Migrate OS to new Build

[mnm0710]

I'm guessing the answer is no but wanted to double check.  

 

BUILD A - Windows 7, Programs, Files on a 2xWD Black RAID0

 

BUILD B - Windows 10 on SSD

 

Is it possible to migrate the 2 drives from Build A over to the other build as is without losing anything.  Key questions are access to files but also the off-chance that I could dual boot to this as well.  

 

Only reason is I have some programs that are locked to my Windows 7 so I can't exactly install it again on a new Windows 10 build.

 

Any thoughts or  am i hoping for too much?  I'd like to keep access to my programs but also don't want to have 2 computers laying around.

 

Thanks!

[Guest]

I was going to suggest something, but then I saw RAID 0... what kind of RAID controller?

[samcool55]

Apart from the raid-0 which is an issue that can be solved, W7 will likely need to be reinstalled on system B, W7 doesn't really like it when you connect it to a different system it was originally installed on. Unless they are similar the W7 OS won't boot on system B.

[mnm0710]

38 minutes ago, Legendarypoet said:

I was going to suggest something, but then I saw RAID 0... what kind of RAID controller?

Just the onboard chipset RAID controller. No RAID Card 

 

34 minutes ago, samcool55 said:

Apart from the raid-0 which is an issue that can be solved, W7 will likely need to be reinstalled on system B, W7 doesn't really like it when you connect it to a different system it was originally installed on. Unless they are similar the W7 OS won't boot on system B.

Ah I gotcha. So even if the RAID wasn't an issue having to reinstall W7 would kill my programs anyways

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, mnm0710 said:

Just the onboard chipset RAID controller. No RAID Card 

 

Ah I gotcha. So even if the RAID wasn't an issue having to reinstall W7 would kill my programs anyways

Ok, what platform? It's not a huge problem as you can just clone the raid 0 to a larger single drive, but I wouldn't want to advise something until you backed up all of your stuff.

 

There are programs like EaseUS that can migrate programs fairly well, but I can in no way say whether or not it would work. You have an extra drive to try experiments with?

Dual boot is an option so long as the onboard RAID is the same/similar generation. Intel has been pretty great in this regard as I've tested chipsets at least 4 years apart. Though 7 isn't as kind with hardware changes as 10. I've done some random tests w/ 10 seeing how much a platform can change before it gets angry and it's pretty elastic.

If your programs use hardware identifiers, you could also be up the creek. Mind sharing more info about each setup and software?

 

You could always clone your RAID to a single drive, upgrade it to 10, then move. That might work.

 

You'll also need RAID on in the BIOS of the 10, which may break your current install if it isn't already on.

Apologies for the disorganization of my reply. Just jotting thoughts down as they come to mind.

 

Edited August 29, 2017 by Guest

[samcool55]

31 minutes ago, mnm0710 said:

Ah I gotcha. So even if the RAID wasn't an issue having to reinstall W7 would kill my programs anyways

Yes, and as already suggested you can easily clone the raid volume to another drive or make an image of it, migrate the drives to the other system and put the image back or clone the drive back, depending what you did of course

 

There are tools enough out there to do such thing

[mnm0710]

@Legendarypoet @samcool55Thanks guys! I appreciate the info. I think I have enough information to go do some research and do some experimentation like you said.

 

FYI this is for an i7 920 build and the plan is to build a new Intel rig in the next couple months but trying to sort out all the little details you know?  I think the way to try it out would be to clone an image to another hard drive, pop it into another machine and restore it and then see if I can boot into it as well.

 

Essentially I'd like to have a clean install of Windows 10 on my new PC utilizing what I imagine will be an SSD.  But I'd like to have this Windows 7 sort of as is as a secondary boot option if I need to use some of the programs.  It's not the end of the world, I mean I'd have to spend more money to get the programs on Windows 10 but I guess I have to outweigh that against if I have to spend anything for any of the methods to migrate it to the new machine.

 

Will let you guys know once I figure this out and try it out.

 

Thank you very much for the help and ideas!

[Guest]

Another option is to copy over all of your data (please get the info off of a RAID 0, that makes me so nervous), then virtualize the OS and use it in a VM. That way you don't need to dual boot. Had to do that for someone with XP that had a program that controls their RFID door tags. They would have had to buy a new license which the company wanted an absurd $25,000 for.

[mnm0710]

2 hours ago, Legendarypoet said:

Another option is to copy over all of your data (please get the info off of a RAID 0, that makes me so nervous), then virtualize the OS and use it in a VM. That way you don't need to dual boot. Had to do that for someone with XP that had a program that controls their RFID door tags. They would have had to buy a new license which the company wanted an absurd $25,000 for.

Ha yea only reason I went for RAID0 was because it was 2 Hard Drives.  It was before SSDs even got below $2/GB.  

 

The VM idea is a great one! I didn't even think about that. That would be perfect!