Question Can I use my old boot drive in a new system?

Dec 28, 2022
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As the title says, I want to use my old boot drive as my boot drive in my new system. All components are different, except for the GPU and boot drive, of course.
What I’m wondering is how to go about reinstalling all of my drivers for the new system without formatting the drive and reinstalling windows, or losing programs. Would a repair installation/upgrade be sufficient for replacing all drivers and deleting the old ones? Or do I have to format the drive?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
As the title says, I want to use my old boot drive as my boot drive in my new system. All components are different, except for the GPU and boot drive, of course.
What I’m wondering is how to go about reinstalling all of my drivers for the new system without formatting the drive and reinstalling windows, or losing programs. Would a repair installation/upgrade be sufficient for replacing all drivers and deleting the old ones?
Doing this, there are 3 possible outcomes:
  1. It works just fine
  2. It fails completely
  3. It "works", but you're chasing issues for weeks/months.
I've personally seen all 3.

Now...I expect some people will be along to say "Just do it, it always works no problem"
No, it does not.

Especially the greater disparity between old an new parts.

A fresh install is always recommended, often required.

 
Dec 28, 2022
4
0
10
Doing this, there are 3 possible outcomes:
  1. It works just fine
  2. It fails completely
  3. It "works", but you're chasing issues for weeks/months.
I've personally seen all 3.

Now...I expect some people will be along to say "Just do it, it always works no problem"
No, it does not.

Especially the greater disparity between old an new parts.

A fresh install is always recommended, often required.


I see, what would be the easiest way to reinstall windows on the drive, then move all of my programs back onto it? My internet isn’t very good, so it would be a pain to download them all again, so could I copy them onto an external hdd and then move them back?
Alternatively, is there some way for me to install windows on a new boot drive, uninstall only Windows (keeping all programs and files) on the old drive, and use the old drive as a secondary drive only for programs and files?
 

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
I see, what would be the easiest way to reinstall windows on the drive, then move all of my programs back onto it? My internet isn’t very good, so it would be a pain to download them all again, so could I copy them onto an external hdd and then move them back?
No, you cannot "move all of my programs back onto it" They will need to be reinstalled as well.

Steam games can be moved around. The Steam client needs to be reinstalled.
Drivers, all your other applications, etc.

Alternatively, is there some way for me to install windows on a new boot drive, uninstall only Windows (keeping all programs and files) on the old drive, and use the old drive as a secondary drive only for programs and files?
No, not really.
The new OS will NOT work with those applications.
Nor can you "uninstall" the old OS.

You'll have a whole new system.
Bite the bullet, and do a whole OS install.
We'd all like Windows to be better at this, but it isn't.


You can try it if you want.
It might work. Keyword, might.
But do be 100% prepared for a whole new OS install.
 
Dec 28, 2022
4
0
10
No, you cannot "move all of my programs back onto it" They will need to be reinstalled as well.

Steam games can be moved around. The Steam client needs to be reinstalled.
Drivers, all your other applications, etc.


No, not really.
The new OS will NOT work with those applications.
Nor can you "uninstall" the old OS.

You'll have a whole new system.
Bite the bullet, and do a whole OS install.
We'd all like Windows to be better at this, but it isn't.


You can try it if you want.
It might work. Keyword, might.
But do be 100% prepared for a whole new OS install.

Ok, thank you for the help. Programs on my current secondary drive (which I also plan on moving) would also have to be reinstalled then, right?