Use an "old" system disk on a "new" computer

Get the new computer working properly, open the case and [with the computer off, of course] and install the old drive as Disk 1 or 2, fire it up and copy your documents/photos, etc., to the new drive. Even better, get an External USB drive case for the old one.

Now comes the fun part: based on the ages of the 2 computers the new one will have SATA/Serial ATA ports for the drive while it is quite possible the old one had a PATA/Parallel ATA drive. Newer computers don't have PATA support, only SATA, so the External case is the way to go, available for either SATA or PATA drives.

Hi, put the disk in an appropriate caddy so you can connect it via USB.
Then access it.

Note: we constantly urge people to use disk imaging routinely so they have a full backup of Windows partitions and disks in the event or major problems or disaster. E.g. Macrium Reflect (free). This permits easy recovery, other hardware faults aside.

The image files can be simply 'mounted' (a couple of clicks) so the contents are assigned to a new drive letter.
Then you can access all the files and folders with file explorer easily.

If you had disk images you could avoid mechanical complications.

Either of these adapters would work with either SATA or PATA:
USB Adapters to convert your USB cable connector to a variety of alternatives.

What i would like to do is try to use the "old" systems disks on the new hardware (because I have a lot of applications I would like to use before I have reinstalled all of them on the new system !)

The usual problem there is in the Registry of the new computer, doesn't know how to run programs until they are installed, files copied to the proper Folder/s, icons created and Registry entries made. I just copied a Bible program from a client's old computer to put on her new one but she didn't have the disc. I ended up having to get 3 files out of C:\Windows\SysWOW64 Folder to make it run then create the shortcut to make it easy to open [tested on one of my computers first].

Running Windows-based programs is a whole lot different from the days of DOS-based programs.

It can be the case that a Windows disk generated on one PC will work on one with different hardware, and appropriate drivers be deployed.

However, an old Win 7 disk, for example, may not work on latest hardware because, for example, of drivers not being available.
There can also be a difference between the BIOS configuration and the disk configuration.

Turning to transferring programs from one system disk to another: there are programs by Laplink and Easeus which can transfer all or selected programs automatically to a new installation. They can do this either by an interactive process between the two, or - and this would be the means applicable in your case- using disk image of the source disk.

This is a per use license, so not sure how that would fit with multiple source disks.

Trying to swap system disks as you wish begs questions as to permissions if each were to be used.

If this is the case, would a reinstallation of Windowsn the "old" disk insttalled on the "new" hardware) solve the problem and, most important, keep all the old applications working ?

An in-place upgrade repair? To be honest, you'd spend more time trying things like this than simply creating a sound Windows installation properly secured with disk image backups.

dalchina said:

It can be the case that a Windows disk generated on one PC will work on one with different hardware, and appropriate drivers be deployed...

There is a recent successful example of doing just that. The OP wanted to use the Windows 10 Home system from their old PC that had died (not the HDD, other parts of the hardware). They bought a new PC supplied with Pro, set it up out of the box so it got its digital licence, then swapped in the old HDD from the dead PC (so they could keep using all their old software).

...I got everything set up and it works fine for the most part. Had a few issues but nothing a few driver uninstalls and reinstalls couldn't fix.

One thing, though; under Activation with the "new" HDD (old one from old system), it says it's Windows 10 Home...

...and after changing the key to the generic Pro key to match the digital licence of the new hardware...

...the key completely fixed everything and now it says Pro. I've also verified that it's activated!

Wanting to swap old HDD into brand new system Solved - Page 3 - Windows 10 Forums