JSI Tip 4839. How do I move Windows XP to different hardware?

This tip describes how to move an installation of Windows XP to new, upgraded, or just different hardware. By using this information, you can:

Windows Backup (Ntbackup.exe) can handle differences in hardware configuration information between computers and maintain critical registry entries that are unique to the computer to which you are migrating information. This capability means that you can migrate to new hardware by performing a full backup of the source computer and then restoring the backup over a fresh installation of Windows XP on the destination computer.

Ntbackup.exe handles restore operations in the registry by first querying the following registry key:

This registry key indicates to Ntbackup.exe that certain registry keys under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEM key should not be overwritten when files are restored.

An entry that ends with a backslash () indicates that a key is protected and that any keys or values under that key should not be restored. If the entry ends with a backslash and an asterisk (*), all subkeys are "merged." In this situation, "merged" means comparing the start values of the keys in the backup set with the start values that exist in the current registry, to determine the correct key to restore.

If the value of the key on the backup set has a lower start value, the backup key takes precedence. If the value of the key in the current registry has a lower start value, the current key takes precedence. This process ensures that all services and devices start correctly after a "system state" restoration, even on dissimilar hardware.

For example:If the value of the following key on the backup set has a lower start value, the backup key takes precedence:

If the value of the same key in the current registry has a lower start value than the key you want to restore, the current key takes precedence.

Original System   New System: Before Restore  After Restore========================================================================DHCP Running:      YES                          NO             YESDHCP Running:      NO                           YES            YES  DHCP Running:      NO                           NO             NO

After the computer successfully restarts, Windows Plug and Play takes care of any minor differences in hardware configuration.

Drive Letters and the %SystemRoot% Folder

For a complete migration to work correctly, the %SystemRoot% folder (the Windows folder in Windows XP) and the drive letters for any (target) volumes that contain a system-state component must be the same on both the source computer and the destination computer. This means that if the source computer has, for example, Windows XP Professional installed in the C:Windows folder and has Active Directory (NTDS) and SYSVOL on separate drives, drive D and drive E respectively, the destination computer must have Windows XP pre-installed in a C:Windows folder and contain drives D and E before the restore operation can succeed.

Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL)

The HALs on both of the computers should be the same. This means that the source and destination computers should be using the same HAL type to achieve favorable results. Although this is not a requirement, the computer may not perform migration properly if the HALs do not match.

To determine the type of HAL that you are using on each computer:

The WindowsRepair Folder

The WindowsRepair folder that contains your source computer hardware and software configuration files and the Setup.log file may not be valid for the new hardware on the destination computer to which you restored them. You should perform an in-place upgrade on the destination computer to update these files so that you can make the appropriate repairs in the future if necessary.

NTFS Volumes

You may need to start special filter drivers before you can restore files that contain reparse points to NTFS volumes. This means that before you can restore these types of files, you need to restart the computer after you restore the operating system. Examples of these types of files include Remote Installation Services (RIS) images that rely on Single Instance Storage (SIS), Remote Storage Server (RSS) files that you are restoring to managed volumes, or other third-party services that use reparse points and require filter drivers.

The Procedure for Moving a Windows Installation

NOTE: The difference between the time of the backup and the time of the restoration to the new computer may affect the machine account on the domain controller. You may have to join a workgroup first, and then rejoin the domain.

For additional information about re-activation after the restore, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

For information about how to install Ntbackup on a computer that runs Windows XP Home Edition, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: