Question New PC Build... how to transfer Win10 from old laptop to new PC?

[Ghost_Riff]

Hey all, I'm pretty new to all this stuff but I'm building two PCs for friends and I'm wondering how best to get their Win10 OSes from their laptops onto the new nvmes I've got installed in their PCs? I know cloning is an option, but I've also seen people caution against it and say to do a clean install instead. How do I go about doing that if I want to just transfer the licenses vs buying new licenses? I'm sure people have asked this question before and there will likely be a million and one guides out there, but I'm having trouble finding anything that's not about cloning or transferring an OS from an old HDD to an SDD on the same laptop.

Any help or advice is appreciated!

 

[drivinfast247]

You don't transfer from one PC to the next. You do a fresh Windows install. Also, you're not going to transfer a license from a laptop to a desktop.

 

[onespeedbiker]

When you install Windows on a computer it determines the hardware and loads the specific drivers for that hardware, so there is no way to install cloned Windows from one PC to another, unless the PCs are identical, which is why a clean install is necessary (the manufacturer of the hardware in your new PC may also have customer drivers that will need to be installed). As far as the Windows license, unless the license is a retail version, it it likely tied to the old PC, so you will have to purchase a license for the new PC if you want Windows activated. You probably won't have to buy a full retail version as less expensive bulk licences are available, but again it won't be transferable.

As far as transferring user files, Windows has a backup up software called File History that allows you to save the personal files to a USB or external drive and transfer it to the new install.

 

[Ghost_Riff]

When you install Windows on a computer it determines the hardware and loads the specific drivers for that hardware, so there is no way to install cloned Windows from one PC to another, unless the PCs are identical, which is why a clean install is necessary (the manufacturer of the hardware in your new PC may also have customer drivers that will need to be installed). As far as the Windows license, unless the license is a retail version, it it likely tied to the old PC, so you will have to purchase a license for the new PC if you want Windows activated. You probably won't have to buy a full retail version as less expensive bulk licences are available, but again it won't be transferable.

As far as transferring user files, Windows has a backup up software called File History that allows you to save the personal files to a USB or external drive and transfer it to the new install.

Got it, thank you!

 

[Ghost_Riff]

You don't transfer from one PC to the next. You do a fresh Windows install. Also, you're not going to transfer a license from a laptop to a desktop.

Ok, that makes sense. Thank you!