How to create and restore a system image on different PCs (Windows 10)

Are you looking for a complete guide on how to backup Windows 10 and restore system image on a different computer? On this page, we will learn how to create a system image in Windows 10/8/7 and restore it to a new PC without reinstallation.

How do you do it? Find the full guide here:

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Can I use the system image on another computer?

Is there any way to restore a system image to another computer, or move it to another drive as easily as you would a file image? Geeks will say “no.”

This is because another computer might have a different configuration, and the operating system might require certain drivers to boot that your computer might be missing, preventing it from booting successfully.

So, can you create and restore system images on incompatible computers? Absolutely! With reliable Windows backup software, it's entirely possible to migrate your operating system to a new PC.

Section 1: Preparing for a System Migration Between Different PCs

Before you make the move, there are a few things you should know and prepare for. Here's what you need to do:

1. **Confirm both the new and old computers use the same boot mode** 2. **Download Windows backup software** 3. **Prepare an external hard drive**

Notice that the aforementioned pointers are three crucial aspects that determine whether you will successfully create and restore system images on your new computer. Start following these steps now:

1. Confirm that the boot mode of the new computer is the same as the old one.

The replacement computer's motherboard must support the same boot mode as the original computer. You can check the boot mode on both computers by following these steps:

Restart your computer and press F2/F8/Del to enter BIOS > Go to the Boot menu and check the Boot Mode: <strong>Legacy</strong> or <strong>Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)</strong>.

Check the BIOS boot mode on both computers .

In short, the new computer's BIOS should boot in the same mode as your existing PC:

- File system mode: Legacy - File system mode: UEFI - File system mode: BIOS (Traditional) - File system mode: UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface)

**Important:** If your computer is too old to support UEFI boot mode, you will need to buy a new one. Most modern computers support both legacy and UEFI boot modes, so this shouldn't be an issue.

2. Download the Windows Backup software

For a professional backup tool, like tools Todo Backup, its “System Transfer” feature can come in handy. It not only backs up the system but also moves the necessary drivers so that Windows will boot properly on the new PC.

### 3. Get an external hard drive

You'll also need a large enough external hard drive to save the Windows system image, which you'll use to transfer the operating system to your new computer. Here are the steps you can follow to prepare the external drive:

Step 1: Get a large, empty external hard drive.

The external hard drive must have more capacity than the system C drive.

Step two: Open “Disk Management” and create two partitions on the external drive.

The first one is FAT32, and the second one is NTFS (larger than the system partition).

Prepare an external hard drive to transfer the system image to your new PC <img src="images/03010201/03010201-01.jpg" />

With everything in order, you're ready to begin creating and restoring Windows 10 system images on your new computer, as outlined in the following tutorials:

### 2. Tutorial: How to Create and Restore a System Image on Another Computer

Applies to: Migrate Windows 10/8/7, Windows XP, or Windows Vista without a reinstall.

This portion answers "How to create a system image in Windows 10" and "How to restore a Windows 10 backup on another computer." Follow the tutorial here to set up your current Windows installation to boot on another computer:

• #1. Backup your data
• #2. Create and restore a system image on the new computer (Windows 10)
• #3. Make the transferred system bootable on the new computer

This article will show you how to fully back up and transfer your system to another computer, using Windows 10 as an example. Let's get started!

Step 1: Back up or copy important data from the target computer to an external hard drive.

This is because the system migration process will rewrite everything on the C drive, causing data loss.

Therefore, if you have important data on the target computer system's drive, it is recommended that you back it up to an external storage device beforehand.

2. Create and Restore (Windows 10) System Image to a New Computer

Now, with Todo Backup, you can create bootable disks, system images, and restore system images to another computer without limit.

Tutorial: Create and restore a Windows system image on another computer

Step 1. Create a bootable USB drive

Plug an empty USB flash drive or external hard drive (with at least 100 GB of space) into your computer.

Note: Set the USB drive or external hard disk to MBR and create two partitions: format the first partition as FAT32 and the second one as NTFS.

