Using Windows 8 system image

[kyrax12]

I was wondering if I back up everything using the Windows 8 system image feature, I could migrate the O.S to a new hard-drive using an external hard-drive is anything goes wrong?

 

[razel]

Windows 8 system image... meaning the one in control panel with the window title 'Windows 7 File Recovery' and then the link 'Create a system image'... then yes! If the new drive you are restoring to is smaller, it helps to shrink the partition before creating the image. Another thing to watch is if you have any system restore partitions from the manufacturer usually found in laptops, it may or may not copy them. It will tell you before hand.

If you are interested in just making a backup of your files, try the 'Windows Easy Transfer.' It does an amazing job of copying everything non Windows system. You can even customize what directories it will copy. Only thing is... the Win 8.1 version only allows transferring in... it seems to force you to backup to Skydrive instead.

Damn M$. Or the backup companies complaining to M$. Either way, both tools have the potential to make backup software obsolete, obviously backup software vendors also have to make a living.

 

[Z15CAM]

On a Reboot "DO NOT WAIT for Action Center to finish doing it's thing."

RUN SysPrep as Follows:

In elevated CMD TYPE: %windir%\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep.exe

SELECT: Enter System Out-of-Box-Experience (OOBE)
Check - GENERALIZE
SHUTDOWN

SysPrep SUCCEEDED.

Upon Completion and Shutting Down, Power On, Open the Optic Drive, insert a DOS Bootable Disk and Boot into DOS and run GHOST.EXE to make a GHOST IMAGE of the "MASTER" SYSPREP OS that will upon running DOS GHOST.EXE copy the GHO Image to your designated DISKpart prepared HDD or SSD and re-install Win to your new hardware.

DOS is still very powerful ;o)