Migrating from Windows 7 Ultimate to Windows 8 Pro
I have a perfectly running Windows 7 Ultimate Intel quad core 6600 desktop computer with three physical hard disks and a total of 4 partitions and I am running Acronis True Image Home 2013 with no issues.
I would like to upgrade to Windows 8 Pro and know that there will be issues with some programs so the migration will take time. Therefore, my plan would be to (1) create my latest Windows 7 Ultimate full partition image before beginning the upgrade (I already do this regularly and use the scheduling feature of True Image as well); (2) I would then start the upgrade process to Windows 8 Pro and make an image of the "C" drive partition after I have upgraded and begun resolving any software/hardware issues; (3) I would then restore my last Windows 7 full "C" drive partition and continue running Windows 7 until I am ready to continue resolving any remaining Windows 8 issues.
Does anyone know for sure if I can restore my Windows 7 "C" drive partition image fully and have everything fully operational and then, at a later time, restore the Windows 8 "C" drive partition image and resume my problem resolution? I know this should theoretically work, but I'd feel better with some concurrence that I should be able to switch back between Windows 8 and Windows 7 by restoring the appropriate image until such time as I have all my Windows 8 issues resolved.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
John,
If as you say make a complete disk image of your Windows 7 OS you will be able to completely restore it.
Are you asking if you can restore just one partition, so you keep your Windows 8 partition and then restore a Windows 7 one?
What type of Windows 7 do you have - Home, Ultimate, Enterprise?
JOhn,
I have been going back and forth between Win 7 ultimate and Win 8 Pro myself a couple of times along the lines you describe. My OS is on a SSD. Worked like a charm.
Pat,
Thanks very much. It sounds like you are doing exactly what I will be trying to do with the exception that I am not yet using an SSD for my "C" drive. All four of my partitions are on three physical hard disks.
BTW, how do you like Windows 8 so far?
Colin,
Thank you for your comments and questions. I am trying to do the Windows 8 Pro upgrade from Windows 7 Ultimate on my desktop computer at this time. Therefore, I am focusing on only one partition (i.e., my "C" drive, where Windows and my applications are installed) which will, during the Windows 8 upgrade and application installation and debugging process be alternatively used for that purpose. Then, when I need to get back to my current Windows 7 production environment, I will simply make an image of the then-current Windows 8 Pro partition and then restore my last Windows 7 partition and work with Windows 7 until such time as I have more time to restore the still incomplete Windows 8 Pro installation and continue that effort. I don't know how long it will take for me to get all my applications issues within Windows 8 resolved so I need some fallback position so I can get back to Windows 7 at any time. I hope this makes sense to you.
The main purpose of my question was to see if what I am trying to do, i.e., move back and forth from running Windows 8 or Windows 7 by restoring the appropriate partition, was a truly reliable process using True Image Home 2013. From what you are saying and what another forum member has said, this should work without a hitch. I guess I always get nervous when trying to do something like this...thinking the Master Boot Record (MBR) or something else will get modified by Window 8 or Windows 7 in a such a way that I won't be able to reboot or some obscure problem like that.
I'd appreciate any additional thoughts you might have on this.
Thank you!
John,
I migrated to Win8 without any usability regret. I really like the ability to sync online accounts across computers. So with my migration to Win8, I started using a multi-user configuration that I never put in place in the past with XP of Win7. For a while I used the Star8 widget, but I came to like the bigger start menu. Frankly the only usability issue I complain about now is that shutting down the computer takes a few interactions more :-)
I have the intention of using Windows Storage Spaces for my content moving forward and I will do this when I have a new motherboard that can take advantage of the Intel and Microsoft Win 8 optimizations.
You will be able to restore your OS partition back and forth seamlessly. The only caveat is that if you have windows OS files relocated out their standard C:\Windows\ or C:\Users\[User]\Appdata: there might be some risk that these files might not behave well when you go back and forth. So, I would put them back onto the C:\partition so that they are switched back and forth. I have no proof this would be an issue.
Hi Pat and thanks for your thoughts.
