Question Can I swap my HDD to a new PC?

comander5

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May 12, 2019
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I'm getting a new PC soon, and it'd be nice to just be able to move my current HDD over to it, since data limits are a thing with my internet here. It also wouldn't be the one with my OS on it, just games and the like. Is there something specific I should do? Or is this a no-no?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Yes, it would be nice if that always worked, with no problems ever.
It doesn't.

What are the old parts and new parts?
What OS is this?

There are 3 basic possibilities when trying this:
  1. It boots up just fine
  2. It fails completely
  3. It boots up, but you're chasing issues for weeks.

I've seen all 3.
 

comander5

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May 12, 2019
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Yes, it would be nice if that always worked, with no problems ever.
It doesn't.

What are the old parts and new parts?
What OS is this?

There are 3 basic possibilities when trying this:
  1. It boots up just fine
  2. It fails completely
  3. It boots up, but you're chasing issues for weeks.
I've seen all 3.

Gotcha. I'll just have to redownload a couple games for now, and do the rest next month.
 

DSzymborski

Titan
Moderator
Yeah, Steam games are quite cooperative since you only need to install Steam itself.

What I do and find useful is to keep a flash drive with the installation files for various software that I use (and you can periodically update them when you get a chance). Then when I'm doing a full wipe on a PC, I already have most of the applications to install conveniently in one place.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Steam games specifically

Steam games location
In the steam client:
Steam
Settings
Downloads
Steam Library Folders
Add library folder
q24sFfe.png
 

DSzymborski

Titan
Moderator
I should note since it's part of the original question, that I'm also an advocate for doing it right and just fresh installing Windows 10. Things can go wrong in PCs and when you avoid the shortcuts in the first place, you make your life a lot simpler. With a swapped OS install, pretty much every problem that doesn't have an obvious solution may require a full, fresh install at some point in the process, so might as well just get that out of the way.
 

comander5

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May 12, 2019
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Would it be better/safer to just transfer the files from one PC to the other in some way? The new one will already have Windows 10 installed and all that, and my current one that I want to move just gas mostly games/programs.
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
Is there a recommended way to just transfer the games, then? Cause that would be all I'd really need.
Install Steam on your new PC.
Navigate to the SteamApps/common folder on the old drive.
It is probably under /Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common

Copy all of the subfolders of /common/ to the /common/ folder on your new drive.

Steam should then figure things out.
 

comander5

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May 12, 2019
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4,510
Install Steam on your new PC.
Navigate to the SteamApps/common folder on the old drive.
It is probably under /Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common

Copy all of the subfolders of /common/ to the /common/ folder on your new drive.

Steam should then figure things out.

Yeah, that part I understand. I mean what's the best way to go about that. The best way to move the files from one pc to the other.