How to Transfer Operating System from One Computer to Another

If you recently purchased a new PC, you may want to move the operating system from one computer to another to maintain the same system preferences, applications, and data as the previous PC. However, have you ever wondered how to transfer operating system from one computer to another? If so, you've arrived at the correct spot. This article will describe how to transfer an operating system from one computer to another.

Can You Transfer Operating System from One Computer to Another

As the Reddit post goes, are you stuck on the question, "Can you transfer Windows from one PC to another?"

Is it possible to transfer laptop Windows to a new PC?

I have an old Windows 10 gaming laptop (2018), and I am thinking about building a PC. I'm just wondering if it's possible to transfer the Windows system from one laptop to another PC? ---from Reddit

In a word, yes. You can transfer your operating system from an old computer to a new one. Transferring an operating system (OS) from one computer to another typically involves cloning the drive or creating a system image and restoring it on the new machine, or performing a universal restore. A universal restore is often recommended, especially with different hardware.

You might think it is much easier to clone your Windows from an old PC to a new one. However, this is not true. This is because you must take into account the issue with Windows activation and hardware compatibility.

Your cloned Windows OS copy might not function correctly on a different computer. In the best-case scenario, some components of your new computer won't work. The worst-case scenario is that your computer won't even start up, and you'll encounter a "blue screen of death". This is the biggest problem in transferring an OS to a new PC with cloning.

Therefore, performing a universal restore would be better to save time fixing incompatibility issues between your old computer and the new one. In addition, the universal restore can help you restore copies of Windows to dissimilar hardware.

In this article, we will guide you through the process of transferring Windows to another computer using Universal Restore and Backup and Restore.

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Method 1. Universal Restore

Universal restore can be the best method for transferring an operating system from one computer to another. But for that, you need to use professional universal restore software. Such software can help you transfer your OS to a new computer without hassle. In that case, EaseUS Todo Backup is a suitable option for you.

EaseUS Todo Backup is a versatile backup and recovery program compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7. It lets you automatically back up your files, systems, computer apps, disks, and partitions, and image a hard drive. Additionally, it allows you to store backups in the Cloud, NAS, Security Zone, local drive, and external drive. You can apply it to create various backup types, such as full, incremental, and differential backups.

Get this powerful software to transfer Windows to another computer with minimal procedures.

Here is how to use EaseUS Todo Backup's universal restore feature to transfer OS to a new PC:

Step 1. Create an Emergency Disk to USB

1. Connect an empty USB flash drive or external hard drive (with over than 100GB space) to your PC.

Note: Initialize the USB or external hard drive as MBR, and create two partitions: set the first partition as FAT32 and the second partition as NTFS.  

2. Run EaseUS Todo Backup and click "Tools" > "Create Emergency Disk".

3. Choose USB as the disk location to create the emergency disk and click "Create".

The bootable disk will help you boot computer and transfer system image to the new PC.

Step 2. Create System Backup Image on Source Computer

1. Click "OS" on the main page and Windows OS will be selected by default.

2. Choose the second partition of the USB drive which contains the emergency disk to save system image.

You may also save system backup image to another empty external disk (which must be equal or bigger than the system C drive).

3. Click "Backup Now" to start creating a system backup image to the target device.

Step 3. Boot Target Computer from EaseUS Todo Backup Emergency Disk

1. Eject EaseUS emergency disk and system backup image USB and connect it to the new computer.

2. Restart PC and press "DEL/F2/F10/F12" to boot into BIOS. 

3. Go to the boot menu and set the computer to boot from the EaseUS Todo Backup emergency disk.

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

Step 4. Transfer System to the New Computer

Note: Restoring system image to the new computer will erase the data on the target disk. Remember to back up the files in advance or use an empty disk to restore the system image to avoid data loss.

1. On EaseUS Todo Backup main interface, click "Tools" > "System Transfer".

2. Select the system image on your USB external drive and click "OK" to continue.

3. Then click "Proceed" to start transferring the system to a new computer.

Step 5. Restart PC with transferred system

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Method 2. System Image Backup and Restore

The Windows System Image Recovery tool enables users to restore their computer to a previous state by using a backup image of the entire operating system. You can also use it to transfer Windows and applications to another hard drive or computer. This involves creating a complete backup image of your old computer's operating system and then restoring that image to the new computer.