You clearly have taken the time to install and carefully assess the pros and cons of Windows 8. It is my opinion, that, despite so much early bad press on Windows 8, on balance the pros will probably outweigh the cons of the new operating system. I also believe that if we don't make the move, we will eventually be left behind without the ability to take advantage of the latest hardware and software. So I am going to give it a fair test as well and hope the migration goes well. (Thank the Lord for Acronis True Image Home so we can save and restore images. I don't know what I'd do without it!)
I'm very happy to hear that you and others who have so kindly responded to my posting have found no issues related to switching back and forth between Win 7 and Win 8 by saving and restoring Acronis 2013 full partition images of these two operating systems. I'm planning on starting the install today or tomorrow.
As I am not a member of Microsoft's "TechNet" program, I also ordered a new book that I believe will help me better understand the new O.S., the "Windows 8 Adminstration Pocket Guide" published by the Microsoft Press and available at Amazon.
I was not quite clear on the comment in your second paragraph. I don't understand how items can get into the "C:\Users\[User]\Appdata directory between the two operating systems. It seems that if separate full partition images are made of both the Windows 7 and Windows 8 "C" drives, and no additional applications are installed by the user under Windows 8 until the migration is 100% complete, these directories would be saved completely in their respective full partition images. Perhaps I'm missing something that you can clarify for me.
Also, I read something last night about Windows 8 not using the MBR (Master Boot Record) that has been around since the MS-DOS days. I don't understand how Windows 8 does without it yet; perhaps you can also clarify. Also, if Win 8 does not use the MBR, how do the restored Win 7 and Win8 images operate properly? I thought that by default, True Image Home (2013) saves the MBR when making a full partition image of the "C" drive and it is restored or overwritten if you specifically check the box for "restore MBR" during the full partition recovery. See Pat, perhaps I really need to read the Windows 8 Administration Pocket Guide when I receive it!
Thanks for any additional help you can provide.
I was not quite clear on the comment in your second paragraph. I don't understand how items can get into the "C:\Users\[User]\Appdata directory between the two operating systems. It seems that if separate full partition images are made of both the Windows 7 and Windows 8 "C" drives, and no additional applications are installed by the user under Windows 8 until the migration is 100% complete, these directories would be saved completely in their respective full partition images. Perhaps I'm missing something that you can clarify for me.
There are some Windows files (for example the Windows search index that is in the C:\programs data, or the Windows Live or Outlook email folders that are by default in the C:\...\Appdata) that users can move around the computer. For example, some users move the pagefile off their SSD (not a good idea). If you upgrade the OS and you have moved OS files around, it is possible that the upgrade will modify them. Then, if you go back to Windows 7, the OS might have trouble accessing these files because they could have been "updated" to Win 8. I don't know this for sure. To avoid any risk, make sure that OS related files are backed up and restore to keep the system coherent.
Also, I read something last night about Windows 8 not using the MBR (Master Boot Record) that has been around since the MS-DOS days. I don't understand how Windows 8 does without it yet; perhaps you can also clarify. Also, if Win 8 does not use the MBR, how do the restored Win 7 and Win8 images operate properly? I thought that by default, True Image Home (2013) saves the MBR when making a full partition image of the "C" drive and it is restored or overwritten if you specifically check the box for "restore MBR" during the full partition recovery. See Pat, perhaps I really need to read the Windows 8 Administration Pocket Guide when I receive it!
If you upgrade your OS, this won't change the layout of the disk. If your disk was MBR, it will stay MBR after the upgrade. Windows 8 computers tend to come with UEFI/GPT disks to take advantage of new features like secure boot, etc. But this is only for new computers.
Of course, you could reformat your disk as GPT before your upgrade to Windows 8, and if your BIOS allows it, switch your BIOS to UEFI. At that point, going back and forth becomes back and forth between MBR and UEFI with BIOS changes and therefore is more tricky but should work: http://kb.acronis.com/content/6533
The target disk's partitioning scheme remains unchanged after recovery:
if a GPT disk image is recovered over a GPT disk, the target disk remains a GPT disk
if a GPT disk image is recovered over an MBR disk, the target disk remains an MBR disk
if an MBR disk image is recovered over an MBR disk, the target disk remains an MBR disk
if an MBR disk image is recovered over a GPT disk, the target disk becomes an MBR disk