Paragon Hard Disk Manager 15 Business: Features, Pricing, and Deployment Guide

Migrating Servers with Paragon Hard Disk Manager 15 Business — Step-by-step

Preparation (30–60 minutes)

1. Inventory: List source server OS, disk layout, partition scheme (MBR/GPT), virtualization target (physical, Hyper‑V, VMware), and backups.
2. Backup: Create a full backup (image) of the source system and verify integrity.
3. Download & license: Install Paragon Hard Disk Manager 15 Business on source or management machine; ensure you have admin rights and license keys.
4. Check drivers/compatibility: For physical-to-virtual (P2V) or hardware changes, note required drivers (storage, network). Ensure target hypervisor supports converted format.

Migration types & quick decision

• Replace disk in same server (HDD→SSD): Use Disk/Drive Migration (clone).
• Move OS to new hardware in same machine: Use Migrate OS (migration assistant).
• P2V (physical → Hyper‑V/VMware): Use the product’s P2V/V2V conversion tools or export to VHD/VHDX/VMDK.
• V2V (VMware ↔ Hyper‑V): Use V2V conversion features or export/import appropriate virtual disk format.

Step-by-step: Migrate OS to a new disk (typical)

1. Launch Hard Disk Manager → open the Migrate/Migrate OS wizard.
2. Select the source system partition(s) (system and any required boot partitions).
3. Select the target disk (new HDD/SSD). If smaller, enable file exclusions or automatic resizing.
4. Configure excludes (optional): remove user media or unneeded file types to fit target.
5. Enable partition alignment (recommended for SSD) and auto-resize system partition to fit.
6. Choose whether to modify the Windows boot manager (check to boot from target in the same PC; uncheck when moving to another PC).
7. Review and confirm operations; choose “apply immediately” or schedule/apply later.
8. Wait for migration to complete; reboot and select the target disk as boot device (or swap physical drives).
9. Verify boot, device drivers, and application functionality. Restore any excluded files as needed.

Step-by-step: Physical → Hyper‑V (P2V) (typical)

1. Create a full backup image of the physical server.
2. From Hard Disk Manager, select “Convert to virtual disk” or use the P2V wizard; choose target format (VHD/VHDX).
3. Select source volumes to include (system + boot partitions).
4. Configure conversion options: shrink/resize partitions, exclude files, and set target virtual disk size.
5. Optionally inject or enable Hyper‑V integration drivers if available.
6. Save the virtual disk file to a location accessible to the Hyper‑V host (network share or direct copy).
7. Create a new VM in Hyper‑V and attach the converted VHD/VHDX as the boot disk. Configure CPU/RAM/network.
8. Boot the VM into Safe Mode if first boot issues occur, install/update VM drivers, then reboot normally.
9. Test services, network settings, and licensing (Windows may request re‑activation).

Post-migration checklist

• Confirm system boots reliably from new disk/VM.
• Update storage/network drivers and VM integration tools.
• Check event logs and application/service status.
• Reconfigure backup jobs and monitoring to point at the new host/disk.
• Keep source system/backup for a rollback window (24–72 hours) before decommissioning.

Troubleshooting (common causes & fixes)

• Boot failure: ensure correct boot partition/EFI/MBR was migrated; toggle boot manager option or repair with Windows Recovery/bootrec.
• Drivers missing: boot into Safe Mode, install correct storage/network drivers or integration services.
• Target too small: re-run migration with excludes or resize partitions during conversion.
• Activation issues: Windows may require re-activation after hardware changes—follow Microsoft activation flow.

If you want, I can produce a single-page checklist tailored to your exact source OS, disk sizes, and target (physical/HV type).