How to transfer Windows 10 to new computer with everything untouched

Transferring Windows 10 from an old computer to a new one can seem straightforward with the built-in backup and restore feature, but there are some disadvantages and potential hiccups you might want to consider before diving in. 

Disadvantages:

1. Hardware Compatibility Issues: One of the biggest challenges is that the new computer's hardware might not play nicely with the old system image. Drivers for your old machine could be completely wrong for your new one. You might end up dealing with crashes or performance issues until you can sort it out.

2. Activation Problems: Although you should be able to enter the old product key once you've set up the new machine, sometimes Windows can be a bit stubborn about activation. If your new PC has a different hardware configuration (especially the motherboard), you might need to contact Microsoft support to activate Windows.

3. Software Conflicts: Programs that worked perfectly on your old computer might not function correctly on the new one, especially if they rely on outdated drivers or specific hardware configurations. You might spend time troubleshooting compatibility issues, or worse, find that you need to reinstall many of your applications.

4. Time and Patience Required: The whole process could take longer than expected, especially if you're dealing with a lot of data or if you're doing some troubleshooting along the way. Plus, you'll need to back up and restore files, which can sometimes feel like a chore.

5. Personalization Loss: Transferring Windows 10 to new computer means you get everything as-is from the old PC, but that also includes settings and personalizations you might want to change on your new device. With a fresh start, you could clean up what you don’t need any more.

Clone the disk and restore to a new computer. You will have everything (apps, files, settings and os) being transferred seamlessly to a new computer.

Disc cloning is the process of making an exact copy of all data from the source disc to the destination disc by means of a sector-by-sector copy. Sector-by-Sector Copy is a method of copying all data (including files, filesystems, boot records, partition tables, hidden system files, etc.) from the source disc to the target disc. The core objective is to achieve a seamless replacement - the new disc can completely replace the original one without reinstalling the system or configuring drivers. That's why this is the most recommended approach to transfer Windows 10 to new computer.

The cloning process preserves the file system type, partition layout, and boot information of the source disc so that the target disc is directly recognized by the system and can be booted. The end result: the new disc seamlessly replaces the old one without reinstalling the operating system or configuring drivers.

The essence of disc cloning is byte-by-byte copying of the entire disc, enabling fast migration with zero downtime by preserving the complete system structure and data meta-information. The advantage is high efficiency and thoroughness, but it depends on the compatibility of the old and new hardware. In case of large hardware differences, it is recommended to give priority to the combined solution of system image backup and manual driver installation.

You can transfer Windows 10 to a new PC by cloning the disk of old computer (including the operating system, files, programs, settings, etc.) and copying the complete contents to the hard drive of the new computer,  this is called one-click migration. This method is fast and does not require reinstallation of the system, and is suitable for scenarios where the hardware of the old and new computers are similar (e.g., brand-name motherboards, compatible graphics card drivers).

How to Transfer/Move Windows 10 to New Computer

Step 1: After backing up the system disc (C drive) of the old computer, insert an external hard drive (capacity ≥ old system disc). Or: If the new computer has a blank hard drive installed, use it as the target disc directly.

Step 2: Open a disk clone tool, select the system drive (C drive) of the old computer in the left disc list, and click Clone. Select an external hard disc or the hard disc of the new computer in the Destination location and click Next. Tick the system reserved partitions and click Clone to start copying. When it is finished, the tool will indicate that the operation is successful and close the window.

Step 3: Turn off the old Windows 10 computer, remove the original hard drive, and install the external hard drive or new hard drive into the hard drive bay of the new computer. Connect the power and switch on the computer, enter BIOS/UEFI setup. Set the cloned hard disc as the first boot order (usually press F2/F10/Del key to enter). Save the settings and reboot, the new computer will boot from the cloned hard drive.

Step 4: Log in to your account on the old computer and check that files and programs are running correctly. If you need to activate Windows, enter the original product key.

