System Image question

[Toni_16]

Hello, I want to reinstall windows 7 after changing motherboard and CPU (I got that covered with a Skylake patch) and basically I want through system restore to have all my programs and files working exactly as before. I use a 120gb SSD for my OS along with all data and programs I use except three games, which are installed on a HDD. The HDD only has the Program Files of those three games and nothing else with capacity around 110Gb. When creating the system image I choose drive C: which is the SSD. Will I need to create a system image for the HDD also in order not to reinstall those games or windows will recognise them anyway? Thank you.

 

[USAFRet]

Hello, I want to reinstall windows 7 after changing motherboard and CPU (I got that covered with a Skylake patch) and basically I want through system restore to have all my programs and files working exactly as before. I use a 120gb SSD for my OS along with all data and programs I use except three games, which are installed on a HDD. The HDD only has the Program Files of those three games and nothing else with capacity around 110Gb. When creating the system image I choose drive C: which is the SSD. Will I need to create a system image for the HDD also in order not to reinstall those games or windows will recognise them anyway? Thank you.

A System Image may not survive through a motherboard replacement.
That is no different than just changing the board with the actual SSD as it was.

 

[Toni_16]

I plan on reinstalling windows first and then using system recovery. Will that work?

 

[USAFRet]

I plan on reinstalling windows first and then using system recovery. Will that work?

No, not even a little bit.

If you do a clean install of the OS, the old 'System Recovery' image is of no consequence. You can't apply that over a new OS install.

 

[Toni_16]

What is your suggestion?

 

[USAFRet]

What is your suggestion?

This depends on where we're starting from, and where we want to end up at.

The basics:
When an application is installed, many dozens (or thousands) of entries are made in the Registry and elsewhere.
Your new OS knows nothing about this.
Overlaying a System Image from before you changed the hardware is simply restoring the old OS from before you changed the hardware.
It can't apply all those reg changes to the new OS. That's not the way it works.

So...to proceed, we need some investigation.
The games on the HDD...what platform are they? Steam? Or self installed?
What applications or games do you have installed on the SSD along with the OS?

 

[Toni_16]

All three games are self installed. On SSD I run Avast Premiere and Malware Bytes, PowerISO, OpenOffice, FoxitReader, Wondershare Filmora, BS Player, VLC player and DropBox

 

[USAFRet]

All three games are self installed. On SSD I run Avast Premiere and Malware Bytes, PowerISO, OpenOffice, FoxitReader, Wondershare Filmora, BS Player, VLC player and DropBox

Those applications on the SSD are easily reinstalled.
ninite.com does this. Select the applications you want, download the small installer exe. After the new OS install, run that exe and wait a few minutes.

The games that live on the current HDD...
After the new OS is installed on the SSD, reconnect the HDD.
Do a new install of those games on the HDD, being careful to select the exact same install location.

That probably will retain any settings and saves.
Probably.

 

[Toni_16]

About the games that would work cause I've done that before. I just wanted to know if there was a way to skip all the process of re-installing. So I guess that's out of the question. I'll use a simple backup of my files then and just re-install everything.
Thanks for your input and merry Christmas!