How to remove specific hardware profile information from within the registry that could prevent proper retargeting restore to dissimilar hardware.

Problem

How to remove specific hardware profile information from within the registry that could prevent proper retargeting restore to dissimilar hardware.

Solution

Upon reboot after performing a Restore Anyware option (RAO) retargeting restore to dissimilar hardware, a stop code or Windows boot error occurs addressing a specific piece of hardware. Please follow the steps below to remove the specific piece of hardware, and reboot to see if the system finishes the migration process.

How to remove hardware profile information within the registry that could prevent proper restore
 

1. Within the recovery environment on the system in question choose the Analyze | Open command shell  to open a Windows command prompt.
2. Type regedit.exe and press Enter.
3. Click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
4. Choose File | Load Hive
5. Navigate to the following file location C:\Windows\System32\config
NOTE: Be sure that the C system drive that was restored is selected.
6. Select the file SYSTEM
NOTE: Choose the SYSTEM file that has no file extension.
7. Click Open, when prompted enter the key name HARDWARE and click OK.
8. Click on the key HARDWARE
9. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\PCI\
10. Press CTLR-F and search for the 'name' of the type of nic / mass-storage controller or hardware you want to remove (i.e. 'Broadcom', '3COM', 'Intel', etc.)
11. When a search result it found look over the key to verify it is indeed the hardware you want to remove.
12. Right click and choose to Delete; Remove the entire key,not just its attributes.
13. Repeat steps 10-12 for any additional hardware.
14. Click on the key HARDWARE
15. Choose File | Unload Hive
16.  Exit the command prompt window.
17. Exit out of the recovery environment by clicking the EXIT link on the main menu.
18 Reboot and see if Windows redetect the hardware and/or go through PnP detection correctly to finish the migration restore.