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CalebStone's avatar
CalebStone
Silver Contributor
Jan 26, 2026

Copy a partition to another disk in Windows 10 without data loss?

My old Windows 10 PC will be traded in and I already bought a Windows 11 PC recently. There are a lot of the important files and apps on the c drive of Windows 10 PC. Does Windows 10 has a built-in c...
AAbner's avatar
AAbner
Iron Contributor
Jan 26, 2026

After cloning the Windows 10 system partition to another disk, attempting to use this cloned partition on a new Windows 11 computer will likely encounter compatibility issues, preventing it from functioning correctly. Below are the specific problems and optimal solutions, focusing entirely on the requirement to copy a partition to another disk.

Primary Compatibility Issues

The cloned Windows 10 system partition contains the original computer's hardware drivers. However, the new Windows 11 computer features different hardware configurations, leading to driver incompatibilities:

  • New chipset drivers must be installed, as the original drivers cannot support the new motherboard.

  • Different graphics card (GPU) models may cause display anomalies with the original GPU drivers.

  • Incompatible hardware drivers for network adapters, storage controllers, etc., may result in connectivity failures or disk recognition errors.

Windows system licences are typically tied to the original computer's motherboard. After cloning the system partition to a new Windows 11 computer:

  • The original Windows 10 authorisation cannot be activated on the new hardware, potentially leaving the system in an unactivated state.

  • Reactivation of the system will be required. If the authorisation is of the OEM-bound type, it may not be reusable, necessitating the purchase of an additional licence.

Optimal Solution 

Prioritise the approach of ‘Performing a Fresh Installation of Windows 11 + Cloning Only the File Partition’ to avoid compatibility issues.

  • Clone only the data partition: Utilise tools to isolate the data partition containing vital files, documents, media, etc., from the C drive of your Windows 10 computer, then replicate it onto another disk, omitting the cloning of the system partition.

  • Fresh install of Windows 11 on new hardware: On a new Windows 11 machine, format the target disk before performing a clean installation of genuine Windows 11, ensuring full compatibility with the new hardware.

  • Migrate cloned files: Connect the partition containing files previously copied to another disk to the new computer via data cable or disk interface, then batch-copy files to the new system.

  • Reinstall applications: Within the new Windows 11 system, download and install required applications anew to avoid compatibility and operational issues arising from direct application migration.

This approach fulfils the data backup requirement by copying a partition to another disk, while also ensuring the stability and compatibility of the new computer system and circumventing various issues such as driver mismatches and licensing conflicts.

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