Pros: no need to reinstall the system, fast migration, retains all personalized settings.

Disadvantages: Dependent on hardware compatibility (e.g. motherboard, graphics card driver), may lead to driver conflicts if there is a big difference between the old and new computers.

Great for: Upgrade to a new computer with similar configuration (e.g. brand-name machine for a new host of the same model).

If you encounter driver problems, you can install the corresponding drivers in the new computer. If the software is abnormal after migration, you can try to uninstall and reinstall it.

When it comes to transferring Windows 10 to new computer. Once Windows is running on your new machine, be sure to check for updates! Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and install any pending updates. Also, check the manufacturer’s website for drivers specific to your hardware. Sometimes Windows doesn't automatically grab the latest drivers out-of-the-box.

If you’re signed into a Microsoft account, your settings and apps might sync over, which is cool! But double-check that everything looks right. Sometimes it doesn’t pull over every little detail, so be prepared to tweak some settings. If you're using Microsoft Office, you’ll need to deactivate that on your old computer too. Just uninstall it from the old PC and then you can reinstall it on the new one using the same product key (if it’s a retail version). Office usually has pretty smooth activation, but keep your key handy just in case.

After you’ve transferred Windows 10 to new computer, consider doing a cleanup on the old PC. You can either reset it or wipe it if you plan to sell it or give it away.

Before you transfer Windows 10 to new computer, make sure your Windows 10 is a full retail version and not an OEM edition.  OEM versions are usually tied to the first computer they were installed on. You can check this by going to Settings > Update & Security > Activation. If it says “Windows is activated with a digital license linked to your Microsoft account,” you’re golden! To make the transfer smooth, deactivate your copy of Windows on the old machine. Open Command Prompt as an admin and type: slmgr.vbs /upk

This command uninstalls the product key. Don’t worry; this only removes the key from that PC, preserving your activation rights for the new one.

Now, install and transfer Windows 10 on your new PC, grab your new computer and get Windows 10 on it. You can use:

• A bootable USB drive (make one using the Windows Media Creation Tool)
• A fresh download from the Microsoft website (they let you download an ISO)

After you install Windows, skip entering a product key when prompted. You’ll input it later.

Once everything’s set up and you’re cozy in your new digital home, go to Settings > Update & Security > Activation. Click on “Change product key” and enter your Windows 10 product key. If everything checks out, Windows should activate in a jiffy! Now that Windows is up and running, you can restore your backed-up files from OneDrive or your external drive. Time to bring that collection of cat videos back!

You can use the built-in backup and restore feature to transfer Windows 10 to new computer (Windows 11.)

Step 1: Create a system image backup on an old computer

Press Win + S, search and open Control Panel > System and Security > Backup and Restore (Windows 7). Left-click Create a system image. Select Backup to external drive. Insert a USB/removable drive and select it as the backup location.

System files and installed programs will be ticked by default, click Next. Tick the drive to be backed up (usually the system drive C:), click Next. Enter a name for the backup set (e.g. Win10_old_computer_20250305), select the backup location and click Create Image.

The process may take a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the amount of data. Click Close when finished.

Step 2: Recover the system image to a new computer

Go to the Windows installation screen, select the language and click Next > Repair Computer. Select Troubleshooting > Recover from Drive. Click Browse, locate the external hard drive or network location where the old computer was backed up, select the system image file (.wim format) and follow the prompts to complete the recovery.

After the recovery is complete, the new computer will reboot automatically. After entering the system, you may need to enter the Windows product key from the old computer to activate it.

Step 3: Migrating user files and personalisation

After the new computer is restored, log in using the user account name and password from the old computer.

Go to C:\Users\ old user name and make sure the Documents, Pictures, Downloads, etc. folder exists.

With the above steps, you can easily transfer Windows 10 to new computer with everything, such as product key, apps and user data. If you have any other questions (such as driver installation, software conflict), please feel free to ask!