[SOLVED] Transferring Windows 10 settings ONLY to a new HDD.

[LauroSalvatore]

So... Apparently no one cares about settings, it's all about the files. I've been searching for hours and I can't find any solution. I just want to transfer my Windows 10 OS to a new HDD, ONLY the OS, I don't want having to redo all the settings, and I don't care about transferring the files, I wanna keep all the files in the old HDD and use the new one for apps and Windows, is there any way of doing that?

 

[USAFRet]

So... Apparently no one cares about settings, it's all about the files. I've been searching for hours and I can't find any solution. I just want to transfer my Windows 10 OS to a new HDD, ONLY the OS, I don't want having to redo all the settings, and I don't care about transferring the files, I wanna keep all the files in the old HDD and use the new one for apps and Windows, is there any way of doing that?

You can't transfer "only Windows".

You can move all your personal files to elsewhere, leaving the OS and your applications. Then, transfer that.

 

[LauroSalvatore]

You can't transfer "only Windows".

You can move all your personal files to elsewhere, leaving the OS and your applications. Then, transfer that.

Okay, I'll try to do that. But there's one thing that worries me about that. My old HDD (the one from which I wanna transfer the OS) is corrupted, it has 50 allocated sectors, this wont' affect the new HDD when I transfer the OS, right?

 

[USAFRet]

Okay, I'll try to do that. But there's one thing that worries me about that. My old HDD (the one from which I wanna transfer the OS) is corrupted, it has 50 allocated sectors, this wont' affect the new HDD when I transfer the OS, right?

It might.
If the migration process runs into a corrupt sector, it may stop.
If some of the data is corrupted, you'd just be moving corrupt data to the new drive.

Cloning/migration does not fix those issues.

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Specific steps for a successful clone operation:
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Verify the actual used space on the current drive is significantly below the size of the new SSD
Download and install Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration, if a Samsung SSD)
Power off
Disconnect ALL drives except the current C and the new SSD
Power up
Run the Macrium Reflect (or Samsung Data Migration)
Select ALL the partitions on the existing C drive
Click the 'Clone' button
Wait until it is done
When it finishes, power off
Disconnect ALL drives except for the new SSD
This is to allow the system to try to boot from ONLY the SSD
Swap the SATA cables around so that the new drive is connected to the same SATA port as the old drive
Power up, and verify the BIOS boot order
If good, continue the power up

It should boot from the new drive, just like the old drive.
Maybe reboot a time or two, just to make sure.

If it works, and it should, all is good.

Later, reconnect the old drive and wipe all partitions on it.
This will probably require the commandline diskpart function, and the clean command.

Ask questions if anything is unclear.
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[LauroSalvatore]

The thing is, after my old HDD corrupted, I've done clean reinstall of Windows a couple of times. So the reallocated sectors are not currently being used nor they are available to use, my old HDD is a 500GB HDD, but I can currently use only 420GB.

 

[LauroSalvatore]

The thing is, after my old HDD corrupted, I've done clean reinstall of Windows a couple of times. So the reallocated sectors are not currently being used nor they are available to use, my old HDD is a 500GB HDD, but I can currently use only 420GB.

Meaning, it doesn't currently possess any corrupted data, all the corrupted data has been removed from it. It only has reallocated sectors.

 

[USAFRet]

All you can do is try.
See what happens.

 

[geofelt]

There used to be an app called windows easy transfer for windows 7.
It could export your settings so you could import them on a new windows.
Unfortunately, that is not supported on 10.
But Microsoft has partnered with another vendor that seems to do the job:

Download PCmover Express for 50%!

PCmover Express is the fast and easy way to move all of your files, settings, and user profiles to your new PC.

pcmover-10.laplink.com

I might add that windows on a SSD is much better.
I will never again run windows without a ssd.
A ssd is now cheap enough.