Msg: OT: Windows "brain transplant" redux

After a lengthy hiatus, I have gotten back onto that project for a relative, of trying to move a well-equipped XP from the failing hardware it still lives on, over to a *different*, a few years later but quite functional rig. (The ailing XP computer has been disconnected from the internet for years, and is not shared in any way or accessed by any risky external storage, so the security aspect is close to nil. It has some essential-to-the-user *older version* programs, and some that can never be reinstalled. In my estimation, a VM type of solution in this case would be last ditch, for several reasons. Much preferable if I can manage to pull this off as a straight-up hardware transfer.)

In my previous efforts, I got perhaps 70 % of the way to success, using Acronis . . . but the end result would only boot up in Safe Mode. This was somewhat hopeful, but also frustrating. Acronis had a lot of documentation on this "Universal Restore", so evidently the procedure is more complex than one might at first suppose. I may revisit that via-Acronis effort, depending on what else happens.

All in all, I had a field of about 6 programs that claim to be able to accomplish this feat. A couple of them have more recently been falling out of consideration. One turns out not to support XP. I went to re-image the ailing computer -- while this is still possible -- using Shadow Protect, which had become my secondary imaging program of choice, and which also claims to be able to do complete transfers of installed Windows OS onto a different computer. For whatever reason, the SP boot disk just would not boot up on the subject computer. My 2012 Acronis Media Pack boot disk, which has been my #1 "Go To" choice for a long time, boots up just fine on it. So, there is nothing wrong with the computer's optical drive. (At some point -- the 2018 or 2019 edition ? -- Acronis seems to have dropped support for "legacy" hardware, at least on its bootable media, and became UEFI-support only, a non-starter for these circumstances.)

In the last few days, I took a shot at this with Macrium Reflect, which has also been mentioned favorably by some of you. The imaging with that went well. Next I will see what their expectations and requirements happen to be, for their version of "Universal Restore." My early impression was that -- just maybe . . . ?! -- they have found ways to streamline and simplify this procedure, relative to the others and even approaching the "For Dummies" level. If so, that would be great. Whatever manages to get this project across the finish line will have my gratitude.

Jordan