Using disk image on another computer

Question

There are many desktop applications and Windows 8 applications on my Dell Inspiron 5537 I don't want to lose when I get a new computer. My current computer is holding up fine, and I won't replace it until 2018 at the earliest. If I saved everything on my hard drive as a disk image on the computer I have now and transfer the data to another computer when I get a new one, would everything on my would-be old computer work on my would-be new computer?

The storage device I plan on using for this disk image is a 1.5 TB portable USB hard drive from Seagate. It has been tested compatible with Windows 8.

I have emailed numerous software companies about their policy on transferring the licenses from one computer to another. They said I'll have to email them about the change so they can increase the number of computers the license is valid for. Would a disk image save me that trouble of writing all those emails?

I save all my books, documents, movies, pictures, TV shows and videos to my OneDrive. I play all my music in the iTunes application through iCloud. A disk image will include those files, but will there be any issues when I my would-be new computer downloads those files from OneDrive like it usually does?

My Dell Inspiron 5537 runs Windows 8.1, and I plan on upgrading it to Windows 10 later this year. There probably will be another version of Windows by 2018, but the big idea behind this question is, if I upgrade the operating system on my Dell Inspiron 5537 to the latest version again in 2018, would everything work on the would-be new computer? I certainly don't want to find myself in a situation where my would-be new computer was downgraded to Windows 8.1.

Unless a disk image saves specific information about one particular computer that would cause problems on another, this is probably what I should do.

Answer 1

Ok, you can ask for a Microsoft badge now since you obviously work in Microsoft's strategy department.

• Who would have guessed Microsoft would make Windows Phone OS free?
• Who would have guessed Microsoft would Windows free for devices 9 inches and smaller?
• Who would have guessed Microsoft would make available a specific SKU called Windows 8.1 with Bing free to OEMs?

In addition to that, you clearly don't understand how Windows is monetized. Microsoft has a Software subscription program, its called Software Assurance that large Enterprise companies pay Microsoft for Windows Licensing every 2-3 years to maintain access to support and upgrade rights to new versions. In fact, companies paid for this years ago even when there were no new releases.

Microsoft makes most of its revenue through Enterprise licensing versus consumer software. You still don't understand what I mean by big bang either, you won't have another major revision of Windows going forward. The cadence has changed, you are still in the mindset thinking there will be a Windows 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Accept it, there won't be anymore. This was discussed officially too.

This is how Microsoft will continue to monetize Windows in both Enterprise and Consumer:

• Consumers - services, Windows Store, add ons, example, Skype, XBOX Live, maybe even options like Ad Free Outlook.
• Enterprise - Update 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, these will be released over a period of time, maybe every quarter, every year, every couple of years. If you want to access these Updates, your Software Assurance contract will have to be current, or you just won't get access to it.

Updates are not like Service Packs of the past either, as clearly evidenced by Windows 8.1 with Update 1 which introduced signicant user experience improvements such as Power options on the Start Screen.

This is the direction of Windows in the future.

Windows 10, 8.1/8.0, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000. These releases over the years have been demanding on both consumers and Enterprise IT, the upgrade threadmill takes it toll. When you look at how something like Chrome OS works, its transparent and users like it and that evidenced by the popularity of Chromebooks on amazon.com and popularity in education. Updating a Chromebook is invisible to the user.

Microsoft realizes, Windows also has to move in that direction. Its less head ache for IT, you don't end up with install bases that are running unsupported releases like Windows XP, users and even businesses are more interested in updating faster too, instead of waiting for the 'SP1' to arrive.

I am sorry this future is hard for you to accept, maybe because it also reduce the amount of forum post in the future for Install, Upgrade and Activate, but this is how an industry like this works, its ever changing. For someone like you has been in it for 50 years as you claim, I find strange you can't see this change that is coming, even when its been confirmed.

The future has changed too, even the company's CEO, Sataya said, the most important API the company has is the Office 365 API. 15 years ago, it was the Win32 API.

Answer 2

With Windows 10, this will be Microsofts last major big bang release of Windows. Any future releases of Windows will be minor and about refinements. Looking at past releases that support hardware as much as 10 years old, its likely given any future release would support current hardware or anything Windows 7 certified in 2018.

Not very likely. To kill Windows off would be financial suicide. I would expect the every 3 years cycle for a new version will still be a valid option based on hardware changes and user demand.

