Use VM to migrate stuff from old computer to new? - Stupid computer trick or not-terrible idea?

[That_Guy]

My current desktop is ~6 years old, and in need of replacement. New desktop is in the works and will be done... eventually.
Problem is current desktop has a crapload of stuff on it and there's simply no way I can get everything shifted over quickly. Nothing big data wise - That's all on the NAS. What needs moving is a pile of installed programs half of which I probably don't even remember, settings for various things and yet more things I can't remember. A gradual move with both up and running for however long it takes looks like the way to go.

The cunning plan:

1. Get New computer running in a usable state. (Win 10 pro, same as now.)
2. Use Hyper-V P2V to create a .vhdx that will be run as a virtual machine on New computer with Windows Hyper-V.
3. Use Vm for stuff that's still only on it, while setting up everything in parallel on the new computer and shifting usage over to it.
4. When I'm sure I've got everything, Shut down the VM and store it on the NAS so I still have it for that one important thing I forgot.

I've test-run this on the current computer by grabbing an image off an old beater laptop I have lying around. Got it talking to internet, local network and the NAS. Seems to work. New computer will have piles of ram and plenty of processor speed so running current-computer-VM shouldn't be a problem. No video card or usb passthrough is expected, and shouldn't be needed. NAS will be used for moving any data from one to the other.

Three questions - First, do Asus Rog strix Z790 motherboard bios' support virtualization? I'm about 95% sure yes, the bios manuals reference it generally but don't explicitly state that any particular one does. Obviously this would be a problem if whatever I get doesn't.

Second, Any trouble with using the current Windows product key to re-register the VM? (This is the one thing I haven't tried with the test-run VM.) I don't plan on running the original hardware install after the VM is started up so the same key won't be seen in two places at once. New computer has a new OEM key waiting for it.

Third, anything I'm missing here and/or is this just a really dumb idea? I'll wait until you're done with the pointing and laughing. Thanks for slogging through this whole thing.

Edit: I cannot spell.

 

[Spasticus Autisticus]

Why not just copy your user’s AppData folder over? That should take care of most settings for your programs. Make a list of all the programs you need to install, copy AppData over and that should be enough. Otherwise, another less complicated option would be to make an image of the drive and mirror it onto your new computer’s drive. Back in the day I would have used Norton Ghost for that but I don’t know what utility is current. Virtualization works on practically all new hardware now so that shouldn’t be an issue. I wouldn’t bother with activating a VM, activating will just stop the watermark and let you customize the theme.

 

[Alex Yiik]

Last time I moved to a new Windows installation, I bought a new SSD to make my main boot drive and kept the old one plugged in. I didn't ever expect to boot into it anymore, but I kept it as backup so I could pull files from it and see what I had installed. If I overlooked something in the move to the new install, I copied it from the old drive or reinstalled it from the Internet. After a while I wiped the old SSD to have extra space for games.

Keeping the old drive in its entirety means you haven't lost anything, and you can wait as long as you feel comfortable before declaring it unneeded and wiping it. I actually just did this recently for my new build that I made two and a half years ago. I just couldn't let go of that Windows 7 boot partition.

 

[attractive_pneumonia]

Why are you over thinking this? Just clone the hard drive to a new one on the new box. It will be a 1:1 copy but with extra space and should boot your current OS install as if nothing had ever changed.

 

[That_Guy]

Part of the trouble is, I definitely don't want a 1:1 copy of what I have now.

The current setup is a mess. Crap installed on three separate disks, stuff's acting weird (EX: Bluetooth works every 2nd boot, when it doesn't autostart on boot and then has the troubleshooter run on it for twenty minutes to get it going.) I want to throw the whole mess out and do a clean reinstall of everything I still use from the OS up without dragging a bunch of other junk over along with it AND have it available to use as-is until I get everything re-installed and working on the new system. Web browser/bookmarks? can be up and running in ten minutes, No problem. Thunderbird? I'll want to keep using it while I figure out how to archive all the old emails and stash them somewhere, Then move the newer stuff and the mail account config info all in one shot. I'll be able to figure out how to do it, but can't do it right away. So I'd like to keep that kind of thing running for a while. Other stuff hasn't been updated in ages and may have issues when it is. Keeping the old version still working means at least something still works. Lots of things like that.

