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Windows Home Server hardware swap

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  • 30-01-2013 1:56pm
    #1
    Gryphonboy
    Registered Users Posts: 91 ✭✭


    Hi,

    I'm replacing my HP Mediasmart ex845 server with the ex945.
    My question is whether it would be possible to take the 4 hard drives (OS and data partitions), pop them in the new box and have Windows Homeserver sort itself out driver wise?

    Basically I'm trying to avoid having to do a clean install.


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    #2
    platinums
    Registered Users Posts: 757 ✭✭✭platinums


    You could try it. Windows can just re-install the drivers but this can be flaky.

    You must make sure that you use the same HDD Controller Driver. Either AHCI or IDE.
    This must match both on both systems and is usually set in the BIOS. You can also find out what it is set to by going to the BIOS.

    Honestly though, this is not a reccommended way to go about things and there's a good chance you will give yourself more of a headache than just doing a fresh install of windows.
    There are more Pro's to a fresh install like a faster system and you wont be bringing any hidden problems to the new computer.

    If you wanted to be clever and what I would do is fresh install and
    - run the other computer in a vm on the new one UNTIL i phased it out and had transferred all of my files and settings etc.
    - if I didnt need to access programs installed on the other computer, just install the hard drive as an additional drive in the new computer and access the files through "My Computer"

    As you have 4 drives to move across, were these configured in a RAID at all?


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    #3
    Gryphonboy
    Registered Users Posts: 91 ✭✭Gryphonboy


    platinums wrote: »
    As you have 4 drives to move across, were these configured in a RAID at all?

    I don't think so. I think windows home server uses a now defunct MS tech called drive extender

    http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/07/windows-home-server-is-dead-but-we-shouldnt-mourn-it/


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