I have an old Windows 7 installation on an old drive, that I can no longer boot because I changed the motherboard (it’s an HP OEM). While I haven’t tried, I assume that if I take a new licensed installation disk of 8.1, I could recover and upgrade to the new hardware.
Question, if that is the case, is it possible to copy it to an SSD, but without the data, just the Windows installation and the software (I’ve already got data backed up elsewhere). If so, how?
Harder question: If I can do that, can I do it to a virtual machine? I know I can do a clean install on a VM, but I’d like to recover the existing software on the old OS.
[Update a while later]
Well, from what I’m seeing here, looks like it’s not really feasible. The only way to recover the old Windows (as opposed to install a new one) is to dual boot. But I’ll probably recover the machine anyway, just to see what’s on it, and if some of the licensed software (like Malwarebytes) can be migrated to the new one.
[Late-evening update]
Look, here is my conceptual idea.
1) I copy the old Windows drive, then delete data, to eliminate everything that isn’t software.
2) I create a virtual machine with a sized partition.
3) I somehow copy the Windows drive sans data to the virtual partition.
4) I then try to update from Windows 7 to Windows 8.1 using my Windows install disk (full license, not OEM).
5) I then hook up the old data as a network drive, so I’m not putting data on the SSD.
That’s the top-level plan. I’m just not sure how possible it is. I think that Step (3) is where the miracle occurs. Step (5) is a problem if I can’t get Samba working, and if I can’t get it working between a virtual and physical machine.
This isn’t exactly what you are asking, but I was facing a similar problem when an important server’s motherboard died, but it would have taken forever to restore all of the software with a new install and restore the databases, etc. I chose to convert it to a virtual machine.
I only know how to do this with VirutalBox on a windows 7 host with a Windows 7 guest, so adapt the steps as appropriate.
This is a little from memory but I think it is more or less complete.
1. Plug in the Windows 7 drive to another windows machine. This machine must have virtualbox installed.
2. Open a command window.
3. cd to the virtualbox installation directory (i.e., C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox).
4. Run the command “wmic diskdrive list brief”. Find the line corresponding to the plugged in drive and note the DeviceID.
5. Run the command “VBoxManage convertfromraw [DeviceID] [output path].vdi. Obviously without the [] brackets.This should convert your hard disk to a virtual hard disk file (.vdi file).
6. Open VirtualBox interface and create a new virtual machine, choosing the proper OS type, but skip the part that creates a hard disk. Compete the wizard.
7. Now back at the original display, right click on the new virtual machine and choose Settings, and go to the Storage panel.
8. This is important. On the IDE controller, choose ICH6 for the Type. Then add the vdi hard disk file you just created to the IDE controller.
9. Click Apply/OK as appropriate to get back to the original display.
You should now be able to start the new virtual machine, and it will start the machine up as it was when it was a physical machine. Of course it will now go through several driver update cycles and reboots, but after that you should have your original machine, just now virtualized.
Sorry, where I said “vdi” I meant “vhd”.
Problem is I don’t have Virtual Box. I’m creating VMs using qemu in Linux, so I don’t think that will work.
VirtualBox has a linux port:
https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads
I have only used it on Windows, so that’s as far as I can really directly help, but from what I have seen I think it supports the same VBoxManage commands, but you would use /dev/sda or whatever instead of a windows DeviceID.
Or qemu maybe has a similar “convert physical to virtual disk” command. But I don’t know how qemu does the “ICH6” part. That was important and took me hours to figure out, otherwise the boot would start but would always go to a blue screen.
Bookmarked!
(Filler) FYI, VirtualBox is from s/Sun/Oracle and is available for x86/x64 versions of Windows, OS X, Linux, and Solaris. (Is Solaris even a thing these days?)
rand,
all you need do is dress yourself with patience and call MS. They will gladly give you an license refresh.
Done it before, more than once. it only requires a speakerphone and a odicum of patience.
Cordua
Another option is to register the Windows 7 by the automated phone service. It works just fine, although I cannot tell you why. Also works for re-registering Office products. I never register MS products by the Internet automatically.
No, I can’t do that. It’s an HP OEM. M$ says talk to HP (when I tried to do it on line). I’m sure HP will say, “If you want new hardware, buy it from us.”
Anyway, this is a solved problem. I’m sure I can use my new 8.1 license to upgrade that drive. But I want to do it in a virtual machine, so I don’t have to dual boot it (and so I can quarantine it).
I don’t need a fresh license. I already bought one.
Not sure what all platforms it will work with, but check out disk2vhd…it will image an existing machine to a VHD disk image file.
Or use any imaging application to make an image of the hard drive, then boot into your new VM and restore the backup…