given steps to reinstall Windows 7:
STEP 1. Insert Windows 7 setup disk into DVD-ROM and reboot your system and boot it from the Windows 7 DVD.
STEP 2. Select the Language to install, Time and currency format, and Keyboard or input method that you'd prefer to use in Windows 7.
STEP 3. Click on the Repair your computer link on the bottom-left of the Install Windows box.
STEP 4. Windows will now search your hard disks for previously installed version of Windows 7.
STEP 5. Select the Windows 7 installation that you'd like to perform the Startup Repair on. Click on Next button.
STEP 6. Click on the Startup Repair link from the list of recovery tools in System Recovery Options.
STEP 7. The Startup Repair utility will now look for problems with important Windows 7 system files. If Startup Repair detects an issue with a critical operating system file, the tool may offer a solution of some kind that you have to confirm or may solve the problem automatically.
STEP 8. Startup Repair will now attempt to repair whatever issues it found with Windows 7 files. No user intervention is required during this step.
STEP 9. Next enter your Windows 7 serial key.
STEP 10. Click on Finish button once you see the reboot your computer to complete the repairs pop message to restart your system and boot Windows 7 normally.

" this above which makes it possible to use the original installation disc to perform a non-destructive, in-place repair installation.

good luck, and yes it doesn't always work, it depends on hard ware, sp of installation and programs installed, works for many but not for all.
 
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I've had success using Acronis to recover OSes to dissimilar hardware, it's worked every time I've used it. I've also managed to do it manually but it's a right pain in the bum to do so.

How dissimilar is your hardware? Also, make sure to take a backup of your OS before you even consider doing something to it otherwise you could be looking at a clean install anyway.

Edit: Have a look at this, it's for Windows 7 but the technique can be applied to Vista I'm sure:

http://www.dowdandassociates.com/content/howto-repair-windows-7™-install-after-replacing-motherboard
 
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