Can I Transfer Old Harddrive to New Computer?

The Final Slice · Dec 15, 2016

Hello,
I recently bought all new parts for a computer beside my GPU and Hard-drive.
I was planning on using my old hard drive, however, I have been reading that it may cause problems? Will I have to buy a new hard drive and another copy of Windows, or is there a safe way to transfer my hard drive into the new PC? Also, am I able to test the old hard drive on the new PC without changing anything, or will it corrupt files?

Thank you in advance,
The Final Slice

SkyNetRising · Dec 15, 2016

Of course you can use your old HDD in new PC.
But most likely, you'll need to reinstall windows.

Ubrales · Dec 15, 2016

The new computer will need a new copy of the OS (Windows) - Windows is not transferable from store bought computers such as Dell, HP, etc.

Hard drives are inexpensive and newer hard drives run much faster and better than older drives. You should also consider an SSD; they are quite affordable these days, and will make the computer boot much faster.

You can still use the old drive as a secondary storage drive. For testing the drive use "HD Tune" (free download).

The Final Slice · Dec 15, 2016

Thank you very much! A few things:

My old PC was not a pre-built, and it had it's own version of Windows, will that affect anything?

Will re-installing Windows 7 affect any files? How about if I moved to Windows 10?

Finally, if I decide to install a new copy of Windows on an SSD and use my old HHD as storage, will I need to remove the OS from it?

SkyNetRising · Dec 15, 2016

New OS license might not be necessary depending on current OS.
Is it retail or OEM? What version?

Retail version can be transferred to new pc.
Windows 10 with anniversary update can be transferred to new pc also (using activation troubleshooter).

The Final Slice · Dec 15, 2016

I'm not entirely sure as my friend put it together, however I would guess it's retail.
How would I go about this, just "plug and play" or..?

SkyNetRising · Dec 15, 2016

I'd suggest getting SSD and installing fresh windows 7 onto that.
After that attach old HDD and use it as secondary storage drive.

Ubrales · Dec 15, 2016

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_install/how-to-tell-if-windows-is-retail-or-oem/ea57d733-716d-4c9e-ba86-233be13545de

This will tell you whether you have an OEM or a Retail version of Windows. OEM versions are generally not transferable. If you decide to install a new copy of Windows, and if you want to use the old HDD then just format the old HDD. Formatting will delete all data from the old HDD including the OS that was on it.

This is a great time to consider a Samsung 850 SSD - either a 250 GB or a 500 GB. Keep in mind that on SSDs because of over-provisioning, the actual available space on a 500 GB SSD is only about 419 GB. Similar with the 250 GB SSD.

The Final Slice · Dec 15, 2016

I'll try to go for that, thanks! The only problem left is the money, since I already used it all. :/

I'll try to plug in the HDD and run it from there, if it works, yay, if not, then I'll scavenge for a few more Bens and buy an SSD + Windows 7 / 10.

-- Is there a way to take off the OS without loosing my data? I have nearly 1TB stored on it.

The Final Slice · Dec 15, 2016

Well, it's OEM.

Ubrales · Dec 15, 2016

The Final Slice :

You can selectively delete the old Windows group by group, but this is a messy process. A clean way would be to transfer all the files that you want to retain on to another HDD, and then format the old HDD.

sizzling · Dec 15, 2016

As its OEM and Windows 7 you will need a new licence. Windows 10 would have allowed you to move as OEM licences for 10 are tied to your Microsoft account and not the PC's motherboard.

The Final Slice · Dec 15, 2016

Alright, I'll try to save up some money and buy this: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/y9Z8Bm

Hopefully I can get it without too long of a wait after I build the rest of my PC.

Here is the rest of my build, and my GPU is a GT 740: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/gFWM4C

SkyNetRising · Dec 15, 2016

It's still possible to upgrade to windows 10 for free using upgrade for assistive technology users.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/windows10upgrade

The Final Slice · Dec 15, 2016

So if I upgrade, then I can transfer files?

Ubrales · Dec 15, 2016

The Final Slice :

I do not trust the transfer files feature. If something goes wrong (and a lot of things happen in Windows) you have lost all your files.

I suggest copying all the files that you want to retain on to another disk, then proceeding with what you want to do. I do understand that this means another disk.

And above all, make backups! Mandatory! Backup before, and backup after.

The Final Slice · Dec 15, 2016

Yeah, I planning on getting new parts, and waiting a couple of weeks. Then I'll see about the old files. To be totally honest, I may just back up what I need, photos and game saves, and then either format it, or just have another PC for use.

Ubrales · Dec 15, 2016

The Final Slice :

You also need to backup the OS (Windows) so that you can recover in case something bad happens.

The Final Slice · Dec 15, 2016

Ubrales :

The Final Slice :

You also need to backup the OS (Windows) so that you can recover in case something bad happens.

How would I do that?

Ubrales · Dec 15, 2016

The Final Slice :

There is an option in Control Panel, Backup & Restore. I have used that and it works well.

An alternate is "EaseUS ToDo" backup which is a free download. It too works well. In addition, there are some paid programs such as Macrium Reflect, and many others.

Yet another option that I sometimes use is to make a clone of the OS (Windows) disk periodically. I do this every 2 weeks. Read and familiarize yourself and then you can choose which option to use. You can try the Backup & Restore feature in Control Panel, to start off.

The Final Slice · Dec 16, 2016

Ubrales :

The Final Slice :

There is an option in Control Panel, Backup & Restore. I have used that and it works well.

An alternate is "EaseUS ToDo" backup which is a free download. It too works well. In addition, there are some paid programs such as Macrium Reflect, and many others.

Yet another option that I sometimes use is to make a clone of the OS (Windows) disk periodically. I do this every 2 weeks. Read and familiarize yourself and then you can choose which option to use. You can try the Backup & Restore feature in Control Panel, to start off.

Alright, that sounds great, thanks!

Ubrales · Dec 16, 2016

Backup! Backup! Backup!

The Final Slice · Dec 16, 2016

Haha! I'll let you know how it all goes when I get my PC!

Ubrales · Dec 16, 2016

Yes please do.

The Final Slice · Jan 9, 2017

I have my new PC up and running, new SSD and HDD, working on installing previous files.

Sadly I am having trouble overclocking, and I'm trying to find out how to get NVidia Control Panel on Windows 10, I'm looking online for that.

Besides that, it's all running amazing!

Can I Transfer Old Harddrive to New Computer?

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