Legacy Windows VM Migration
Budget: £750 – £1,500 GBP
I have a bespoke, business-critical Windows application that still lives inside a Microsoft-hosted virtual machine. Little to no documentation exists, yet the software relies on several hidden services, drivers, and add-ons that we only discover when something breaks. My primary goal is to rebuild this entire setup on a physical Windows machine, so the company is no longer dependent on a single ageing VM.
Here is what I need from you:
• Start by interrogating the VM (Windows event logs, registry, installed programs, services, scheduled tasks, network calls, IIS or COM+ if present) and produce clear, human-readable documentation of every moving part.
• Map each dependency—whether it is a database engine, a legacy DLL, a third-party driver, or a custom script—so we understand the full stack before we touch production.
• Design and execute a migration plan that recreates the environment on fresh hardware or a modern Windows Server build, validating that the application launches and all background jobs run exactly as they do today.
• Write an installation guide for future installs
I expect you to be comfortable with tools such as Sysinternals, ProcMon, Wireshark, PowerShell, and disk imaging utilities, and to explain your findings in plain English. Experience reverse-engineering in situations where source code is unavailable will be invaluable. If you have tackled “mystery” line-of-business apps before, you will know the drill: capture everything first, then lift it safely.
You will deliver:
1. A concise architecture and dependency report.
2. A fully scripted or step-by-step rebuild procedure.
3. A final verification that the physical server runs the application flawlessly.
Once this is complete, we can discuss hardening, backup, and monitoring, but phase one is all about getting the software off that fragile VM and onto solid ground.
Here is what I need from you:
• Start by interrogating the VM (Windows event logs, registry, installed programs, services, scheduled tasks, network calls, IIS or COM+ if present) and produce clear, human-readable documentation of every moving part.
• Map each dependency—whether it is a database engine, a legacy DLL, a third-party driver, or a custom script—so we understand the full stack before we touch production.
• Design and execute a migration plan that recreates the environment on fresh hardware or a modern Windows Server build, validating that the application launches and all background jobs run exactly as they do today.
• Write an installation guide for future installs
I expect you to be comfortable with tools such as Sysinternals, ProcMon, Wireshark, PowerShell, and disk imaging utilities, and to explain your findings in plain English. Experience reverse-engineering in situations where source code is unavailable will be invaluable. If you have tackled “mystery” line-of-business apps before, you will know the drill: capture everything first, then lift it safely.
You will deliver:
1. A concise architecture and dependency report.
2. A fully scripted or step-by-step rebuild procedure.
3. A final verification that the physical server runs the application flawlessly.
Once this is complete, we can discuss hardening, backup, and monitoring, but phase one is all about getting the software off that fragile VM and onto solid ground.