Advanced Driving Hub

Anyone have a bit of computer know-how?

Copying content off an old computer, to transfer (via ext HDD).

Back-up done, two files on HDD:
- WindowsImageBackup
- HOME-PC

If I want to duplicate the original folder & content on the new laptop, will 'Restore' on the HOME-PC do that?

I'm guessing that the 'image' file also includes software & settings?

Cheers

Boing for anyone browsing .... ?

If it were simply backing up and restoring user data, photos, and so on, it should be fairly straight-forward, but then you mentioned 'software & settings' and there are many issues to consider. In broad terms, it's much simpler to reinstall and reconfigure everything, and then copy the user data across. This is the case even when the new computer is from the same manufacturer and running the same version of the operating system.

The only time when I would restore a backup image to a computer is when I created the backup image on the same computer, perhaps if I wanted to put it back to how it was, a known good state, or maybe if I was replacing a drive. In particular I've done this when testing installation of Android drivers, when I needed to repeat the same (testing) sequence again and again until it was clear that the driver installation package was configured correctly.

Thanks.

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough- that comment about the image is a total guess (the only reason I can think of for the automatic backup system creating two files.

However, looks like I'll need to do a 'clockwork' copy - although when I tried copying across the whole directory tree it only created a set of links on the ext HDD which pointed back at the original PC's drive contents ...

Horse

It's not clear what you are trying to do and how you've made your Backups.

This info will help us advise:

1. Old machine operating system?
2. New machine operating system?
3. What software did you use to create the backups?
4. Have you stored all your data in a single folder structure or is it dotted all over the original computer?
5. Do you just want to transfer data or do you want software and settings transferred?

Win 7
Win 10
Built in option from Control Panel in 7
Single tree, top folder is 'Home' in My Documents

Most importantly, only want to copy across documents (pics etc)


Thanks

Ok, you don't need the image file.

Rather than reinvent the wheel this page explains the process.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/win ... 6f895cff8d

NB. for the Windows 7 part you can either do the backup again direct to an external drive or you can manually copy the HOME-PC you've already created. Personally, I'd just run the backup process again to an external drive.

Ah, that's it! Files already on external HDD.

Like most things in manuals, and particularly with computers, you need to know what the action is called in order to find it

Cheers

You can get something - Laplink? - which physically connects old & new computers to copy stuff across

It's underway

Creating the copy took 3.5 hours, so I'll check tomorrow morning for the outcome!