ISO guide for migrating to a new PC

Dave,

Handler said:

I'm under the impression that if I backup my C:\%HOMEPATH%\*.* and then reinstall app on my new PC then restore the backup. I'd be good, yeah?

No.
- First of all, its path is %HOMEPATH% not C:\%HOMEPATH% - By the way, %HOMEPATH% is the same as C:\Users\%UserName% and the same as %UserProfile%
- More fundamentally, you can transfer specific subfolders of %HOMEPATH% to your new computer but not the whole lot. Trying to do the whole lot will corrupt the user account on the new computer.
- Within %HOMEPATH% you'll have these [by default, they are all changeable] and they are suitable for copying across: %HOMEPATH%\Desktop, %HOMEPATH%\Documents, %HOMEPATH%\Music, %HOMEPATH%\Videos, %HOMEPATH%\Pictures, %HOMEPATH%\Favorites
- There are others that might contain customised entries you have put there over the years e.g. C:\Users\%UserName%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo

Handler said:

I'll now have the ability to store image backups. It'd been nice to have an image for this but didn't have the facilities to house it all.

System images, like all backups, need to be saved to external drives if they are to survive any catastrophe that might befall the computer.

As others have said above, you could achieve your transfer by restoring a system image to your new computer or swapping drives around the place but how perfect those steps would be I do not know [I have not studied the subject sufficiently].
You should, at the very least, prepare the new computer by backing up its drivers in case you have trouble after the transfer.
Backup and Restore Device Drivers - TenForumsTutorials
Personally, I'd make a system image of it before starting anything at all on it.

Denis

---

Macrium Reflect [free edition] is often recommended in this forum for making system images. Other utilities are available but this one is so commonplace that you can get plenty of help for it.

Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect - TenForumsTutorials
Macrium Software Macrium Reflect Free
Macrium USB - TenForums
Macrium Reflect KnowledgeBase - user guide [version-independent link]

It can also make bootable system images. This facility is called viBoot and it requires Win10 Pro.
Macrium viBoot - Macrium KB
Macrium viBoot - Create Virtual Machine using Macrium Image - TenForumsTutorials