Is it possible to migrate and restore Windows Server 2016 to dissimilar hardware?

When your Windows Server computer is very old or experiencing some hardware problems, you may want to upgrade to a new server. There is no need to reinstall the Windows Server system and transfer the data as Windows Server 2016 can be migrated to other dissimilar hardware along with the data.

Since it is new hardware, you have to consider a lot of things like drive problems. Fortunately, Windows Server Backup has Bare Metal Recovery which allows you to restore the Windows Server 2016 backup image to new hardware.

So, you first need to create a bare metal backupand then restore the backup to the new hardware. Apart from updating the server hardware, you can also use this method to quickly recover from the following problems: hardware failure, system crash, computer theft and human error, etc.

Windows Server 2016 Restore to New Different Hardware – Windows Server Backup

Windows Server Backup is not pre-installed on Windows Server 2012/2016/2019, so you need to install it from Server Manager first. After installation, go to Windows Backup Server and follow the wizard to create a full backup. When choosing the data backed up, you need to select ‘Bare metal recovery’.

Warning: If the Windows Server Backup service is missing during installation, please follow the link guide provided to restore it.

Detailed guide for migrating Windows Server 2016 to new hardware

Step 1. After the backup is complete, boot the new server computer witha Windows Server 2016 installation disc. Select ‘Repair your computer’ in the lower left corner instead of Install now.

Step 2. Select Troubleshoot> Advanced Options> System Image Recovery.

Step 3. On the Computer Re-Imaging Screen, select the available system image to restore.

The reset process will usually take a few hours. In the next, you can boot the new machine and Windows Server 2016 system, the installed settings and programs are the same as the old machine.

Windows Server 2016 Bare Metal Recovery could not be completed

However, there are some cases where Windows Server 2016/2019 migration will fail from this method:

1. System recovery fails due to EFI / BIOS. Windows Server cannot restore a system image to a computer with different firmware.

2. Windows Server won’t start if you want to restore to hard drive with different partition style.

So, you have to make sure that the new hardware computer must have the same firmware and hard drive initialized with the same partition style. Most recent server computers, not all, support UEFI and are compatible with the legacy boot mode of the BIOS. You can boot into BIOS to change it and convert hard drive partition style to MBR or GPT.

If you find this too annoying, you can use advanced software to easily move Windows Server 2016 to new hardware. AOMEI Backupper’s Universal Restore feature allows you to restore Windows Server 2016 to computer with dissimilar hardware.

Advanced way to restore Windows Server 2016 to dissimilar hardware

AOMEI Backupper Serveris reliable backup and restore software that allows you to migrate Windows Server 2016/2019 to new computer with different hardware in this case. With its Universal Restore feature, you can restore system image to dissimilar hardware regardless of firmware and partition style.

Additionally, the software earns a reputation for its powerful features and easy-to-use user interface. All you need is just 3 steps: create a full backup image -> create a bootable disk (USB or CD) -> restore the image to a new server machine and things will be done. Why don’t you download its free trial version and give it a try?

Preparation – backup before recovery:

Backup is the basis of recovery. Therefore, you need to create a backup for Windows Server 2016 first. You can backup system or disk backup. Then, create a bootable USB drive or CD. Install and run AOMEI Backupper Server edition.

Step by step guide: recovering Windows Server 2016 to dissimilar hardware

Step 1. Use AOMEI Backupper Bootable Disk or PXE Boot Tool to boot the target Windows Server computer.

Step 2. When the full interface of AOMEI Backupper loads, click Restore, then click Select Image File to select the previously prepared backup image.

Step 3. Click Share or NAS to add the network location for backup.

Step 4. Click Add Network Location, type the name, path, username, password and click OK to connect the path, then select the image in the network share or NAS path.

Step 5. Select to restore the entire backup or a partition and click Next.

Step 6. Select the destination disk on the new hardware to restore the system image, then click Next.

Step 7. Make sure the Universal Restore option is selected. Then click Start Recovery to begin migrating Windows Server 2016/2019 to the new hardware.

Besides restoring Windows Server 2016 to dissimilar hardware, you can also use the functions like Disk Clone, System Clone and File Sync of AOMEI Backupper to transfer and protect your data.