I know it's probably definitely not the best or simplest way to do things. I'm looking for something that works and gives me time to switch over from the rat's nest I've currently got to a new clean setup a bit at a time while keeping what I've got now usable until that's done. I'm not looking for great, or even good. Good enough and works until I'm done getting the new Windows install setup and everything on that working is the aim. Aside from this just being a hassle in general are there any landmines I'm about to step on that I don't know about?

 

[Aidan]

I just use an external drive and take my time setting up a fresh install, pulling whatever I need until I'm satisfied.

 

[heil_terry]

Part of the trouble is, I definitely don't want a 1:1 copy of what I have now.

The current setup is a mess. Crap installed on three separate disks, stuff's acting weird (EX: Bluetooth works every 2nd boot, when it doesn't autostart on boot and then has the troubleshooter run on it for twenty minutes to get it going.) I want to throw the whole mess out and do a clean reinstall of everything I still use from the OS up without dragging a bunch of other junk over along with it AND have it available to use as-is until I get everything re-installed and working on the new system. Web browser/bookmarks? can be up and running in ten minutes, No problem. Thunderbird? I'll want to keep using it while I figure out how to archive all the old emails and stash them somewhere, Then move the newer stuff and the mail account config info all in one shot. I'll be able to figure out how to do it, but can't do it right away. So I'd like to keep that kind of thing running for a while. Other stuff hasn't been updated in ages and may have issues when it is. Keeping the old version still working means at least something still works. Lots of things like that.

I know it's probably definitely not the best or simplest way to do things. I'm looking for something that works and gives me time to switch over from the rat's nest I've currently got to a new clean setup a bit at a time while keeping what I've got now usable until that's done. I'm not looking for great, or even good. Good enough and works until I'm done getting the new Windows install setup and everything on that working is the aim. Aside from this just being a hassle in general are there any landmines I'm about to step on that I don't know about?

Check if windows didn't install your bootloader on separate drive and try using winget on new install

 

[Flaming Dumpster]

Check it windows didn't install your bootloader on separate drive and try using winget on new install

This is good advice. Windows' logic for where to locate the boot partition is kinda retarded and there's basically no way to customize it from the installer or even figure out what it did until you're in the OS.

Basically from what I've seen it does the following
1. Check for any existing Windows boot partitions and if one is present, use it (even if it's on another drive); or
2. Find the first fixed drive with sufficient unallocated space for a boot partition, whether or not it's the drive that you intend to install Windows on

Often times you'll only find out that Windows chose to install the boot partition somewhere dumb when you remove that drive an find your system suddenly unbootable. Nowadays I remove all additional drives before installing Windows.

 

[No Memory]

Nowadays I remove all additional drives before installing Windows.

If that happens I just use a Linux live cd to install grub bootloader. I think I always end up with a bootloader on every drive eventually, and then it Just Werx

 

[Overly Serious]

You've explained why you want to do this, but I think your chosen solution is filled with gotchas. I'm not convinced just copying everything over to a Windows VM will result in a seamless case of things working on the new VM.

My suggestion, buy a cheap KVM switch, run both computers next to each other and you can swap between which one you're using at the press of a button without swapping keyboard, mouse or monitor.


This will give you the change-over grace period you need. And whilst in that transition period, create a network share from the original desktop so that files can be easily accessed from the new system enabling you to begin the transition. Though you say you have a NAS so may not be as important. Anyway, this should meet your needs better, imo, than the VM solution which I anticipate hiccups with. Not that it's necessarily a bad idea but I find mine simpler.

 

[That_Guy]

Thanks for all the advice, Everyone. I'll probably end up using a KVM switch after the VM idea blows up in my face. It will be a while, But I'll drop an update in here once once thing or another is actually working.

 

[Lord Cat Tree Stump]

Disk2VHD will work but there is something cathartic about a fresh install.

 

[analrapist]

First, do Asus Rog strix Z790 motherboard bios' support virtualization?

This is several tiers up from my Asus board. The only virtualization support some lack is just weird stuff for efficiency. Worst-case scenario is that your VM runs slower. NBD, especially for your usecase.

Second, Any trouble with using the current Windows product key to re-register the VM? (This is the one thing I haven't tried with the test-run VM.)

I've done similar. Just keep the VM from Internet and you should be fine.

Third, anything I'm missing here and/or is this just a really dumb idea?

Nah, it's convenient. I've done similar. I often do data recovery for friends. I'll pull an image, VM into it, see what's up, and sometimes I'll recommit that change to the replacement drive.

