Bare metal restore

[DarkStar]

As some of you may realise I am not exactly thrilled with Windows 7 on my new computer, to the extent that I am running Linux at the moment.
However, I have just realised that I still have my Windows XP back ups from my old computer  on an external HDD.
When I installed a new HDD in my old computer I was able to do a bare metal install without any problems and was up and running in 15 mins.
If I format my Hard Drive to completely clean it up is there any reason why I shouldn't be able to install that XP back up on my new computer. I can make an allowance for the larger HDD but will the fact that that I have a new motherboard etc make any difference - ie: will this involve a call to MS to validate the new computer.

[Rik]

Almost certainly, Ian.

[DarkStar]

Almost certainly, Ian.

I take it that's 'almost certainly' have to contact MS?
I can probably do that as long as there isn't likely to be any 'technical' problems with reinstalling the back up to a new computer. Being deaf I'd have to get someone else to help me.

[Rik]

Usually, if there's a hardware change, you have to go through the process of reading them the original key, and then they give you a new one.

[JB]

The only other problem I can foresee are drivers, especially initially for the devices on the new motherboard.

If it were me I'd really be looking at a fresh install on new hardware.

YMMV.

[DarkStar]

The only other problem I can foresee are drivers, especially initially for the devices on the new motherboard.

If it were me I'd really be looking at a fresh install on new hardware.

YMMV.

This, more than any thing else was what I wondered about. I do have disc's for the motherboard and graphics card but would prefer to avoid that if possible. As I said, I am running Linux at the moment and if I do reinstall Win7 and it gives me as much grief as before it crashed then it's gone for good.

[pctech]

I'd agrtee with jb on that as the backup is optimised for your old hardware whereas a clean install will optimise it for the new hardware.

However if its an OEM licence it's not really legal.

[zappaDPJ]

I have to agree with everyone else, a change of motherboard for any reason warrants a clean install. In this case, if I understand things correctly, it's an entirely new PC which will be hamstrung using an old installation, if it runs at all. In the time it takes to locate and install all the necessary drivers could have re-installed the OS twice over and the registry won't be filled with baggage from the original installations.

[DorsetBoy]

What is your problem with Win7?

[DarkStar]

What is your problem with Win7?

When I first got Win7 I found it very confusing but after 7 years on XP I was prepared for that. What I was not prepared for was that many things that were simply 2 clicks in XP were as many as 4 or 5 in Win7. To me there was very little logic in how it was laid out. I believe you mentioned in another thread that you dual boot with Linux so you may understand what I mean when I say say that things are in a logical and expected place in Ubuntu.
I also had a lot of problems with user switching between accounts causing lockups with no way out except a hard reboot - not good. I finished up having just one account which my son and I shared. As it happens it doesn't work properly in Linux either so that may be something to do with the computer hardware, I will speak to PCSpecialist when I get back from holiday in a couple of weeks.
Another dislike is with downloading photos - I take quite a lot of photos and videos. As soon as I have downloaded them I back them up to a couple of external HD which means that some are still on my camera memory cards when they are no longer on my computer. The first time I downloaded photos with Win7 it downloaded all my photos and videos without giving me a chance to select which photos I wanted to go where and it does not recognise the dead simple cataloging system I used for years with XP. That is not progress. It took me literary days to sort out the mess. The only way I could get them on to the computer in an any way acceptable (to me) manner was by dragging and dropping.
I was just getting to find my way around when the computer froze, crashed and came back up with a message that the boot manager was missing. A reinstall was not successful so because I have a holiday coming up and need to be able communicate with my son in Dubai re travel arrangements I installed Linux which I am now familiar with rather than risk a total fry up. Get back from holiday and I'm going to contact PCSpecialist and see what they think.
If MS would only have incorporated the security improvements of Win7 with XP it would have made an ideal system, but it wouldn't have had people buying the latest eye candy and boosting MS profits.

[DorsetBoy]

Well,first thing I would do is be having strong words with who ever did the build and install as you are describing a very sick machine.

Yes the structure and placement of systems is different but it is actually far more sensible than XP, what they have done is give more links on each page to navigate around the Control Panel items which takes some getting used to, but once you know where the default pages are for each function it is easy.

What I was not prepared for was that many things that were simply 2 clicks in XP were as many as 4 or 5 in Win7.

This I can't understand as Win7 seems to me to be far easier to use with less clicking around, my lad complains to his school that their Win XP Pro and Win2000 machines are dinosaurs, he hates changing back to them after his weekends/holidays home.

Setting Control Panel view to " Large Icons" will take  away much of the mystery for you.

Photo downloads ..... I connect my camera and get asked which application I want to use prior to download. Windows photoviewer seems OK, then you can have Windows Live Photo Gallery with its online storage, there are plenty of other apps you can get and set as default for handling /sorting images.

