How do you move all program files and drivers onto new windows 10?

[vWORMHAT]

hello, i just got a new drive so i could install windows 10 because it wouldn't let me update windows 10.

i have windows 10 installed on the new drive now im tring to figure out how to migrate all my programs and drivers over without migrating the os (migrating the os would downgrade me form 1803 to 1909 which i don't want)

i have backups made with paragon recovery but im wondering how you guys would do it thanks!

 

again trying to move all files, programs, app data, and drivers over without downgrading to the windows i was already on

 

Please help! Thank you!!!

[LogicalDrm]

You don't. Drivers install as part of OS core, like browser addons. They are main reason why you would have issues when moving OS drive between systems. Besides that, reinstalling drivers is one easy way to fix several issues.

 

Most software require files in certain places and registry changes. This means that they just won't work even if you copy-paste the files in place. Examples being Chrome, Office and Steam. Games played through some platform can be just moved as folders, but you most likely need to reinstall platform itself.

 

Programs config files can be pasted in place and they mostly work fine. I would still recommend using export functions when possible to ensure that you really get the personal configuration you want.

[vWORMHAT]

3 minutes ago, LogicalDrm said:

You don't. Drivers install as part of OS core, like browser addons. They are main reason why you would have issues when moving OS drive between systems. Besides that, reinstalling drivers is one easy way to fix several issues.

 

Most software require files in certain places and registry changes. This means that they just won't work even if you copy-paste the files in place. Examples being Chrome, Office and Steam. Games played through some platform can be just moved as folders, but you most likely need to reinstall platform itself.

 

Programs config files can be pasted in place and they mostly work fine. I would still recommend using export functions when possible to ensure that you really get the personal configuration you want.

thank you for the reply i really appreciate it.

so im better off reinstalling everything manually?

if i were to replace the c drive with the old one on a newer windows version would that work? im currently using paragon backup and recover and chose for it to restore the current c drive with the backup of the old one. will this not work because registry files and stuff like that will not be affected? or because windows uses those files and they are os build specific?

 

sorry if these are dumb questions but i really appreciate your input!

[LogicalDrm]

1 minute ago, vWORMHAT said:

thank you for the reply i really appreciate it.

so im better off reinstalling everything manually?

if i were to replace the c drive with the old one on a newer windows version would that work? im currently using paragon backup and recover and chose for it to restore the current c drive with the backup of the old one. will this not work because registry files and stuff like that will not be affected? or because windows uses those files and they are os build specific?

 

sorry if these are dumb questions but i really appreciate your input!

Its better to reinstall all software that don't run under some platform software (so everything except games). After install, you can paste in old settings files. So stuff which is in your Users-Documents folder and Users-Documents-AppData-Roaming. AppData is hidden system folder which has settings and temp files for software. Roaming is where your user specific settings and config files usually are. Some software have them in different places, like Program Data folder on C-drive for example.

[vWORMHAT]

11 minutes ago, LogicalDrm said:

You don't. Drivers install as part of OS core, like browser addons. They are main reason why you would have issues when moving OS drive between systems. Besides that, reinstalling drivers is one easy way to fix several issues.

 

Most software require files in certain places and registry changes. This means that they just won't work even if you copy-paste the files in place. Examples being Chrome, Office and Steam. Games played through some platform can be just moved as folders, but you most likely need to reinstall platform itself.

 

Programs config files can be pasted in place and they mostly work fine. I would still recommend using export functions when possible to ensure that you really get the personal configuration you want.

another maybe dumb question i cant seem to find a good answer for online is if i restore from a backup does it change the version of windows?

example restoring a backup made on windows 1803 to windows 1909

[LogicalDrm]

Just now, vWORMHAT said:

another maybe dumb question i cant seem to find a good answer for online is if i restore from a backup does it change the version of windows?

example restoring a backup made on windows 1803 to windows 1909

If you restore whole OS image, then it restores it to state it was when image was made. For just folder, they replace/restore content of folders to state of backup time. File/folder backup doesn't carry "installs", while they may carry files. Some software can just work with their files in correct places so that software paths match. But then you don't find them in Start menu, Remove Software, default programs etc. since for Windows they don't exist.

[vWORMHAT]

okay ill try and restore the image and try to update again but my gut tells me i'm going to run into the same 0x0070005 update error, when that doesn't work i guess ill just have to bite the bullet and reinstall everything and migrate files and folders i need over. thanks again , all this just to update windows lol

 

thanks again for all your knowledge!