Let's imagine a situation where we needed to move a hard drive from installed Windows 7 to another computer. In this case, there is a high probability that the OS will refuse to boot on the new hardware. Another typical example of such a problem is a computer upgrade, for example, when the motherboard is replaced.

If you encounter a similar problem, do not rush to reinstall the system, but try using the method of preparing the OS for transfer using the utility sysprep. The sysper utility is included in Windows Vista and Windows 7. Sysprep provides the following benefits:

Remove from Windows system data. Sysprep can remove all operating system-related information from an installed Windows image, including the computer's security identifier (SID). Then Windows installation can be captured into an image and installed throughout the organization.

Configuring Windows to boot in audit mode. Audit mode allows you to install third-party applications and device drivers, and check the health of your computer.

Load Screen Settings Windows greetings. Sysprep configures your Windows installation to boot with a welcome screen the next time you start your computer. Typically, the system should be configured to boot with a welcome screen before the computer is shipped to the customer.

Reset Windows activation. Sysprep may reset Windows activation up to three times.

Note: owners of computers with pre-installed OEM version of Windows 7 after transfer hard drive on another computer using this tool you will have to reactivate the OS over the phone, because... activation information is strictly tied to a specific hardware, for example a motherboard.

Stage 1. Preparation system disk to transfer to another PC.

The sysper utility can be run as in graphical interface, and from the command line as an administrator with various parameters, depending on the task you are facing. For example the command

c:\windows\system32\sysper\sysper.exe /oobe /generalize /shutdawn

removes from installation Windows data related to the operating system and turns off the computer. Information related to the operating system includes event logs, unique security identifiers (SIDs), and other data. After removing unique system information, the computer shuts down. After you shut down your computer, you can boot to Windows computer PE or other operating system, and then record the Windows installation using the program ImageX, creating a source image that will be used on computers with similar equipment. You can find out more about the syntax of the sysper utility launched from the command line.

A few things that are useful to know about how the sysprep utility works:

The configuration of the computers on which the system is planned to be deployed should be approximately the same. For example, if you created an image of a single-processor system, you cannot use it to deploy to a dual-processor machine;

The target computers must have the same BIOS types. For example, an image of a source computer with an ACPI BIOS will not be suitable for a computer with an AWS BIOS;

The target computer's system disk size must be the same or larger than that of the source computer;

sysprep does not create a disk image, but only prepares the system for cloning.

So, to prepare to transfer a hard drive with Windows 7 installed to another computer, you need to run command line as administrator command:

%windir%\system32\sysprep\sysprep

The utility window will open in the graphical interface (this is the method we will consider further):

Pay attention to the settings that need to be specified:

in “Actions to clean up the system”, select the option “Go to the system welcome window (OOBE)” and check the “Prepare for use” option;

in “Shutdown Options” select "Shutdown." Selecting the “Reboot” option will allow you to immediately remove an image of an already prepared system disk by booting from USB drive Windows PE. If you boot from a prepared system disk, you will have to start the entire process of preparing to transfer the system to the disk over again.

After clicking the OK button, the system cleaning process starts, and after it is completed, the computer turns off. Now you can transfer your hard drive to new system, change motherboard and so on.

At the beginning of the download, you will see the message “Preparing the system for use”, then “Installing devices”:

The system may reboot and continue installation - this is normal.

Finally, you should see the regional settings window (the appearance of this window already indicates that the transfer was successful):

Enter the name of the new user. In order not to confuse the settings of existing users, enter a name that has not been used before (for example, Test). This user can then be deleted.

Next are executed standard settings date and time, automatic update and so on. As a result, you will be taken to the Test user's desktop. Now you can log out and log in with your regular account. Last action- This is an update of device drivers.

As mentioned above, Microsoft advises doing this operation only for computers with the same configuration (AMD-AMD, Intel-Intel). Otherwise, various glitches are very likely to occur.

