Skip to main content

Moving Hard Drives

Thread needs solution

This is what I would ideally like to do and would like to know if it is possible....

I have 2 pc's... on has full data, all I need... the other is a brand new system with an empty clean hd.

I would like to transfer/copy the whole content as is, sector by sector, from the full one to empty one.  if I do a s-by-s backup on the first, can I use the emergency boot CD on the new PC and "restore" the data to it?  Then will my new pc be just like the old as far as software, etc.?

Thank you.

0 Users found this helpful

If there are any diffs in the hardware, chipsets, drives, ports, etc, then you'll need diff hardware drivers than are on your old machine or the new machine won't work right if at all. There are ways to work through this but the easiest thing is usually to  jsut install the OS, install the desired programs and then restore or copy over the data files (docs, pics, musics, video, etc.) from the old machine to the new.

 

A side benefit of fresh install is that you won't have all the crap and leftovers that acumulate in the Registry over the years.

 

If you want only to make a backup of a data files drive and restore it to an empty harddrive on a new machine, that should be any problem -- you might have to tell your programs on the new mahcine where to look for the docs, mps, etc.

Actually its the programs I need to copy over, not the data... so is there a way to JUST save the programs and program files/registry items only and not system hardware drivers/settings?

Hello Jay,

Thank you for using Acronis Products

You can’t transfer separate applications from one OS to another using Acronis True Image programs or Acronis Migrate Easy 7.0. Using Acronis True Image programs you can backup applications settings not the application executable files. If an application seems to malfunction or ceases to run you are supposed to reinstall it using the last updates and then recover your settings from the backup. You can backup only those application settings which are listed by Acronis True Image.

In your case the best solution will be Clone Disk option. Using “Clone Disk” option you will be able to transfer all data from source hard disk to destination one. The destination hard disk drive will be bootable. The program allows you to transfer your system partition and installed applications to a higher-capacity hard disk.

Thats exactly what I want to do, transfer all/some of the installed apps into a new higher capacity hard drive... of course i dont have the disks for some of the software, hence my problem.  So Clone Disk is different how from my true image?  And is it in true image or is it a totally separate program I have to buy?

Dmitry has missed the fact that you want to move to an entirely different computer.  For this you need the Universal Restore extra cost add-on for the Workstation version of True Image - there is no UR for the Home version.

Hello Jay,

Thank you for using Acronis Products

Acronis Universal Restore is required to restore the image of Windows operating system to another hardware configuration. It the implementation of the unique technology developed inside Acronis that allows changing Windows Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL.dll) and device drivers.  Acronis Universal Restore automatically detects if the HAL should be changed and also allows adding drivers for new hardware devices. This feature was designed for Corporate products and can’t be used with Home products.

You can purchase Acronis Backup & Recovery Workstation with Acronis Universal Restore and use it to transfer the same to a new computer with different hardware. Check this link for step-by-step instructions how to do it.