Need help with Windows 8 system images?

DarkDubzs · Nov 9, 2013

I'm going to be switching motherboards to upgrade it, cpu, and gpu(s). I'm running Windows 8. I've heard that if you switch motherboards, you will have to re install windows after you boot up for the first time after you switch the mobos. Obviously if you re install windows you'll lose all the data.

So what I want to do is create a system image right before I switch mobos and after I switch them if I have to re install windows or lose my programs and data, I can restore from that image which will get me back to the exact same way I had my software before.
To start off, would I run into any problems after switching mobos and restoring from the image if I have to? Like driver issues or anything?
Will a system image restore really get me back to the exact same way my computer was before? Like will my desktop be the same, keep all my programs and files in the same place, etc?
With the built in windows system image feature, will I have to save the image to an external hard drive or can I save it to the same primary internal hard drive that I have windows installed on?
If I save the image to an external hard drive and if I have to restore from that image after switching mobos, will I have to keep the external HDD plugged in forever to keep the data running from the system image on the external HDD?
Can I restore from the system image onto a new empty hard drive if I ever want a bigger hard drive, ssd, or if my current hard drive dies one day in the future?

Sorry for a the questions, but I really need them answered.
Since I'm here, might as well also ask what are the chances I will have to re install windows or lose my data like programs, after I change the mobo and cpu, with windows 8?
I hear Windows 8 is better about hardware changes and after changing mobos, nothing really happens or changes, it just installs mobo drivers. Is that true? What would happen after a mobo swap?

Again, sorry for the long post, but please help me out. Any help and feedback is very greatly appreciated. Thanks!

The_Prophecy · Nov 9, 2013

If you aren't changing the hard drive, you don't need a system image. And if the drive fails to boot in the new system due to the hardware difference, a system image won't help you anyway.

Back up any files you need on another volume (hard drive, flash drive, NAS, etc...) and then build the new system. Plug the existing hard drive into the new system and fire it up. If it boots, you don't have to do anything else, aside from probably reactivating Windows. If it fails, wipe the system out and restore the data you backed up earlier.

DarkDubzs · Nov 10, 2013

The_Prophecy :

I want to make a system image in case when i boot up right after the mobo swap, windows makes me re-install it, and after i re install it i can get all my data back and get it back to the same way it was with a restore from the system image.

Im hoping it goes like this: swap the mobos, turn on the pc, it boots normally, no data is lost and it looks the same, re-activates windows with key from Windows 8 dvd sleeve, i am happy with a new mobo and cpu.
But it will probably go like this: swap mobos, turn on, forced to re install windows due to new major hardware detection, restores from system image, waits possibly hours or days (~350GB of data currently on pc), panicking, boots onto pc, everything is back to normal and all data, programs are kept.

A lot of people said with Windows 7, a re-install of windows after a mobo change was required, and there are only rumors mostly with Windows 8. So with a system image, all my data will be exactly the same as it was before the mobo swap, so if a re install is needed or data is lost i can just restore from it and it will be all the same.

DarkDubzs · Nov 10, 2013

The_Prophecy :

I could have probably just replied by saying thats what the system image would be for.

The_Prophecy · Nov 10, 2013

Ok the problem is that you keep saying that you will restore the system from the image you make before the upgrade if indeed the system fails to boot after the upgrade. If the hard drive doesn't boot after the hardware changes are complete, restoring the system image will not change that, because the Windows install the image was created from was configured for your old hardware.

The best you could do in that case is mounting the .vhd (or .vhdx) image in a fresh install of Windows under Disk Management and manually copy files from it (Desktop, Documents, Pictures, other folders in the root of the old C drive, etc...) You won't get Windows system settings or any installed applications back. You will have to set all of that up again no matter what, if a reinstall of Windows is required after the new hardware is installed.

DarkDubzs · Nov 10, 2013

The_Prophecy :

Im saying that if i lose data or have to end up doing a fresh install of windows, i can always get back my data by restoring from a system image.

Also, do you mean that even if i have to re-install windows and restore from a previous system image after reinstalling windows, the new mobo will just keep causing the same issue? What if i do a regular backup before swapping mobos, then restoring from that backup if data is lost after the swap? sorry, but i'm kinda new to changing motherboards and what happens after.

The_Prophecy · Nov 10, 2013

The system image is literally an exact snapshot of what is on your system right now. All files, all settings, everything. If you change hardware and then restore said image after the hard drive fails to boot, you would be doing the mathematical equivalent of adding "+ 2 - 2" to one side of an equation. Your answer will be exactly the same as it was before, with extra work done.

