Copy my laptop hardrive to a new desktop HDD

pasitimusD · Jan 6, 2015

Hi, i recently built/purchased a Desktop computer. I was wondering if i can just copy the contents of my laptop harddisk into the HDD of my new desktop. I did not purchase an optical drive for my desktop and the only tool i have is an external hard drive. Windows might detect the system but i will just pay online later, i just wonder if i could just copy the files from my hard drive to the new HDD. Thanks!!!

jafrankl · Jan 6, 2015

You can either move the files or physically load the laptop drive into the desktop.

USAFRet · Jan 6, 2015

What do you mean by 'files' ?
Your personal files? Doc, music, movies? Sure
You mean the whole thing, OS and applications included? No.

smorizio · Jan 6, 2015

if you use microsoft iso to usb tool and a blank usb stick you can put a fresh copy of windows onto the new pc. after you install all of the drivers and updates you can connect both the laptop and hard drive to your local lan and turn on file sharing and move your personal files over to the new desktop. you can also pick up a usb cross over cable now and laplink both pc and just drag and drop your fiels from one pc to the other. a little slower is use google drive and copy your files to the cloud and then pull them back. you dont want to copy windows from laptop to desktop and there not the same hardware and windows will puke all over itself when you boot the desktop with the wrong image.

pasitimusD · Jan 6, 2015

the thing is, i dont have an iso installer that i could make into a bootable usb stick (my girlfriend deleted) and im wondering how to install a fresh copy of windows into my new system. Sigh, anyways i think my situation is hopeless, and yes i would like to copy everything from my laptop hard disk including OS.

USAFRet · Jan 6, 2015

pasitimusD :

For multiple reasons, that will not work.

1. Operation - That laptop OS will not boot when put into a new desktop. Either the hard drive directly, or a clone of it on a different drive. Not gonna happen.

2. Licensing - 1 license, 1 PC. You cannot use the same OS license in 2 PCs. Period.

Solution?
Buy a valid OS for your new desktop.

pasitimusD · Jan 6, 2015

as i said, i will buy a code online for the desktop in microsoft. But oh well, thanks for the replies. so if i put the laptop hard drive into the desktop, i wont boot?

USAFRet · Jan 6, 2015

pasitimusD :

No it will not.
What OS is it? If Windows 7, you can't buy 'a code online'. You will get a DVD mailed to you.

pasitimusD · Jan 6, 2015

Windows 8. I recently watched a youtube video demonstrating what i am asking (www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNLvACJbKaU), maybe its fake. Thanks again.

USAFRet · Jan 6, 2015

pasitimusD :

1. Will a laptop drive physically work? Yes.

2. He is using a Linux OS, not Windows 8. That would probably work.
Windows is different.

pasitimusD · Jan 6, 2015

i see, it makes sense. Thanks a lot!!!

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