This article will discuss how to transfer Windows 7 from local drive C to local drive D. This method is a universal instruction and is suitable for solving the following problems:

1. Transfer Windows 7 to another computer
2. Transfer Windows 7 to another hard drive or local disk

I want to warn you right away! This article is primarily aimed at advanced computer users. If you are familiar with your computer, then there should be no problems understanding the instructions for transferring Windows to another disk or hard drive. If you are a novice user, then read the article carefully from cover to cover. If you understand all the points of the instructions and you don’t have any questions, then great. If this seems difficult to you, then think carefully! Maybe it will be much easier for you to install a new Windows on the desired partition!

Well, it seems like we figured it out) Well, now let’s breathe in and let’s go...)

Why is transferring Windows 7 better than just reinstalling it?

Sometimes a situation arises that you do not need to reinstall the operating system Windows system 7, but transfer it to another computer or another drive, for example from drive C to drive D, and at the same time save all the settings, installed programs, drivers, etc.

Of course, you can install a clean system. But then you will have to install drivers, programs, etc. In general, it is long and painful. And if we move Windows to another drive, then save all the settings plus a lot of time, effort and energy. Wherein the system will remain exactly in the state to which you are accustomed, but on another local disk or hard drive.

Let's now take a closer look at the process of transferring an operating system from one local drive to another drive (or from one computer to another).

Instructions

Step 1 - Create a backup copy of Windows 7

We have two local disks. Disk C and Disk D. The operating system is installed on disk C, and it needs to be transferred to disk D. First of all, before transferring the system, you need to make a backup copy of it.

For this I use the Acronis program True Image. After creating a backup, you will need to place it on another local drive (E, F, G, etc.). Just not on drive C (since it is a system drive) and not on drive D, because we will install Windows there.

By the way, when using Acronis you need to be careful - the program labels disks in its own way if it works from a bootable flash drive or disk, so be careful. In this case, I focus on the size of the disks, and not on the letter.

Making a Backup

Making a backup is very simple. Launch Acronis True Image and follow the steps shown in the photo below:

Let's start the backup:

Specify the drive on which Windows is installed:

Create a new archive (backup):

Disable scheduling:

Select the incremental backup type:

Here we leave everything as it is (default):

You can set up password protection for your backup:

Backup settings (default):

Step 2 - Transfer Windows to another drive (computer, hard drive)

OK. A backup has been created and is located on a third-party local disk or hard drive. Now you need to restore it to local drive D.

It's very easy to do! Launch Acronis True Image again. Now instead of the point "Backup" select an item "Recovery". And you perform actions that practically repeat the steps of creating a backup:

Select the Windows 7 backup we created and click “Restore”:

Select “Recover disks or partitions”:

Despite the fact that we need to install the system on drive D, in this window we still select local drive C!!!:

Change the location for unpacking the backup:

Select drive D to install Windows 7 from our backup:

Settings have been changed! Now the system will be unpacked to local drive D!!!:

Click the Proceed button:

After this, the computer will reboot!

Acronis True Image will download automatically, so don't worry, just wait! After the program has loaded, we launch recovery and, if necessary, repeat the steps described above!

If you are transferring Windows to another hard drive!

I would like to note that if you no longer intend to use your old hard drive for work, then before deploying the system to a new hard drive, it is better to remove it - this will avoid conflicts when there are two identical operating systems on the computer.

After the deployment has occurred (hopefully successfully) to drive D, the computer needs to be restarted.

As a result, you have two working operating systems on your computer: on Drive C and on Drive D, or on another drive if you have placed the backup on another hard drive.

Step 3 - Removing the old operating system

After a reboot, the old system will still boot. To work only with the new one, you need to remove the old operating system. Let's consider the removal procedure through.

Windows 7. You see a menu with two items - Install and System Restore. We need the second point:

In the recovery options, you need to select the first option “Use recovery tools...” and click Next. After this, another menu appears and in it selects the last item - “Command Line”.

Enter the command Bootrec.exe /RebuildBcd, which scans all hard drive partitions for the presence of an operating system. The command finds the second version of the system on drive F and offers to add it to the download list. You need to confirm your selection with Y.

After confirming the addition to the download, type Exit on the command line and you will see a boot menu for the operating systems you have installed. After that, you select the second system (restored). After booting, the boot disk is automatically named C, and not D, as it was.

