Question Cloning a Windows System Drive… Plus some Complications ?

[Dylan Beckett]

Hello

Please read this whole original post before replying, ok.

My Dad has an older PC, and the System Drive is dead.
I will be replacing it in a few months, but clearly he needs a new Windows installation until then.

I have just bought a new 500GB Samsung 2.5" 870 EVO SATA 6Gb/s SSD PN MZ-77E500BW for the temporary drive (older PC remember).

Note, that I will get a new Win 11 Retail Key (so the Windows installation should not be tied to the original PC ?)

So, I’m thinking I could install Win 11 now, then clone that entire new Win 11 System Drive using Macrium. Then later when I get him a new PC, I could restore the new clone from the 2.5” SSD, onto a totally different physical drive (probably a new NVME PCI-E 3/4), in a totally different/new PC.

Will this be ok, or is that a bad idea?



Using a clone going from one drive to another, in the same PC seems extreme enough to me (never tried it)… However, to then instead put a clone on a new drive, in an entirely new system – well that just seems like total madness (to my old school way of thinking) ?

So, what are the potential problems/fixes?



The other alternative is, that I just keep using the new Win 11 installation on the new 2.5” SSD, and just whack that as is, in the new PC.

I assume it’ll be able to auto adjust, recognise the new hardware, automatically get itself new drivers etc?


He will just be using it for office, and browsing (no games, or high end processing stuff etc).

Would that be ok, or is that a bad idea?

What would you do, and why?





Thank you for your help

 

[Ralston18]

Moving a physical drive from one computer/motherboard to another computer/motherboard is generally problematic.

Does not matter if the drive is or is not a clone of the original.

Plan for a full Windows 11 installation and a transfer of data into the new computer once the new computer is up and running and up-to-date with respect to any updates that may be pending.

 

[Dylan Beckett]

Plan for a full Windows 11 installation and a transfer of data into the new computer

Do you just mean, manually copy stuff over, or do you mean using some Windows wizard/process to do that from the old Windows drive to the new different drive?

BTW, does it make any difference if I tell you that I will get a new Win 11 Retail Key (so the Windows installation should not be tied to the original PC ?) [I've added that last part to the original post for clarity sake] ?

 

[USAFRet]

So, I’m thinking I could install Win 11 now, then clone that entire new Win 11 System Drive using Macrium. Then later when I get him a new PC, I could restore the new clone from the 2.5” SSD, onto a totally different physical drive (probably a new NVME PCI-E 3/4), in a totally different/new PC.

Will this be ok, or is that a bad idea?

1. More or less good idea.
Cloning to a new drive within the same system, generally no problem.


2. Bad idea.
Moving a clone (or even the physical drive) to a whole new system, completely bad idea.
The license key is not the issue, but rather the actual install.

 

[USAFRet]

I assume it’ll be able to auto adjust, recognise the new hardware, automatically get itself new drivers etc?

Bzzzztttt.....wrong.
A Windows install is not modular like that.

 

[USAFRet]

My Dad has an older PC, and the System Drive is dead.
I will be replacing it in a few months, but clearly he needs a new Windows installation until then.

I have just bought a new 500GB Samsung 2.5" 870 EVO SATA 6Gb/s SSD PN MZ-77E500BW for the temporary drive (older PC remember).

Note, that I will get a new Win 11 Retail Key (so the Windows installation should not be tied to the original PC ?)

What are the actual specs of this system?
Is it natively Win 11 compatible?