J W Stuart: http://www.pagestart.com

Answer 3

There are many desktop applications and Windows 8 applications on my Dell Inspiron 5537 I don't want to lose when I get a new computer. My current computer is holding up fine, and I won't replace it until 2018 at the earliest. If I saved everything on my hard drive as a disk image on the computer I have now and transfer the data to another computer when I get a new one, would everything on my would-be old computer work on my would-be new computer?

No, specifically because of the partition layout from the Dell and the drivers bundled with it would probably prevent it from booting successfully on a new computer, especially if its a different brand. However, you could give it a try, but I would at a minimum create a system image of the new computer before restoring the system image from the Dell on the new computer.

The storage device I plan on using for this disk image is a 1.5 TB portable USB hard drive from Seagate. It has been tested compatible with Windows 8.

I have emailed numerous software companies about their policy on transferring the licenses from one computer to another. They said I'll have to email them about the change so they can increase the number of computers the license is valid for. Would a disk image save me that trouble of writing all those emails?

The only way you would be in compliance is if the Dell and the new computer are running the same edition. If they are not, then that adds an issue to migrating the image to a new computer. If they are not the same, then I would not recommend it.

I save all my books, documents, movies, pictures, TV shows and videos to my OneDrive. I play all my music in the iTunes application through iCloud. A disk image will include those files, but will there be any issues when I my would-be new computer downloads those files from OneDrive like it usually does?

As long as you long in with your Microsoft Account, they would be synced to the new computer. I would as a precaution though deauthorize the iTunes account on the Dell before I start using it on the new computer.

My Dell Inspiron 5537 runs Windows 8.1, and I plan on upgrading it to Windows 10 later this year. There probably will be another version of Windows by 2018, but the big idea behind this question is, if I upgrade the operating system on my Dell Inspiron 5537 to the latest version again in 2018, would everything work on the would-be new computer? I certainly don't want to find myself in a situation where my would-be new computer was downgraded to Windows 8.1.

With Windows 10, this will be Microsofts last major big bang release of Windows. Any future releases of Windows will be minor and about refinements. Looking at past releases that support hardware as much as 10 years old, its likely given any future release would support current hardware or anything Windows 7 certified in 2018.

Unless a disk image saves specific information about one particular computer that would cause problems on another, this is probably what I should do.

Answer 4

Windows 10 has not been released yet but you should be able to directly upgrade to 10 (Data and applications) however some of your application may not be compatible with Windows 10 and may need to be upgraded, in any case perform an Image Backup just prior to upgrading to Windows 10 as a safety net in case something goes for for whatever reason.

As for 2018, that too far out to predict at this time.

If there going to be any show stopper type of problems with Windows 10 and whatever version of Windows becomes it successor it will most likely be the lack of Device Drivers for your PC.

J W Stuart: http://www.pagestart.com

Answer 5

There are many desktop applications and Windows 8 applications on my Dell Inspiron 5537 I don't want to lose when I get a new computer. My current computer is holding up fine, and I won't replace it until 2018 at the earliest. If I saved everything on my hard drive as a disk image on the computer I have now and transfer the data to another computer when I get a new one, would everything on my would-be old computer work on my would-be new computer?

The storage device I plan on using for this disk image is a 1.5 TB portable USB hard drive from Seagate. It has been tested compatible with Windows 8.

I have emailed numerous software companies about their policy on transferring the licenses from one computer to another. They said I'll have to email them about the change so they can increase the number of computers the license is valid for. Would a disk image save me that trouble of writing all those emails?

I save all my books, documents, movies, pictures, TV shows and videos to my OneDrive. I play all my music in the iTunes application through iCloud. A disk image will include those files, but will there be any issues when I my would-be new computer downloads those files from OneDrive like it usually does?

My Dell Inspiron 5537 runs Windows 8.1, and I plan on upgrading it to Windows 10 later this year. There probably will be another version of Windows by 2018, but the big idea behind this question is, if I upgrade the operating system on my Dell Inspiron 5537 to the latest version again in 2018, would everything work on the would-be new computer? I certainly don't want to find myself in a situation where my would-be new computer was downgraded to Windows 8.1.

Unless a disk image saves specific information about one particular computer that would cause problems on another, this is probably what I should do.