 

[Flaming Dumpster]

Second, Any trouble with using the current Windows product key to re-register the VM? (This is the one thing I haven't tried with the test-run VM.) I don't plan on running the original hardware install after the VM is started up so the same key won't be seen in two places at once. New computer has a new OEM key waiting for it.

You can activate retail keys multiple times. If it's OEM then it probably won't work and you'll have to consult alternatives such as massgrave.dev (which is apparently safe to use if you're a giant faggot)

 

[Ghostface Killah]

I remember my days of being poor and not having backup harddrives.

 

[That_Guy]

I've got backup space coming out my ears. I'm trying to keep access to the old (current) computer - As a running OS, Not just a directory full of of files. And get going with the new one with a fresh Windows install without having to cram two cases onto my desk at once. Hopefully turn the old one into a VM and run it on the new one instead of having to keep the hardware side of it around. It'll work or it won't. Either way everyone finds out, and everyone who's not me might be entertained.

 

[Smaug's Smokey Hole 2]

You can activate retail keys multiple times. If it's OEM then it probably won't work and you'll have to consult alternatives such as massgrave.dev (which is apparently safe to use if you're a giant faggot)
View attachment 5069258

OEM keys work for retail installs if you're upgrading to Microsofts most desired version. They don't want you on 7 or 8.
Using a OEM Win7 key to install Win7 on a new computer used to work fine, don't know about now, previously it just needed phone activation(meaning you call a number and enter a long code and get a code back).

 

[That_Guy]

So, long time no update - Was busy doing insane watercooling things.

TL,DR: New computer up and running, old accessible via remote desktop.

The long version: Disk2vhd is a wonderful program that does everything I want as long as it's not asked to do it to more than 127GB. Oops. Missed that bit. Eventually realized what the problem was, then off to the search for alternatives. Couldn't find anything else that would spit out a usable .vhdx instead of insisting on talking to the manager hypervisor and feeding it a file. Wasn't going to stop and learn how to get all that running for a one-off. So now it's in another room being noisy by itself with a piece of cat-5 jammed up it's rear to keep it company.

The new computer is amazingly quiet. I hadn't really noticed how noisy the old one had gotten. Going to have to do some screwing around to get it controlling fan speeds off coolant temperature, But I can stand to fiddle them manually for a while.

The most A fairly important part: An i9-13900K does absolute wonders for the framerate in Dwarf Fortress. Haven't yet fired up anything heavy on graphics to see how that looks but it's definitely on the to-do list.

The most important part is all you guys. Thanks for the advice, it was worth an absolute fortune in both time and trouble. Things didn't go quite the way I hoped, but they did eventually go somewhere successful. Stuff's working, cool and quiet. And FAST.

This seems like a nice place for this. (At least the title fits)

Link

 

[Myzsterious Mizster Jones]

The long version: Disk2vhd is a wonderful program that does everything I want as long as it's not asked to do it to more than 127GB. Oops. Missed that bit. Eventually realized what the problem was, then off to the search for alternatives. Couldn't find anything else that would spit out a usable .vhdx instead of insisting on talking to the manager hypervisor and feeding it a file. Wasn't going to stop and learn how to get all that running for a one-off. So now it's in another room being noisy by itself with a piece of cat-5 jammed up it's rear to keep it company.

Ah, yeah- I've followed this same process before, although with two machines I was retiring and didn't actually think I would need to access data from. I don't think I've ever booted them beyond a smoke test to check that they would.

I ended up just uninstalling any totally unnecessary crap from those machines and shrinking my system partitions on those machines to get them under 128 gb.

I believe the generally understood _sensible_ thing to do is to use an offline drive imaging tool like Clonezilla to make an backup to a backup drive, then boot up your VM with offline imaging tool as the boot media and use it to restore the backup to a new VHD. Arguably, not as 'simple', but it has the advantage of working.
(Reading about this again, it seems like there's even a version that lets you do the data transfer over the network- pretty cool)

 

[SJW]

I use a VM-based approach for nearly everything, though I start with VMs rather than trying to archive an old machine. I do this to keep my work shit completely separate from my personal shit. Every VM lives on its own external thunderbolt drive. If I have a hardware problem, I’m back up and running any of my VMs on a new machine in however long it takes to install a minimal OS and hypervisor. Also great if I have to use someone else’s machine; connect my drive, start the VM, do what I want to do, and leave no trace when I’m done.