Please note that your old drive C has completely disappeared from Explorer. But in fact, he hasn't gone anywhere, he just doesn't have a mark. You can assign it in manual mode via Disk Management. When you go here, you will see an unlabeled disk. Manually assign it a letter that is convenient for you, say F, and that’s it, it will appear in Explorer again.

Assign a letter to the local drive:

That's all the instructions for transferring Windows to another local drive.

By the way, after restoration, most likely, your Windows 7 may request reactivation.

When replacing an HDD or transferring a system from one computer to another, you need to know how to transfer to another drive or SSD. This is done so as not to install Windows from scratch, but simply make a copy from the old media and continue to use it.

You can transfer the OS to an SSD or HDD, regular optical disk or a flash drive with a large amount of memory. In this case, the technique will remain the same, only it may take more time.

Imagine the situation: you are changing the motherboard or moving a hard drive with the installed system to new computer. And of course, the system will not start on new hardware. What do many people do in such a situation? Reinstall the system. However, there is another way: to pre-prepare the system for migration using the sysprep utility.

Starting with Windows Vista, sysprep is included with the operating system.

Using sysprep, all unique information about installed system. This includes clearing information about installed drivers. In this case, the user's programs and settings are not affected.

Yes, I want to warn you right away - among other things, activation information is also cleared. After the transfer, you will have to activate the system again. Special attention For those who had Windows pre-installed with their computer (OEM version), after transferring to new hardware, they will not be able to activate the system automatically via the Internet, only by phone. Even then they may refuse, because... The OEM license is strictly tied to the hardware of the computer sold to you.

So, let's run sysprep on the system we are going to transfer. This must be done BEFORE THE TRANSFER. You should only use the version of sysprep that was installed with Windows.

In a command line opened as administrator, run:

%windir%\system32\sysprep\sysprep

In the window that opens, make the following settings:

• in “Actions to clean up the system”, select the option “Go to the system welcome window (OOBE)” and check the “Prepare for use” option;
• In “Shutdown Options” select “Shutdown”. You can select “Reboot” if you want to immediately remove an image of an already prepared system disk by booting from DVD or USB. The main thing is not to let it boot from the prepared system disk, otherwise the whole process will have to start over again.

After clicking OK, the system cleaning process starts, and after it is completed, the computer turns off. Now you can transfer the hard drive to a new system, change the motherboard, etc.

At the beginning of the download, you will see the message “Preparing the system for use”, then “Installing devices”:

The system may reboot and continue installation - this is normal.

In the end, you should see the regional settings window (the appearance of this window already indicates that the transfer was successful):

Enter the name of the new user. In order not to confuse the settings of existing users, enter a name that has not been used before (for example, Test). This user can then be deleted.

Next, we perform the standard settings for date and time, automatic updates, etc. As a result, you will be taken to the Test user's desktop. Now you can log out and log in with your regular account. The final touch is updating the drivers.

That's all. The transfer is quite simple and quick.

How widely can equipment parameters be changed?

Microsoft advises using this technology only for computers with similar configurations (it seems). Those. this method may not always work. For example, it is completely unclear what will happen if the image was made on an Intel system and transferred to AMD and vice versa (whoever tries it, please unsubscribe). On the other hand, I created the image on virtual machine(Virtaul PC 2007) and successfully transferred it to computers with a wide variety of configurations. True, it was all from Intel to Intel.

After purchasing a new HDD or SSD, the first question that arises is what to do with it? operating system, used on this moment. Not many users have the need to install a clean OS, but on the contrary, they want to clone existing system from the old disk to the new one.

So that the user who decides to update the hard drive does not have to reinstall the operating system, it is possible to transfer it. In this case, the current user profile is saved, and in the future you can use Windows in the same way as before performing the procedure.

Usually those who want to divide the OS itself and user files into two physical drives are interested in transferring. After the move, the operating system will appear on the new hard drive and will remain on the old one. In the future it can be removed from old tough disk by formatting, or leave it as a second system.

First, the user needs to connect the new drive to the system unit and make sure that the PC has detected it (this is done through the BIOS or Explorer).

Method 1: AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition

Unlike the previous two programs, in Macrium Reflect You cannot pre-allocate a free partition on the drive where the OS will be transferred. This means that user files on disk 2 will be deleted. Therefore, it is best to use a clean HDD.