Now, when you said above

DarkDubzs :

... you are correct. If you lose any data during the process of reinstalling Windows, you can mount this image as another drive (Windows lets you this via the Disk Management console) and copy back anything that was lost. What you can't do is restore that system image to the drive and expect it to boot up with the new motherboard installed.

DarkDubzs :

That is exactly what I'm saying. If you make the system image, install the new hardware, connect your current hard drive and power the system on, only to realize "oh crap, my computer doesn't boot anymore with the new mobo" (and any other changes), restoring that system image you made with the old mobo connected will not change the fact that you cannot boot with the new board installed. You can restore that image via the method in the screenshot you posted above as many times as you want, and it still won't boot.

DarkDubzs :

This is a good idea regardless. If you have enough disk space available to both do a regular backup, as well as make a system image, I would encourage it. What I am not positive about is whether this will preserve certain lower level Windows settings (things like Start screen configuration, customized power profiles, things of that nature). I have not needed to attempt a restore of that nature from a regular backup, so I don't know if it can even do that.

What I would normally suggest is to use the Windows Easy Transfer wizard (which I suspect you may have been thinking of all along), but unfortunately that does not support the Settings transfer anymore (files only now), as it did in previous versions of Windows.

DarkDubzs · Nov 10, 2013

I dont even think upgrading mobos is practical for me anymore. I just want to upgrade mobos and my cpu and keep all or most my data, all my programs, games, files for sure. There really seems to be no easy way to do this anywhere which sucks, ive been researching for days. I think the only thing you can do is prepare for the worst, take the plunge, and hope to god that everything turns out okay.

I think what i will do is buy an external HDD, backup my pc to that hdd, save a system image to that external hdd, swap mobos and cpu, hope it just accepts the new hardware without losing data, and if it does then i would be golden. If it doesnt boot or something goes wrong, ill just put back the old mobo and have to think of something else or take it to a professional to see what can be done. Then in the end, i still have a clone of my system, the system image, which i can restore from with my current mobo if any data is lost or whatever.

Honestly, that sounds like the only best thing that can be done. What do you think?

The_Prophecy · Nov 10, 2013

Why buy the board and cpu at all if, should it not boot up afterward, you will simply revert everything anyway?Then you're stuck returning the parts (at a loss I might add, as most places will charge a restocking fee).

Buy the board and CPU if you want to upgrade. Prepare for the worst (and the worst here is going to be no data loss if you make that system image and regular backup, only losing time for application installs and copying data from the backup(s)), hope for the best, and if the worst happens... you are prepared to deal with it.

I hope you are distinguishing between data and application installs as well. When I say data loss, I mean things like documents (like your resume or a novel you might be writing), videos, pictures, archived emails... when I say application installs on the other hand, I mean things like the Microsoft Office suite, or programs like Word or Outlook within the Office suite. The program installs are going away regardless if the drive fails to boot after the upgrade. There is nothing we can do about that. But those don't take very long to set up again, especially on a fresh install of Windows, with better hardware under the hood.

If you do the regular backup and the System image, your chances of losing any data (documents and such) during this process is so close to zero, it might as well be zero.

My purpose here is inform you of the potential issues you may run into, and how best to prepare for them. Once you are aware of those issues and the prep is done, you can go ahead and dive in.

DarkDubzs · Nov 10, 2013

Agreed, but i mean if it doesnt boot with the new mobo, ill just throw in the old one and keep using it the way it was, and return the mobo and cpu. I mean thats all i can do and i have to try it. Of course, theres always the chance Windows 8 will accept the new hardware and let me keep my programs and data like a lot of other people say happens with Windows 8 now

The_Prophecy · Nov 10, 2013

I'm still not understanding this issue you are having with committing to the upgrade? If it doesn't boot, reinstall Windows, restore your data and reinstall the applications you had. Is there some issue you have with going through that process I'm not aware of? For most other people, being prepared for the transition by way of data backups would encourage someone to proceed with the upgrade more quickly if it was possible, whereas you seem now to be more hesitant.

This isn't going to take a significant chunk of time to do either. For example (and granted my system specs are different), when I have to reinstall Windows (doesn't happen often anymore, but when it does...) I can have the OS reinstalled, all of my data restored, and all of my drivers and applications set up within 3 hours. Most of this has to do with the data backups performed before hand, although some of that is due to how my data is organized.

And when I do upgrade my system, I don't look at it as though if the OS doesn't boot, that I am going to take everything back that I just paid for and installed because I would have to spend a few more hours restoring data and installing software. I'm mystified by this (perceived) apprehension you seem to have. Perhaps if you explain it in a bit more detail, I could help alleviate some of it?

