Windows 10: Migrating from a Windows 10 pc to a Windows 8.1 PC?

Depending on what she is doing, that current machine if no issues, will work fine. I have three Intel Core 2 Duo's that run fine with Windows 10 on them. If she is seeing controller problems, I would just get her an off lease with monitor, which you can find them for under $200. You can also get a AMD Quad Core E-4 for under $300 these days as a Laptop.

Sounds more like you are building for yourself not her.

 

I started with OS/9 then on to an IBM clone with MSDOS . . .

I'm just a bit confused here . . .

So, you started with a Windows 7 machine and upgraded it to Windows 10. Now you're having problems with the upgrade. I can tell you that every machine I've upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10 has had some kind of problems. The only way I've found to sort those out is to do a clean install of Windows 10. Generally, the clean install will straighten things out quite nicely.

You bought a Windows 8.1 system and you want to change the OS to Windows 7? Or do you want to dual boot with both Windows 7 and Windows 8?

Getting Windows 7 onto the Windows 8.1 system will depend on the license; whether it's an OEM system (the computer came with Windows 7 installed on it) or if you bought a Retail copy of Windows 7 and put it onto the machine.

If the old machine is an OEM system (the computer came with Windows 7 installed on it), you cannot put that copy of Windows 7 onto the new computer; even if you succeed in finding the product key, it won't work.

If you have a Retail license to Windows 7, you should have a DVD and a Product Key. All you have to do in that instance is format the hard drive and install it on the new machine and remove it from the old one. If it doesn't activate, you may have to call Microsoft.

 

No, we are both using old PC's and were due for some better ones. Mine is 6 years old and hers is older than mine - maybe 10 years old?

So I ordered her that one refurbed at a good price, then picked up the same one on Ebay for myself last night. She got a $900 PC, refurbed, for $400, and I got a $900 PC, new without the box, for $300.

 

No, things are getting a little mixed up here. *Redface My sister has about a 10 year old PC. I used the Windows 10 free upgrade on hers, a few weeks before July 24th, so she cant go back to Win 7 now.

I have a 6 year old PC and used the Windows 10 upgrade on mine, on July 24th, so I either need to go back ASAP ( today? ) or figure out how to migrate to the 8.1 that I just bought.

She's been wanting a newer PC anyway, because her video is terrible - it's hard for her to even play videos from the web, it's so slow.
So a few days ago, I picked her up a refurbed Asus, of the same specs mentioned above in this thread - essentially a $900 PC, factory refurbed for $400. That's on the way now.

With my PC, after the Windows 10 upgrade, I had the usual problems of drivers not working, no wifi for a day, until I found the right new driver for that, etc. But THEN ( see my other thread at WTF just happened?! - Page 5 - Windows 10 Forums ) it suddenly wouldn't BOOT! Freaked me totally out! I finally managed to get it working again. My home business is on this PC!

So people were saying, in the other thread, that 8.1 is a stable version. So I just picked up a new Asus with the same specs last night, on Ebay - a $900 PC new without the box, for $300! It will ship today.

We don't need dual boot or any of that - just a way to move stuff to the new ones. ( even if just by ethernet cable )

But hers is a simpler machine - program wise. She has some browser stuff and passwords that she wants to transfer, and some of the stuff for our home business, but not that critical.

Mine, on the other hand, as my whole computing life since 1992, including a registered copy of AutoCAD 2002, which still runs, and a Dazzle Envelope Manager from 2002, which isn't even sold anymore, but with which I can print a single envelope at a time, for the business, and it goes to the USPS site and gets the Zip+4 and prints a bar code on the envelope. I don't want to risk those!

The good news is, that I use Carbonite, so I can make sure it's backed up first, then freeze that backup, but it's data, not the programs.

So I'd RATHER NOT get into a situation where I have to reinstall weeks worth of stuff on this PC because I'm getting the 8.1 machine now.

I wouldn't touch Windows 10 now, with a 10 foot pole! Like so many other versions, I'd wait a few years for them to fix the bugs! I was just duped, like so many other people, into using the free "upgrade" by the months of fricking nags they did on my Win 7 pc!

 

Hi:

You wrote:

Having offsite, cloud data backup is good (especially if one's house burns down, taking out one's computers AND one's local USB backup drives).

But I hope you do not plan to try to restore a LOT of data backed-up at Carbonite from Computer 1 to Computer 2.
Depending on your speed/bandwidth of your ISP, it might take a VERY long, long time to pull down an entire computer's worth of data from Carbonite onto the new system. Your data download may be throttled by your ISP.
I regard it as a "backup plan of last resort" for that reason.
There are probably more efficient means to migrate the data from old computer to new computer, e.g. through your own network or through the use of an external USB hard drive, or through some sort of Easy Transfer Cable (if those still work for Win10).