If you cannot switch user in both Win7 and Linux then there is definitely a problem with the system, I have 3 PC's here with Win7, each with multiple accounts ,admin at different levels and standard/limited user and have never seen any issue with switching.

M$ offer a lot of videos covering the use of Win7 and there are some good forums around that are dedicated to the OS .....

this forum is brillaint

http://www.sevenforums.com/

and here they offer a lot of excellent tutorials

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/

another forum with lots to offer

http://windows7forums.com/

then there are the M$/Windows sites plus http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/mse2.asp which is another good resource.

I can only say I would never dream of going back to XP (or Vista for that matter) and I my Linux install rarely gets lit up these days as Win7 has been so very stable.

[pctech]

I'd agree with Dorset, hated Vista but cant wait to gert my hands on a Core i7 running errr 7.

[pctech]

If you've got a Windows disk and drivers for your devices wipe the preinstall and do a clean one of 7.

[DorsetBoy]

If you've got a Windows disk and drivers for your devices wipe the preinstall and do a clean one of 7.

As it's a newly machine built and came with OS installed and there are clearly issues across 2 different OS's I would be shouting at the guy who is responsible first.

[esh]

Typically Retail Windows licenses have multiple installs (5 or so I think) but OEM copies just 1 before a reactivation is required. Enterprise licenses to not need validating.

If Win7 is doing stuff without your permission when you plug in a drive, it's most likely because someone has picked a task and said "remember this"... Such features can be changed in AutoPlay in control panel.

Multiple users are again fine.

I don't actually click hardly anywhere in Win 7 anymore. I hit the Windows key and type vaguely what I'm looking for and it almost always works, it's very useful indeed.

[pctech]

As it's a newly machine built and came with OS installed and there are clearly issues across 2 different OS's I would be shouting at the guy who is responsible first.

ORM images tend to be absolute garbage no matter who builds your PC I've found.

After a few days my own one preinstalled with XP Pro started to crash, I first tried the Windows PE based onboard recovery partition which failed with the error that the disk was full.

The telephone tech support is outsourced and from what I'd read consisted of a return to the factory so just broke out the Windows disk and had it all back up and running inside 2 hours.

[Technical Ben]

You can switch Control panel to "classic view". It fixed it all up on the settings being lost in the woods problem I was having. 

[DarkStar]

Sorry for the delay in getting back, been getting ready for my holiday to Dubai. Can feel the heat of the sun already 

Another mystery? When I first got this PC there was a 100mb "system reserved" partition on the HD in front of the Win7 OS which disappeared about the time the computer crashed and I got the BOOTMGR not found message. After reinstalling Win7 Professional this partition no longer existed. As I couldn't get Win7 to work I took it off and installed Linux as I needed the computer for my holiday arrangements.
Snouting about on the web today I find that that 100MB partition is installed by Win7 but only by Ultimate, Business and Enterprise versions for Bitlocker encryption, boot files boot manager and Automatic recovery tools.
When I got the computer I had to validate it, had to break open the still sealed Win7 Pro disc to do it. So how come that partition was on my computer or have Windows 7 Forums and a host of others got it wrong?
I am going to be contacting PCSpecialist when I get back but opinions/feedback on this would be welcome ammunition.

[Rik]

My immediate thought would be it was a recovery partition, Ian, but I don't use 7, so don't trust me.

[wecpcs]

Snouting about on the web today I find that that 100MB partition is installed by Win7 but only by Ultimate, Business and Enterprise versions for Bitlocker encryption, boot files boot manager and Automatic recovery tools.

I think you will find the 100MB partition is for all versions of Windows 7, as it is present in my Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit also.

Colin

[DarkStar]

I think you will find the 100MB partition is for all versions of Windows 7, as it is present in my Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit also.

Colin

Thanks for that Colin, I have to assume that things have changed since those forum discussions I was reading took place. Will still contact PCSpecialist when I get back though, something isn't right somewhere.

[cavillas]

It certainly seems like a very bad hardware build of your new machine as windows 7 will run on virtually any sort of computer and down to as little as 512mb memory.  I would certainly get your builder to check out the build.  Also Windows 7 puts a special boot/restore partition on the front of the harddrive of about 100mb, it makes it easier to restore your machine from a system backup which is available on windows 7.

[Technical Ben]

It certainly seems like a very bad hardware build of your new machine as windows 7 will run on virtually any sort of computer and down to as little as 512mb memory.  I would certainly get your builder to check out the build.  Also Windows 7 puts a special boot/restore partition on the front of the harddrive of about 100mb, it makes it easier to restore your machine from a system backup which is available on windows 7.

Yep. As it's also a favourite for Netbooks apparently.
I also get 100mb system space for "special" windows things. Perhaps it's where it keeps it's dirty laundry?

[Rik]

Good thinking, Ben.