I am going to bed shortly though, as it is late where I live and I am definitely in need of sleep, so I may not reply for 6-8 hours.

DarkDubzs · Nov 10, 2013

The main problem keeping me form committing to the upgrade as you stated is having to re install all the programs I have. I have probably 250+ GB of programs and if I had to re install windows I would lose them all. I would also have to set up the accounts as its a shared computer, and make all the final changes that make it perfect or near perfect for everyone.
Just having to download all the programs and games would takes me weeks possibly.

The_Prophecy · Nov 10, 2013

Ok, that certainly makes more sense now.

Ultimately it's up to you. If you want to try and hope it works, returning everything if it doesn't, then go for it. What I would encourage in the future is to store the program installers for your software on another hard drive so that you have much less to download should something go south with your install. That is part of the reason that in my example with my own system that I am able to get my box back up and running so quickly.

The other thing I would encourage is to invest in a solid state drive. I/O rates are MUCH higher than regular hard drives, so the application installs, booting Windows, and application load times (once installed) are greatly reduced. You would still have to set up all the software, but would spend a lot less time doing it. As with the other upgrades though, that's entirely up to you.

Good luck!

DarkDubzs · Nov 10, 2013

Yeah, well learning is a trial and error thing, now I know the importance of backing up regularly and many other things. So either way, I'm just taking away knowledge anyways.
As for the programs, is there a way I can like backup individual programs or like create images of them or something like that, so that I can just restore the programs as they were before if I ever lose the programs? Something to minimize the problems and time consumption of having to re install programs in the future?

I was also thinking of something different, like what if I create a image of everything except drivers and other stuff that would prevent windows from booting after a mobo swap? So like if windows won't boot after the hardware swap, I can restore from that image created right before the swap (without drivers and other things that would prevent windows from booting after the hardware change) and all my programs and data would still be there, I would just have to install the drivers and stuff like that excluded. Would tht be possible somehow or work?

The_Prophecy · Nov 10, 2013

There is no way to back up the individual programs unless you use the Application Virtualization tool. The App-V client is a free download, but I think there is a cost associated with the tool to create and deploy App-V packages. They are also more geared towards corporate environments though, at least at this point. I use them where I work, but I am not involved in the creation or maintenance of the packages, so I don't know enough about their creation or deployment to really help you there.

There actually is a tool built into Windows called Sysprep that I had forgotten about until you replied just now. You can find it at C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep.exe. Create the system image first as you were going to all along, plus the regular backup. Run sysprep once you have all the new hardware with you and tell the tool to shut the machine down (the option is in a drop down menu in the Sysprep window. Replace the board and CPU and anything else you were going to upgrade, and then fire the system back up.

Sysprep should only make the system hardware independent until it is booted again and the new driver sets are automatically set up. It should not touch any of your installed applications or data. To confirm that no applications or data is modified though, I will run a quick test in a Windows 8 virtual machine.

The_Prophecy · Nov 10, 2013

Data and application installs do not appear to be affected by Sysprep. What it will probably do however, is ask you to create a new user account the first time you boot up under the new hardware. Type in whatever name you want as this will be a dummy account that you can remove later once you have logged back in under one of your current accounts on the machine. I pasted a bunch of documents to random places on the test system, Syspreped it, and when it came back, the documents as well as the copy of Office 2013 I installed were are still intact.

drkarasheed · Jan 14, 2014

The_Prophecy :

The answer above is not difficult to understand, but
I need to change the hard disk to an SSD, but not the MOBO.
Please let me know how to transfer my system image or how to restore my system image backed up on another physical hard drive - an external one.
The image is prepared using facillity available in the control panel.
I have a 'Boot CD' as well as a 'Boot pendrive(4 GB)' - as is advised my windows.
I want to get the step by step procedure.
The OS is Win 8.1
I have the original Win 8 DVD with the Key

Search

Need help with Windows 8 system images?

DarkDubzs

Honorable

The_Prophecy

Splendid

DarkDubzs

Honorable

DarkDubzs

Honorable

The_Prophecy

Splendid

DarkDubzs

Honorable

The_Prophecy

Splendid

DarkDubzs

Honorable

The_Prophecy

Splendid

DarkDubzs

Honorable

The_Prophecy

Splendid

DarkDubzs

Honorable

The_Prophecy

Splendid

DarkDubzs

Honorable

The_Prophecy

Splendid

The_Prophecy

Splendid

drkarasheed

Distinguished

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page