Get one Windows to work on two different motherboards

Question

I use Windows 7.

I'd like to be able to move my SSD hard disk, back and forth from a Dell laptop motherboard to an MSI desktop computer motherboard, without having to reinstall every program.

From here, you can skip to the answer

I first tried just to boot with the MSI motherboard, but Windows 7 crashed with a BSOD (Blue screen of death). I let Windows 7's repair tool try to recover the startup, but it couldn't fix it. I tried installing Windows from the MSI motherboard, then booting Windows from the Dell laptop, but I got a BSOD again.

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Attempt:

I'm know asking myself if it's possible to get it working by manually swapping the startup files whenever I want to change my hard disk of computer. I can get the said startup files by making one more fresh install of Windows 7 on the Dell laptop, but I won't know which ones I should pick.

It's here I need your help: Which are the files I should copy ? i.e. Which are the files specific to the motherboard, on a Windows 7 setup ?

For sure the drivers will be different, but once I'll have installed both system drivers on my disk, it should be fine.

I read that the HAL and IDE control drivers should be re-installed, (at least for Windows XP and Windows 2000: there). So I consider backing them, and manually replacing them each time I want to change of computer.

I could find a file named hall.dll in \Windows\system32, but I could not find anything like a location for IDE file(s). Should I just backup/replace the whole system32 folder ? Maybe I should try doing two fresh installs, then using a diff tool to try to guess the filepaths I look for.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for any help in advance.

Answer 1

Use sysprep.

run>sysprep>enter>select Audit mode+tick generalize>select shutdown>select OK.

Remove HDD, place in 2nd pc and boot it up, install drivers, reboot.

Everytime you sysprep it to another machine you will need to install somedrivers (generally speaking) . Keep in mind machines that have been upgraded need a upgrade key to be removed form the reg before sysprep will run.

A simplier solution would be to follow the sysprep audit proceedure, clone the drive to another HDD using somethign like YUMI & PartitionWizardFree, and have essentially 2 identical Windows installs. Keep in mind unless you're running legal volume lisences, you will need an additional Win and possibly Office (365 provides 5 licenses) depending on the version.

Answer 2

Sysprep solution

I tried sysprep, I got good results. (I use Windows 7)

sysprep.exe is in Windows\system32\sysprep folder. The latter is reachable by typing sysprep in the windows run prompt-box (open it by pressing win+r).

Edit the register

First, in order to give to sysprep the desired behavior, you may change some keys of the register. (Using regedit):

The three keys are descendants of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.

• SkipRearm key

  Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform

  In order to avoid trial clock re-arming depletion, you'll want to set the SkipRearm key to to 1. Three re-armings are allowed. So if the key wasn't set, the fourth time you'll run sysprep, it will block and output an error whenever you eventually set the key. Warning: this key is reset after each sysprep execution. I'd get used to setting it just before I execute sysprep.

• PersistAllDeviceInstalls and DoNotCleanupNonPresentDevices keys

  Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\Sysprep\Settings\sppnp

  To keep the drivers from both motherboards installed, set the keys PersistAllDeviceInstalls and DoNotCleanupNonPresentDevices to 1 as well.

Execute Sysprep

Either double-click sysprep file to use the graphical mode or execute sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /shutdown. Let the computer poweroff.

Change your hard drive of motherboard. Start it on the other computer. The missing drivers will be installed. You will be asked to create a user account, and name your computer. (Re-?)Name your computer as you want. I suggest that you just create a fake account, then log in your original user account, and deleted the other (fake) user account.

This is it, the transfer is done. (It takes around 10 minutes once you are used to doing it).

Remarks:

• Some Windows settings are reset to default.
• If you use audit mode rather than out-of-the-box-experience mode (i.e. you replace /oobe by /audit in the command line I gave), you are automatticaly logged in an administrator account whose settings are reset at each boot. But you can still log in your account, where modifications will be kept. This behavior remains until you execute sysprep with the oobe option.

Thank you for reading, I hope this helped.