Windows 10: Migrate Windows 10 with Backup/Restore?

My laptop is dying. We've had a great life together and it is tragic to watch it slowly waste away but what can you do?

Over it's happy life, it upgraded from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro and with the wealth of knowledge it had accumulated grew to a 500Gb SSD. Failed screen pivot posts were lovingly restored in a multi-step operation involving the best quality epoxy. Only a very small number of case screw have been lost along the journey. Many a joyous hour we spent together trying to keep Android Studio from roasting the motherboard to mush but alas all to no avail. In case you need a name to help communicate the human touch, it's called "Sony Vaio VPCZ23C5" and has proprietary SSD & RAM with a tiny i7 nestled in between.


Anyway, I have a new machine of similar spec lined up and in an ideal world would simply drop the current SSD into the new machine also a Sony and get on with my life. Only I can't do that with Win 10 can I? The other option is a complete rebuild but since the original machine had some applications that I find quite useful e.g. Acrobat Writer, Windows Media Player etc I fear that the hours I'll have to spend re-installing the same OS on the same drive will actually leave me with less than I have now. "So, will there be a question?", I hear you ask. Yep:


Can I use a full backup of my current system taken with that classic program, "Backup and Restore Windows 7" on to an external SSD I have acquired for the purpose to restore EVERYTHING i.e. applications as well as years of tweaked configurations and "user's files" whose are the others? to the old drive in the new machine?


The future happiness of my whole desktop is at stake. TIA,


Z

:)

 

installing windows 10 backup and restore later

1. Backup Vista
2. Upgrade Vista->Windows 7 -> Windows 10. Get activated.
3. Backup Windows 10.
4. Clean Install Windows 10. Make sure still activated
5. Backup a fresh copy of Windows 10
6. Restore

To perform step 4 i will need to have downloaded an iso and create a dvd or usb to boot from.....so will not this ISO be ok and the one you mention ?

 

Restoring Windows 10 Image using Macrium Reflect


In addition to the above. Here's my suggestion in step by step.
I assume you have Macrium Installed in your current HD and already made a backup copy.

1. Connect your new HD via USB port and boot up.
2. Run Macrium, click on Restore tab then select the Backup Image that you made to restore
3. click on "select a different target disk" then select your new HD as destination
   
   
   
4. Proceed to restore then Shutdown and disconnect the old HD and replace with the new HD
5. Boot up with your new HD.

 

Free hard drive backup/restore program?

I am looking for a free (freeware) program that will back up and restore a hard drive. I'm looking to clone a few external hard drives. If the program will backup the used space instead of the whole drive this will be awesome! Thanks for any suggestions.