1. Click on the link "Clone this disk..." in the main program window.



2. The Transfer Wizard will open. At the top, select the HDD from which you want to clone. By default, all drives may be selected, so uncheck the drives you don't want to use.



3. Click on the link at the bottom of the window "Select a disk to clone to..." and select the hard drive to which you want to clone.



4. Once you select disk 2, you can use a link with cloning parameters.



5. Here you can configure the space that will be occupied by the system. By default, a partition with no headroom will be created free space. We recommend adding system partition minimum 20-30 GB (or more) for correct subsequent updates and Windows needs. This can be done using controls or by entering numbers.



6. If you wish, you can select the drive letter yourself.



7. It is not necessary to change the remaining parameters.
8. In the next window you can configure the cloning schedule, but we don’t need this, so just click "Next".



9. A list of actions that will be performed on the drive will be displayed, click "Finish".



10. In the window asking you to make restore points, agree or reject the offer.



11. The OS cloning will begin and you will be notified when completed "Clone completed", indicating that the transfer was successful.
12. Now you can boot from the new drive, having first made it the main one for booting in the BIOS. How to do this, see Method 1.

We talked about three ways to transfer an OS from one drive to another. As you can see, this is a very simple process and you usually won't encounter any errors. After cloning Windows, you can check the disk's functionality by booting your computer from it. If there are no problems, you can remove the old HDD from system unit or leave it as a spare.

To use the operating system, you need space on which it will store files for work. Thus, you can start from both a hard drive and a flash drive, from a disk. What to do when you need to transfer Windows with all the necessary files to another medium, without loss of performance? In this case, we will consider the option of transferring the system to second hard disk.

What is the transfer done with?

Of course, you won’t be able to simply transfer the system, because copying/pasting here simply won’t work. To perform this operation you will need a special software, which will be launched from under DOS, i.e., without starting the system itself at all - working only at the pre-boot stage. Yes, you can use a large list of algorithms with DOS commands, but it is much better to pay attention to programs with ready-made solutions.

These include Acronis, Seagate DiscWizard, Samsung Data Migration and others. Each of them is simple in its own way, has a different cost, or may even be shareware. We turned our attention to a program from Acronis – Acronis Disk Director, which can be downloaded from torrents along with license keys. An excellent version for transferring Windows would be 11 Home and higher.

After downloading the program, install it and connect the second HDD to the computer. The PC must, of course, be turned off, and after rebooting we launch the application. You don't need to do anything else with the disk. Then everything is done directly in Acronis Disk Director 11 Home.

Step-by-step instructions on how to transfer Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10

The instructions are suitable for everything Windows versions, which support the Acronis Disk Director program, i.e. starting with Windows 7. All actions are performed similarly, there are no differences. Let's start transferring the system to another hard drive:

1. Let's say there are two disks. The first is the main one, the second is the additional one to which the system needs to be transferred. In the program window they are Disk 2 and Disk 1;
2. As shown in the screenshot, you need to click on the main disk right click mouse and select "Clone base disk";
3. In the next window that appears after clicking the button "Clone…", you will be asked to select which drive you want to transfer Windows to. In our case, we transfer to Disk 1, select it, and then click "Further";
   
   
4. Do not forget that after pressing "Further", you will need to put a tick or mark opposite the item "One to One" in field "Cloning Method" and then press "Complete";
   
   
5. When this task will be accepted by the program, a checkbox with the option to use pending operations will be shown at the top. You need to left-click it and then click "Continue";
   
   
6. Don't be alarmed, you will be asked to confirm again what you want to do. Click "OK";
   
   
7. When the reboot starts, the program will automatically start in DOS mode and will clone from one disk to another. This may take a long time, but you should have your computer in sight, just in case.
   
   
   
   
8. When the entire operation is completed, a reboot will occur and you can launch the application again. Now you will see that the system has been transferred correctly:
   
   
9. To make sure everything is working properly, turn off the computer, disconnect the old hard drive and start the computer again - everything should work as before. We recommend formatting the old hard drive and using it as an additional drive.
10. You can mark up the unallocated area that the program left during cloning as you wish - to do this, read