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Vista Desktop no longer boots; migrating to new W/7 Proi HP system and needs help

Helping a friend who has a desktop system with Vista OS and the display died.  Then each reboot attempt failed.  He took out the hard drive and the graphics card to have them checked out.  Graphics card is fine, hard drive is being checked.  

Assuming they can get the hard drive fixed/working again; what is the best, safest way to migrate all user settings, etc., into a new HP system and not lose key settings.  He's considering an HP system 500 with Windows 7 Professional (does NOT like W/8).  Some time ago, used Windows Easy Transfer; is that the best way to go?

Thanks for your help.

":0)  Asta
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This video shows the process; and states W/7 has that option included.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP0FlKRK6-w
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Thanks, John.  Will explore further with him and present your input this weekend.  I appreciate your help, as before.
Thanks for the update and please let us know when you have presented the options.
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note that Easy transfer does not move any installed software
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Thanks to you both, and here's as far as I've gotten today.  His SATA drive is now in an external case and connected to my system to do some in-depth scans.  

I plan to visit with him next week to find out what he will do.  The existing drive, which he removed from an older HP system has the old Vista system, but a lot of key software and data so understand there's a potential loss if he cannot find the initial software and licenses to reinstall required software for his needs.  The symptoms he had was that his screen on the old HP system (maybe 8 or so years old) went black and he couldn't get it to boot any longer.  He took the drive to a service and they inserted it into another Vista system and also could not get it to boot from Vista.  At first I thought it "could"be his motherboard, but at this point probably not.  the graphics card tested fine and so far, the drive in an external USB enclosure is being checked/scanned for virus/trojan/worm, etc. and then Malware.  The drive works fine.
Unclear about the next best action.

Do you think it's the Motherboard from the symptoms so far?

If he were to try to upgrade that drive in an external case to W/7 which is still his choice vs. W/8 it would help "save" his software?

Mind-boggled, but appreciative and listening.
You really need software to reinstall it on a new system (as noted Easy Transfer will not do this, and so far as I know, not even work on Windows 8.1). Also, software evolves so that what works in Vista may well not work in Windows 8.1 (I have lots of that around) and so the software must be upgraded. If lost, it must be replaced.
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I will be meeting with him early next week to review all of this.

Thanks a ton!  Returning then.

Miles of smiles to you both
":0)  Asta
for migrating all your programs - you could use the paragon adaptive restore : http://www.paragon-software.com/technologies/components/adaptiverestore/
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Thank you;  I hope to meet with him later this week or this weekend to return with updates.
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copy the user folder from the old to the new system
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I will be there this weekend and I will report back thanks a lot for all your help
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closing, with thanks.  Did not use easy transfer, did take possession of the old SATA drive and migrated the data to his new system.  More to explore, but OK for now.