How to Transfer Windows 10 to a New Computer with Different Hardware?

Key Takeaways: These are the main points or important insights to remember from a given text or discussion. In essence, they summarize the crucial information that one should take away after reading or listening to the content.

• Obtain a seamless method to transfer Windows 10 to a new computer with different hardware.
• Determine which Windows 10 license is eligible for moving.
• Utilize the "Universal Restore" function of the Todo Backup tool, allowing you to restore Windows images to another computer with dissimilar hardware.
• Activate Windows 10 after completing the migration process.

Quick Navigation:

Wondering How to Move Windows 10 to a New Computer with Different Hardware?
Can I Transfer my Windows 10 License to Another Computer?
How to Transfer Windows 10 to a New Computer with Different Hardware?
Reactivate Windows 10 After Migration
Frequently Asked Questions on Migrating Windows 10 to a New Computer

Wondering How to Move Windows 10 to a New Computer with Different Hardware?

Are you looking for a method to transfer Windows 10 to a new computer with different hardware? Perhaps you're upgrading to a new machine and wish to avoid re-installing everything from the beginning. Or maybe you're encountering issues with your current system and desire a fresh start on new hardware.

Regardless of the reason, it's relatively straightforward to migrate your Windows 10 installation to a new machine, provided you take the necessary steps to address the hardware compatibility issue outlined in this article.

Can I Transfer my Windows 10 License to Another Computer?

Yes, you can transfer a Windows 10 license to another computer. However, it's essential to verify the operating system types beforehand.

View license details:

When transitioning a Windows 10 license to another computer, there are three categories to consider: OEM, Retail, and Volume.

• OEM licenses are bound to the computer's motherboard and cannot be transferred to another device.
• Retail licenses can be transferred, but this can only occur once every 90 days.
• Volume licenses can be transferred provided the computer remains within the same Active Directory domain.

How to Determine if Your Windows 10 Edition is OEM, Retail, or Volume?

1. Search for "Command Prompt" in the Start menu and click "Run as administrator" to launch it.

2. Type the command line: slmgr /dli, and then press the Enter key.

3. You will see the Windows Script Host. Look at the Description line and check the license type.

How to Transfer Windows 10 to a New Computer with Different Hardware?

To move Windows 10 to a new computer with different hardware, you can utilize a backup and restore software like Todo Backup.

Todo Backup is a secure and recommended software by TechRadar. It allows you to create a system image of Windows 10 on a USB drive, restore your backups to another PC using the user-friendly "Universal Restore" feature, and create a bootable media to boot your computer.

On the new device, you can set up an automatic backup to safeguard your data.

Download Todo Backup on a Windows 10 computer:

Step 1. Launch Todo Backup on your computer, and click Create Backup on the home screen. Then, hit the big question mark to select backup contents.

Step 2. To back up your Windows operating system, click "OS" to start the backup task.

Step 3. Your Windows operating system information and all system-related files and partitions will be selected automatically, so there's no need for manual selection here. Next, click the highlighted area to choose where to save your system image backup.

Step 4. The backup location can be another local drive on your computer, an external hard drive, network, cloud, or NAS. Generally, we recommend using an external physical drive or cloud to store the system backup files.

Step 5. If interested, you can access customization settings such as enabling an automatic backup schedule for daily, weekly, monthly intervals, or upon specific events, as well as creating differential and incremental backups by clicking on the Options button. Once ready, click "Backup Now". The Windows system backup process will commence. Upon completion, the finished backup task will be displayed on the left side in a card format.

* To perform system recovery on a non-bootable machine, try to boot the computer using the Todo Backup emergency disk.

Step 1. Launch Todo Backup, and click "Browse to Recover".

Step 2. Navigate to your backup destination and select the system backup file you need. (The backup file created by Todo Backup tools is a PBD file.)

Step 3. Select the recovery disk. Ensure that the partition style of the source disk and the recovery disk are identical.

Step 4. Customize the disk layout as per your requirement. Then, click "Proceed" to initiate system backup recovery.

Top 5 Universal Restore Tools for Restoring System to Different Hardware

What is universal restore software? This article introduces five top universal restore utilities that enable you to restore system image backups to dissimilar hardware.

Reactivate Windows 10 After Migration

Since another computer is already utilizing the Windows 10 license, you will need to reactivate it on the new PC.

"How to Reactivate Windows 10"

Sign in with the same Microsoft account you used on the previous computer - Click Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Add an account.

Login with the same account, and begin activating the license.

Frequently Asked Questions: Migrating to Windows 10 on a New Computer

1. Can I transfer Windows 10 to another computer?

Yes, you can. Here's how:

If you're currently using Windows 10 on your PC and plan to upgrade to a new one, you don't need to purchase a new copy of Windows. You can transfer your existing license to your new PC. Here's how:

1. On your current PC, open Settings > Update & Security > Activation.

2. Under "Switch to a different product key," click the link and enter the product key for your new copy of Windows.

3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the activation.

4. On your new PC, open Settings > Update & Security > Activation, and then select Change Product Key.

5. Enter the product key you used to activate Windows on your current PC, and then follow the prompts.

6. After completing these steps, Windows will be activated on your new device.

2. Can I install Windows on one hard drive and then use it on another computer?

The straightforward answer is no. It is not possible to install Windows on a hard drive and then use it on another computer. This is because every computer has its distinct hardware setup. During the installation of Windows, it generates configuration files tailored to the specific hardware of your computer. These files instruct Windows on how to communicate with your computer's components, and they are not compatible with another computer.

3. Can I insert my old hard drive into my new computer and have it working without reinstalling Windows?

The answer is perhaps. It depends on several factors, such as the operating system that was on the old hard drive, whether your new computer has identical hardware, and if the old hard drive is still operational.

4. Can I transfer my SSD with the installed operating system and programs to another computer?

The answer is yes, you can move your SSD with the installed operating system and programs to another computer. However, there are a few considerations to bear in mind when undertaking this process:

1. Ensure that the new computer is compatible with the SSD. 2. Install the SSD onto the new computer. 3. Reinstall any programs that were previously on the SSD.