How would you keep your PC exactly as it is (desktop layout, files, folders etc.), but in a new PC?

March 4, 2021

Hey fellas,

I was thinking of building, or at least partially building a new PC and using some of my old parts in it. The problem is I really don't want to have to deal with the motherload of work that comes with setting up everything like you had it before. I've heard of cloning, but I'm not entirely sure how that works. I feel like if I were to somehow clone my C: drive, and then just install all of my other hard drives with the same drive letter they had, it would theoretically work, but again I've never done this. I would be replacing the motherboard, CPU, GPU, RAM, and C: drive to maybe an M.2 style SSD.

Does anyone have experience doing this? Or know of maybe a video I could check out? I'll post my current build in case it makes any difference.

CPU: Intel i5 6600k (Skylake)

MB: Asus Z170-A (LGA 1151)

GPU: NVidia GTX 1070 (EVGA)

RAM: 16GB 2400mhz (I forget the brand, but unimportant I think)

Main SSD: Samsung 850 Evo 250GB

PSU: EVGA 750W (Would be re-using this)

Windows 10 Home 64-bit (Would attempt to use my key in the new PC if that works)

Thanks a bunch for any input!

Archer42 · March 4, 2021

Simple way - just plug all your storage into new PC, boot the OS change drive letters to what they should be.

You'll have to install drivers, but generally it should work.

If you want to then move your OS to new drive you can use some bootable tool like clonezilla to do it (a bunch of different tools like this exist, i just prefer this one). It is super simple - you choose source drive, choose target drive and it makes a copy. Then you unplug your old system drive and try to boot from new one. Again - should work without issues.

Keep in mind that moving OS to new HW like this always has small chance to make it unbootable, so it might be a good idea to create backup (can use clonezilla too) before you do it.

March 4, 2021

Just now, Archer42 said:

Simple way - just plug all your storage into new PC, boot the OS change drive letters to what they should be.

You'll have to install drivers, but generally it should work.

If you want to then move your OS to new drive you can use some bootable tool like clonezilla to do it. It is super simple - you choose source drive, choose target drive and it makes a copy. Then you unplug your old system drive and try to boot from new one. Again - should work without issues.

Keep in mind that moving OS to new HW like this always has small chance to make it unbootable, so it might be a good idea to create backup (can use clonezilla too) before you do it.

That sounds almost too easy to be true, whew. Thanks for the help!