Best way to move config from XP to Win7?

[valnar]

I want to format/install Windows 7 on my Sage Server and start over, but keep as much of my previous config as possible. I understand that a new OS will re"find" all my tuners and hardware again, so I expect some PnP things to change. That being said, is it possible to save a bulk of your Sage settings and transplant them into a new install?

Other questions:
1) Any issue with putting in a license key now that Sage is no longer around?
2) What will not work...and what will I need to re-do? (ie, will show Favorites stay, channels, etc?)
3) Any issues getting a Hauppauge HD-PVR working under Win7?

Thanks.

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by valnar

I want to format/install Windows 7 on my Sage Server and start over, but keep as much of my previous config as possible. I understand that a new OS will re"find" all my tuners and hardware again, so I expect some PnP things to change. That being said, is it possible to save a bulk of your Sage settings and transplant them into a new install?

Other questions:
1) Any issue with putting in a license key now that Sage is no longer around?

none

2) What will not work...and what will I need to re-do? (ie, will show Favorites stay, channels, etc?)

if you keep your Wiz.Bin all favorites watched status etc will remain. I recommend you setup SageTV from scratch however as device IDs might change and other setting for Windows XP might change and cause problems if you copy the properties file. So set everything up from scratch. Set up all your recording drives the same way as Windows XP so if using UNC paths make the computer name the same and the shares the same. If using mapped drives make the drive letters the same. Once you have SageTV setup and working on Windows 7 then just drop in the saved Wiz.Bin and replace the temporary that Sage setup when you installed from scratch and boot up SageTV to let it find the videos. Test it out and make sure you can playback your video and you are done. There is a plugin that will keep channels and the like the same so that can be restored but the info is stored in the properties files so you would be setting up channels from scratch again otherwise.

3) Any issues getting a Hauppauge HD-PVR working under Win7?

Not for me I have an additional complication in that I have a Virtualized Windows 7 VM with 2 HD-PVRs connected to a passed through NEC USB card in ESXi 5.0

[valnar]

Cool... Thanks.

I'll see if I can put it off until Summer. I don't want to mess with my programming. Just gathering data now. I've ran Sage on WinXP since inception.

[MattHelm]

I just did this twice in the last 6 months.

1. Make sure you have a good copy of the Win.biz. (Get it while SageTV is off, both clients and services. This is the most important file.)

2. Use Web interface to export favorites. (In case you loose the Win.biz!)

3. Export you channel list using the channel list import/export plugin. (get you channel list the easy way!!!)

4. Write down your current plugin list. (anyone know how to export this list in software??????????)

5. (get copies of any other custom code or licenses you have?)

6. Install OS.

7. Install SageTV, licenses and add Tuners. (If changing hardware, remember, you can use SageTV for 15 (14?) days without a license, so you can get up to step 8 on the new hardware while running you old server, this is what I did)

8. Import Channel list. (see 3)

9. Shutdown SageTV.

10. Overwrite the SageTV Win.biz with the win.biz above. (See 1)

11. Restart SageTV, re-add recording directories. (can't remember if the re-add is here, or after step 8)

QED

[BobPhoenix]

Originally Posted by MattHelm

I just did this twice in the last 6 months.

1. Make sure you have a good copy of the Win.biz. (Get it while SageTV is off, both clients and services. This is the most important file.)

2. Use Web interface to export favorites. (In case you loose the Win.biz!)

3. Export you channel list using the channel list import/export plugin. (get you channel list the easy way!!!)

4. Write down your current plugin list. (anyone know how to export this list in software??????????)

It's in the properties file so you could use that as a reference as to what to install.

5. (get copies of any other custom code or licenses you have?)

6. Install OS.

7. Install SageTV, licenses and add Tuners. (If changing hardware, remember, you can use SageTV for 15 (14?) days without a license, so you can get up to step 8 on the new hardware while running you old server, this is what I did)

8. Import Channel list. (see 3)

9. Shutdown SageTV.

10. Overwrite the SageTV Win.biz with the win.biz above. (See 1)

11. Restart SageTV, re-add recording directories. (can't remember if the re-add is here, or after step 8)

QED

Should be either before or after 8. If you wait until 11 to setup recording directories you risk sage getting confused and loosing the connection to old recordings. Specifically if you have any recordings from SageTV version 5 or before. Sometime around then or during version 6 they upped the number of possible airing numbers allowed before a wrap occurs. I lost sever recordings I made in 2007 when Sage said the airingID was diferent than the one in the file name. If you setup the recording directories identical to what you had before then it should keep the Wiz.Bin pointers even if the airingIDs don't match. New recordings after that change shouldn't have this problem because the airingID that Wiz.Bin has will be the same as the one in the file name of the recording. If you are using version 7 of SageTV already the listing will still show up even with recordings like this but Sage would try to record it again potentially especially if the airing isn't marked as watched.

[AtariJeff]

There are instructions posted here from the FAQ. Part of the process is to tweak your properties file to properly import the wiz.bin. I'm about to switch to a new server myself.

[wayner]

I would install drivers for all devices between step 6 and 7 above as you may not get everything installed automatically. You would want all of your tuners, IR devices, etc to be in the system properly before installing and configuring Sage.