[SOLVED] How do i move a drive with windows already installed on it, to a new pc?

Jun 18, 2021
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I have an SSD with windows installed on it, and i got a new mo-bo, cpu and new ram. I cant bother downloading windows from scratch again, because i have files on it. Is there a way that i can move that ssd with the OS on, and still keep my
data?

Or even better if i can do it without having to use a pc, because i have disassembled it, and it takes some time to assemble it again.
 
Solution
And already having files you want to keep on the old Windows build is not a good excuse for skipping the fresh Windows build, either. You should never lose important data after a full wipe because important data should be backed up all the time and ideally in multiple places. If a Windows install would cause you to lose anything, you have a serious data maintenance issue that's far more important to remedy than using a new computer.

USAFRet

Titan
Moderator
I have an SSD with windows installed on it, and i got a new mo-bo, cpu and new ram. I cant bother downloading windows from scratch again, because i have files on it. Is there a way that i can move that ssd with the OS on, and still keep my
data?

Or even better if i can do it without having to use a pc, because i have disassembled it, and it takes some time to assemble it again.
Mostly, you don't.

New PC, a fresh install is strongly recommended, usually required.
Especially if the old and new systems are significantly different.

Basically, 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.

We've seen all three.
 
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DSzymborski

Curmudgeon Pursuivant
Moderator
And already having files you want to keep on the old Windows build is not a good excuse for skipping the fresh Windows build, either. You should never lose important data after a full wipe because important data should be backed up all the time and ideally in multiple places. If a Windows install would cause you to lose anything, you have a serious data maintenance issue that's far more important to remedy than using a new computer.
 
Solution