2. Launch AOMEI Backupper, click "Tools" and then "Create Bootable Media".

Choose “USB” as the location to save the Emergency Disk, then click “Create.”

This boot disk will help you start up your computer and transfer the system image to the new one.

Step 2: Create a system image backup on the source computer

1. Click "Operating System" on the main interface, and "Windows operating system" is selected by default.

2. Select the second partition of the USB drive to save the System Image.

You can also save the system backup image to another spare external hard drive (which must be larger than or equal in size to your system C: drive).

Click the “Back Up Now” button to start backing up your system image to the destination drive.

Step 3. Boot the target computer from the tools Todo Backup Emergency Disk

<1> Remove the Emergency Boot and System Backup Image USB from the new computer.

2. Restart your computer and press “DEL/F2/F10/F12” to enter BIOS setup.

3. Enter the Boot Menu and set to boot your computer from the Eassos Recovery Boot Disk.

If you want to restore the system image to a GPT disk, you need to change the boot mode in BIOS to UEFI. Then, the computer will enter the main interface of Todo Backup Tools.

Step 4: Migrate your system to the new computer

Note: Restoring a system image to a new computer will delete the data on the target disk. Back up your files beforehand or make sure you're restoring the system image to an empty disk to avoid losing data.

1. On the Todo Backup main interface, click Tools > System Migration.

2. Select the system image on your USB device, then click “OK” to continue.

Click “Continue” to begin transferring your system to the new computer.

Step 5: Restart your PC using the transferred system.

Step 3: Boot the transferred system on the new computer

After tools Todo Backup finishes the system migration, you'll need to make a final adjustment to the new computer's BIOS boot mode to match that of the old one:

**Step 1:** Restart your computer and press F2, F8, or Del to enter BIOS.

Step 2: Enter the boot menu and select the BIOS mode.

Step 3: Set the boot mode to be the same as your old computer, either Legacy BIOS or UEFI.

4. Save the changes and exit, then restart your computer.

Be patient, and you will see your old operating system start up on your new computer.

Read more: Why you shouldn't use Windows Backup and Restore

According to some Windows enthusiasts, they prefer to create system images using the Windows Backup and Restore feature. So why isn't that recommended here?

Windows Backup and Recovery vs. Todo Backup Tools

Here is a comparison table that you may be interested in, which shows why tools Todo Backup surpasses Windows Backup and Restore:

Due to the limitations of Windows Backup and Restore, users of Windows 10/8/7 can only use it to back up and restore the system or files on the current computer. It cannot be used to back up and transfer the system to a new PC.

If you want to create a Windows image with Windows Backup and Restore, see Back up Windows 10 to a USB drive for help.

If you're new to Windows and are looking for a viable solution to backup Windows and transfer system, Todo Backup would be your best choice.

Bottom line, end result, ultimately

This page will answer all your questions about using a Windows image on another computer or creating and restoring a system image on a new one.

For this, you need to create a system image of Windows first with reliable Windows backup software like AOMEI Backupper. Then save the system image to an external hard drive.

Finally, you need to restore the system image onto the new computer and configure its BIOS to boot from it.

Frequently Asked Questions about "Restore a Windows image to a different computer"

Can I transfer Windows 10 to another computer?

Of course, you can. You would need to back up your old Windows 10 system first and then restore that backup onto the new computer. Follow the steps outlined in a relevant guide for performing the restoration process.

How do I restore a Windows image?

If you used the built-in Windows Backup tool for your backup, you can follow these steps to restore the Windows image to a new computer: 1. Open Settings - System - Backup. 2. In the Backup section, click on "Restore files from a system image." 3. Click "Choose a system image," then select the drive where your Windows backup is stored. 4. Check "Restore system drives only" and click "Next." 5. Follow the wizard's instructions to complete the restoration process. Please note that this method requires the new computer's hardware configuration to be as similar as possible to the original one, as compatibility issues might arise otherwise. Before proceeding, it's recommended to ensure that the new computer meets the minimum hardware requirements for the Windows operating system.