old 775 system dying so I need to move to a 1155 system, would like to keep all program installations and system settings as they are, don't mind having to activate, replacing the motherboard/cpu/ram, is there a prep tool to help make it a smoother process than the earlier OS's ? I never loaded system specific drivers when I orig installed the OS, so all generic win 8 drivers.
I use Acronis 2013 and find it works very well ... (IMHO) better than the others... faster also. but requardless here is from a fellow that:
You could try to use a same MB Brand with same CPU Brand and it may just works. Done that 2 times with customers computer and hadn't any probl;ems, except some drivers which was need to download new.
used Acronis in the past since V7,8,9,10 & 11, and Universal Restore, never had any luck with UR, win 8 image works very well tho. never used [ and not to lazy to read ] sys prep but may try it without oobe as Im not looking for the oobe, just wana change mobo and proc let win load the needed drivers and activate, I can uninstall the proc in device manager before shutdown, mobo drivers a lot harder, all other software I have loaded is compatable with win 8, maybe sys prep will work, its in win 8 folder.
The thing about Sysprep is to make the system ready for different hardware, sysprep will remove specific device settings so when you boot it up again, it will be like your first boot after you installed Windows 8 on a new PC. You don't actually have to sysprep, if you are a bit lucky then it will work without doing anything, just switch HDD and see if it works, if it doesn't then you need to Syprep if you don't want to re-install.
thanks for the link, I was looking on the TechNet site but could not find sysprep related to win 8, if I read correctly sysprep/oobe will leave the programs installed but will reset all programs to clean install status, which is what Im looking to do, I think. esp concerned with thunderbird mail and all my folders, received/sent. gona image win and test sysprep today, keeping fingers crossed, pulling the drive and booting to diff hardware will be last resort, if nothing else works.
created image and took the chance [ fingers crossed ], uninstalled all I could from device manager, even hidden devices, shutdown and installed the mobo and cpu, booted to windows and installed all drivers, called in for automated activation of win 8 and office, all went very smooth with no complaints, no bsod's or hangs, no errors or reloading programs and all updates, what a blessing.
In theory it shouldn't be nessasary to uninstall drivers, drivers for nonexistant devices just won't load. The problem are bundled utilities and services that load even if the driver doesn't. I install all my devices by letting Windows find the INF file and never had a problem moving a HD since Vista.