New Computer Needed & Want To Save Programs On HDD W/O Reinstallation

Sawuwaya · 10 Oct 2019

I have a computer that is on its way out the door. However, the hard drive is sound and is fine, however, I have programs on there that I want to save and a couple of them I do not have the installation program EXEcutable installation file or the software on a disc to re-install the software. Yet I am running Windows 10, and there is a glitch within the OS where I cannot get my WiFi to work as well. I know that if I install Windows 10 and keep my software that would fix the Network issue because I had to do that one other time and it fixed that issue; the programs were fine including the one without the disc.

Do you think that I could take the hard drive and make an ISO (for backup purposes) and then reintroduce that hard drive into a newer computer that can use Windows 10 as well and re-run Windows Install by just running the Setup EXEcutable to reintroduce Windows with the new Hardware the CPU still would be from the same manufacturer (Intel processor i5 7th Gen or newer) and memory would be the same... I do not know about manufacturer, however.

In theory this should work because (I believe) Windows is re-imaging itself over an "old" copy of Windows and applying the new/different drivers for the new computer, yes?

I am just hoping that if I could save that software install I would....

Thanks.
Cheers!

dalchina · 11 Oct 2019

a couple of them I do not have the installation program EXEcutable installation file or the software on a disc to re-install the software.

Presumably you've tried searching for them...?

You can transfer Windows from one PC to another whether you do it by physically moving the disk or 'cloning' it. There is a reasonable probability Windows will reconfigure the drivers.

However, you will need to consider whether Win 10 will be reactivated. If you have a retail license for Win 10, should be no problem.

As for 'repairing' Windows, I think you're referring to an in-place upgrade repair install, where you log in normally, then run setup.exe from a mounted iso or a bootable Win 10 disk. (Tutorial available).

Note: you need an iso or disk of the same base build as your currently installed Windows.
Current build: 1903- about to become 1909; MS media creation tool

Older builds: use Heidoc iso downloader

Worth doing some basic checks on your disk and file system first, and make sure, as ever, you have a current disk image before any major change (e.g. Macrium Reflect - free/paid- plus external storage for disk images.

Sawuwaya · 11 Oct 2019

Greetings DalChina:

I do have a current key, but the notebook I will be purchasing has windows 10 already pre-installed on its hdd.

I also keep the latest Window ISOs so that I if I need them offline I have them, if warrented. (Usually, most of the time they are warrented...lol.) So right now I have Build 1903.

Incidentally, when I changed/spoofed my USER AGENT to let Microsoft Download allow me to download a stable ISO again (and without the media creation tool, mind you) it only had the May 2019 Update and not the October 2019 yet.

I understand what you are saying. I was actually thinking of doing both; physically swapping hard drives and repairing Windows for a more stable and reliable (I hope) seemless transition.

Never heard of the Heidoc.net website before. Nice to know it exists. I bookmarked it, thanks.

BTW, did you mean base or basic build as my current version of Windows? If you meant base build then can we use a Windows 10 Build 1909 ISO to repair an installed Windows 10 Build 1903 installation because the base number is 19XX (where the XX is 03, 09, etc.)? The Builds are just not backwards compatable, correct? Would Windows tell you that this Windows Build cannot be used if that were the case?

Thanks again for your help.

(On a side note I wanted to thank you for your suggestion to re-install (repair) my Windows to help fix my "Bad Image" errors. So far its going strong... Incidentally, I also "repaired" my other computer because I could not get that computer to connect to the internet without connecting it to a ethernet cable even though it had an integrated WiFi card installed.)

Cheers!

dalchina · 11 Oct 2019

BTW, did you mean base or basic build as my current version of Windows? If you meant base build then can we use a Windows 10 Build 1909 ISO to repair an installed Windows 10 Build 1903 installation because the base number is 19XX (where the XX is 03, 09, etc.)? The Builds are just not backwards compatable, correct? Would Windows tell you that this Windows Build cannot be used if that were the case?

- sorry, missed the 'e' - base.
To date, if you had 1809 installed, you'd need an 1809 iso etc for an in-place upgrade repair.

1909, being a CU not a feature update, does make this a different question to which I've had two different opinions expressed. One point of view would be that a 1903 iso plus CU would be used, but this raises the question of the trap normally in place that prevents regression of the major build number.

Time will tell.. and there are those with 1909 installed already..

You have Pro now.. if the laptop you are buying has Home I would expect your license for Pro to be transferred easily if linked to a MS live id.

Kari · 11 Oct 2019

This is how I would do it, it has worked well for me in similar situations:

1. Capture your current Windows installation to a WIM file, saving it on an external hard disk. See instructions for capturing Windows image in Part One in following tutorial: Factory recovery - Create a Custom Recovery Partition

2. When the new laptop / notebook arrives, let it run Windows Setup once, setting up a user account, and boot it to desktop to get it activated.

3. Quite often the preinstalled Windows on a laptop is HOME edition. Your system specs say that your old computer is running PRO edition. If possible, if you have a valid product key for PRO, upgrade laptop first to PRO. IF not, your old Windows installation will be not activated when moved to new laptop.

4. When done, when laptop is running activated Windows 10 PRO, connect the external hard disk containing your captured, custom install.wim file to laptop.

5. Deploy Windows from your custom install.wim file as told in this tutorial: Apply Windows Image using DISM Instead of Clean Install

That's it. Your Windows installation from old PC will be completely deployed to new laptop, with all user data and accounts, installed software and settings intact.

Kari