Part 1. Create System Image

To create a system image, you can use Windows' built-in tool - Backup and Restore, which can help you back up files or the system to an external drive. Here is how to use Backup and Restore (Windows 7) to create a system image backup.

• Connect the external disk to your PC using an adapter.
• Type "Control Panel" in the search box, and click Open.
• Click "Backup and Restore (Windows 7)".
• Press "Create a system image" and choose the external drive to save the backup.
• Choose the drives to back up. (By default, the system partition is selected.)
• Confirm backup settings, and click "Start backup".

This backup will contain a copy of your OS, applications, and user data.

Part 2. Restore the System

Disconnect the hard drive from your new PC and ensure the backup drive and the new drive are plugged into your new PC.

• In Windows 10, Settings > Update and Security > Recovery > Restart now.
• In Windows 11, Settings > System > Recovery > Restart now.

When your computer restarts, you will enter the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE).

Go to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > See more recovery options > System Image Recovery > Select a system image > Use the latest available system image > Format and repartition disks (for restoring to a new disk) > Click Finish.

Then, follow the on-screen guide to restore the system image and data on the new PC.

After such restoration, it can only be started on the current old computer. It may fail to boot on a new computer because there is no optimization for hardware environment compatibility during the cross-machine restoration process. Therefore, it is recommended to perform a universal restore using EaseUS Todo Backup.

To Wrap Things Up

How can you do it if your old computer is slow and you want to replace it with a new one but maintain everything else the same? One of the more advanced options is to transfer Windows from one computer to another. This post tells you how to transfer operating system from one computer to another by performing a universal restore.

EaseUS Todo Backup Home is an excellent tool to help you transfer an operating system to another computer. It can also help you to make an intelligent backup and create an image of an SD card. It can generally suit your different needs, be it backup or clone. Just download and try it to find more valuable features.

How to Copy Operating System from One Computer to Another FAQs

1. Can OS be transfer to another hard drive?

Yes. You can move your OS to another drive. Restoring a system image or cloning the old drive to the new one is the most practical approach to transferring an operating system installation to a separate hard drive. Using these techniques, the operating system and other backup files will be replicated exactly on the second hard drive.

2. How do I move my OS to another drive without cloning?

You can move your OS to another drive without cloning. However, if you decide against cloning, you must install a fresh copy of Windows on your new SSD. If you choose to perform a clean install, you will also need to manually transfer your personal files, documents, and other data from the old computer to the new one.

3. Can I make a bootable Windows 10 USB from another computer?

There are two ways to build a Windows 10 recovery USB drive for a different computer: using a feature built into the Windows 10 operating system to make a recovery drive or using the best bootable USB drive creator tool to create a Windows 10 USB drive.

4. How to move OS to another drive?

To move your operating system to a different drive, you can either clone your existing drive to the new one or perform a clean install on the new drive and then transfer your files and settings.

Cloning:

• Use a dedicated cloning tool like Clonezilla or EaseUS Disk Copy.
• Connect both the destination drives to the PC via an adapter (or use a docking station).
• Select the source and destination drives, and initiate the cloning process.
• The cloning tool will create an identical copy of the source drive on the destination drive.
• This method requires the destination drive to be of sufficient size or larger than the source drive.
• After cloning, you may need to adjust BIOS settings to boot from the new drive.

Cloning is generally recommended if:

• You want to avoid reinstalling applications and configuring your system from scratch.
• You have a large amount of data to transfer and want to avoid the time-consuming process of copying everything over.

Clean installation:

• Obtain the installation media (DVD or USB) for your operating system.
• Boot from the installation media and follow the on-screen instructions to install the OS on the new computer.
• You will need to reinstall applications and copy your data from the old computer.
• This method ensures a fresh installation without any leftover files or settings from the old system.
• You may need to activate the OS using your product key.
• This method is generally recommended for best performance and stability.

Clean install is recommended if:

• You want a fresh, optimized installation of Windows.
• You suspect there might be issues or clutter on your current OS drive that you want to get rid of.