Also, you will want to contact Carbonite if you plan to transfer the license from the old computer to the new one.
Carbonite WILL transfer the remaining days on your old computer license to your new computer license.
I just went through that process when I retired a Win7 box and bought a new Win10 box.
I did not transfer the backup files (though you can do that). I transferred the old license to the new computer. They were very helpful and it saved me ~3 months of time on my old license.

It sounds more complicated than it is.

Bottom line:
>>Downloading/restoring a lot of data from Carbonite to get your old computer's files onto the new computer will be very time-consuming. There may be more efficient ways to do that.
>>I suggest contacting Carbonite to get the license and/or backups transferred. In my experience, it's most easily done on the phone.

MM

 

That computer would be able to run Windows 10 very well. It isn't high end, which makes me think you WAY overpaid for it, though. I would have valued that computer at $400-$500, not $900, and that would be new, not refurbished.

Either way, you own it now, so Windows 10 wouldn't be anything to fear. It's free, simple to upgrade, and would run very well.

As for moving the data, a simple flash drive or external drive is your simplest way.

 

You can still get better and cheaper priced systems from Off Leases on Newegg. If the computer is running fine for being 8 to 10 years old, no newer games are being played, a Intel Core 2 Duo works out fine.

 

That is how I see it. My dad got a newer Off Lease Quad Core for under $300 from newegg.com.

 

I also have an ESATA BlacX bay that I plug hard drives into, and do mirrors. Then they can have full speed access into my PC.

 

Amazon.com: ASUS Desktop Computer M32BC-B01 AMD FX-Series FX-8310 (3.40 GHz) 8 GB DDR3 2 TB HDD AMD Radeon R7 240 2 GB GPU Windows 8.1 64-Bit: Computers Accessories

Jeez, the Windows 10 experience with upgrading this present PC scared the living daylights out of me. I don't need that again! I'm terrified of Windows 10 now!

I have an ESATA interface with a BlacX on this PC, which I use for mirror backups to raw hard drives. I keep a couple of them in the fire safe.

It's funny, but it kind of reminds me of the care with which Jewish people treat their Torahs - those sacred scrolls that they have in the temples, which they'd save if the temple was burning down? But when you think about it, this is my computing life on this thing. *Smile

 

I have one of those and when I needed it, it was invaluable.

Assuming you're going to keep Windows 8.1, take the hard drive out of your old computer and stick it into the BlacX. Hook the BlacX up to the new computer and transfer the data from the old hard drive onto the new computer.

As for your programs and apps, for the most part, they won't transfer; hopefully you still have the CDs/DVDs and Product Keys for those.

 

@MamaBear

As I told you, every Windows 7 computer I've upgraded to Windows 10 had problems and only a clean install would fix things. However, every Windows 8.1 computer I've upgraded to Windows 10 has gone pretty well, although I'm of the old school that an upgrade takes along the problems, so a clean install is in order, no matter which upgrade path.

I got things a little bit backward; you should first install your programs and apps before transferring your data, just in case it may make a difference somehow.

Also, if I remember correctly, in the past (a long time ago), I have put the "old" hard drive into the new computer and run my programs from there. That said, I'm not sure the old hard drive wouldn't try to boot, since I haven't done it in awhile.

One of the other guys may be able to enlighten both of us on that. If you can get that to work, that would be fantastic. Hmmmmmm, wheels are turning . . . What if, while you have the old drive in the BlacX, you tried to open one of your programs? It may be worth a try.

 

I just got a notice from Ebay that AFTER I won the auction and PAID the seller the $300 for that PC, they canceled it without my permission and refunded my money, claiming that it wasn't available anymore. This is the second time something like this has happened, in about 6 months, and I'm getting sick of it. I THINK the seller didn't get any other bids and was planning on selling it for more, so they copped out. I filed a complaint with Ebay and it "dings" their account, according to Ebay. ( slap on the wrist ) But it's getting to where I don't trust that if I buy something on Ebay and get a good deal, that I'll actually get what I paid for. Now I have to regroup and see what to do.

I was looking forward to a new PC.

Disgusted in Denver

But there may be an upside to this. From what you all are saying, if I were to find a refurbed PC like this, with Windows 10 pre-installed, I wouldn't likely have problems like that boot failure?

Then could I easily transfer these rare programs to it ( I still have the install disks and package for AutoCAD 2002, by the way ) and it would be fine?

 

They do not need your permission to cancel the auction. They are required to return the winning bid money if they are unable to come through. Newegg has been dropping prices on gear for almost 80% off on some. They have 3rd party sellers that use their website, just like Amazon & Best Buy.

Even the OEM's are selling systems that are what you want at the price you are looking to pay.

I do not really think that your old software is going to run on Windows 10, because it no longer contains the dinosaur code of Windows 95, 98, NT4, NT2000. If you want to use those old programs, you may want to use a Hot Swap bay for which OS you want to use.

 

I'm running them now - AutoCAD 2002 and Dazzle Envelope Manager 2002 - on this PC that has been upgraded from Win 7 to Windows 10. They run fine, without even needing compatibility mode. *Smile