To replace an internal hard drive with an external one, you need to follow these steps:
- Connect your computer to the USB port on your external hard drive.
- Insert the USB drive into the USB port and press Windows+R to type diskmgmt.msc.
- Select “External” from the list of available options.
- Choose the type of hard drive you want to use as a drive path.
- Click “OK” to save the changes.
- Once the drive is connected to your computer, you can transfer files to it.
There are various types of hard drives available, and converting them into external storage is a common task. Some of the most common types include standard hard drives in a box with an additional circuit board that converts their native interface to a USB drive.
Using an external hard drive with Windows 10 is straightforward, but it may run slow depending on the type of hard drive and connector. The first step is to plug the external hard drive into your computer.
USB networks are organized as a tree, with the host controller at the root, hubs as branches, and the drive as the root. If you’re moving to a new PC, you can bring your files with you using an external storage device such as a USB drive, SD card, or external hard drive.
Booting an external SSD on a Mac or Windows system is a reliable and simple method for upgrading the system. Most external hard drives are designed to be compatible with PC computers, but it’s important to check the specifications before using them.
For compatibility between PC and Mac, format the drive as FAT to ensure compatibility.
📹 Can I Move My Hard Drive to a New Computer and Have Windows Work?
In general, the answer is no, it will not work. But sometimes it does. And sometimes it’s something in between. Can I move my hard …
Can I use an external hard drive for PC instead of internal?
It is possible to utilise external hard drives in lieu of their internal counterparts. However, it should be noted that external hard drives may be susceptible to performance fluctuations as a result of factors such as the connection method employed, which in this case is via USB ports.
Will my computer run faster with an external hard drive?
To improve computer performance, consider using cloud storage or an external hard drive. These options offload storage-intensive software and files, improving system performance and serving as a data backup solution. Defragmenting your hard drive can consolidate files, improving data access speed and system performance. Alternatively, upgrading your hard drive can enhance performance by enabling quicker read and write speeds, reducing access times, and increasing system responsiveness.
Solid-state drives (SSDs) are faster and can improve the speed of older devices. Before making any upgrades, back up important files to prevent loss. These steps can help ensure your computer remains efficient and efficient.
Can I use external hard drive for operating system?
In order to install the Windows 10 operating system on an external hard drive, it is possible to utilise either the system clone feature in conjunction with the EaseUS Todo Backup software or the Windows To Go functionality. Both options guarantee that the operation will be executed and that the external hard drive will be bootable. EaseUS Todo Backup is compatible with all versions of the Windows operating system, including Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7.
Can I use an external hard drive to run my computer?
External solid-state drives (SSDs) can enhance computer performance by serving as boot drives or as storage for frequently accessed files. Nevertheless, for the long-term storage of data, it is advisable to employ a combination of backup strategies, including cloud storage, to ensure the preservation of critical information.
What is the difference between desktop hard drive and external hard drive?
External drives are ideal for backing up important files or adding storage to a PC without opening it. For regular backups or quick transfers, a portable hard drive with a single cable is ideal, as it has a smaller desk footprint and doesn’t require an external power cable. However, for large music, image, or video files, a desktop hard drive or portable SSD is recommended. Both types are faster but require an external power brick.
Regularly backing up important documents and photos is crucial as the computer’s internal drive will eventually stop working. Setting up a system to automatically back up files to both an external hard drive and the cloud ensures data safety from internet outages, disruptions to the cloud backup provider, and localized threats such as fire, theft, or natural disaster.
Ideally, an external hard drive should be discreet and silent, storing and backing up data without much setup or ongoing maintenance. Desktop drives can be bulky and sometimes an eyesore, so it’s important to consider if smaller, portable drives can perform the same functions well enough for most people.
Can I use an external hard drive to replace an internal?
To replace an internal hard drive with an external one, you need to follow specific steps depending on the drive type and operating system. Before Windows 10, the boot hard drive (drive C:) couldn’t be an external drive due to Microsoft’s concern for system performance before USB 3. 0 release. To replace an internal drive with an external one, follow these steps:
- Remove the old hard drive from the computer.
- Reattach the old hard drive to the computer.
Is it possible to boot Windows from an external hard drive?
Booting from an external hard drive is a convenient way to access your operating system if you cannot access it through the normal method due to technical issues or other reasons. To boot from an external hard drive, connect it to your computer and press the power button and repeatedly press the ‘F11’ or ‘Delete’ buttons until a boot menu appears. Select the option to boot from the external device and wait for Windows to start up normally. As long as the external drive is correctly formatted, there should be no issues with it launching as intended.
A bootable USB drive is a device that has been formatted and configured with software to allow your computer to start up from any external storage device, such as a USB drive. To create a bootable USB drive, download the ISO image of the intended OS or software onto your PC and use a tool like Rufus to install it onto the USB device. After formatting, disconnect the drive and use it like any other external storage device when connecting it to another machine.
When attempting to boot from your USB drive, your computer will usually look for a specific type of file known as an ISO image. This is essentially a master copy of the operating system or software that you intend to boot up with and can typically be acquired from official sources on the web. Burn the ISO image onto the USB drive using a tool like Rufus.
How do I use an external hard drive as a desktop?
To use an internal hard drive externally, follow these steps: choose the drive, mount it into the enclosure, plug in the connections, seal the enclosure, connect it to a computer, and plug and play. For older drives, connect wires to the drive. Connect the enclosure to a computer using the included screws or fasteners. Follow the plug-and-play instructions to set up the external drive. Once connected, the internal hard drive can be connected to your PC using a standard USB connection.
How to convert external hard drive to bootable?
This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to create a bootable Windows 10 external hard drive. The process involves downloading and mounting the Windows 10 ISO, creating a boot partition on the external hard drive, writing the ISO to the external hard drive, making the external hard drive bootable, and ensuring Windows 10 runs stably from the external hard drive. There are three methods to make the external hard drive bootable: Rufus, iSumsoft SYSOnUSB, and Command Prompt.
Rufus is a small program that simplifies the process of creating bootable drives for Windows 10. The article emphasizes the importance of having a bootable external hard drive in case of computer failure or lack of desired Windows system.
Can I run an operating system from an external hard drive?
An operating system (OS) is required to boot from an external hard drive, and the computer will not boot normally when the hard drive is not connected. To boot from an external hard drive, follow these steps:
- Open the BIOS by pressing a function key (e. g., F12) as your computer starts up.
- Select the OS file you need from the hard drive.
- Select the OS file you want to boot from.
- Click on the “Start” button to start the computer.
- Wait for the computer to boot from the external hard drive.
- Once the computer boots, you can use the OS files from the external hard drive.
Can you run a PC without an internal hard drive?
It is possible for a computer to operate without a hard drive through the use of alternative methods and devices. One such method is the utilisation of non-volatile internal memory for the purpose of data storage, which in turn allows the operating system to be run without the need for a hard disk.
📹 How to Fix External Hard Drive Not Showing Up In My Computer – Hard Drive Not Detected On Windows 10
How to Fix External Hard Drive Not Showing Up In My Computer – Hard Drive Not Detected On Windows 10 Western Digital 4TB …
PC Guy with 25 years of experience. I would never drive swap or clone to new hardware. Same hardware is fine other than probably dealing with a Windows Activation from the new motherboard. Back in the day it was a disaster, now it works much better as Windows tends to boot on bad drivers and then will install correct drivers, but I wouldn’t risk it. What I do for users is basically clone their data, including many things in their profile, so all there files/folders/etc will move over, favorites on browsers, signatures for email. Its like 98% of everything exactly as it was but with a fresh OS and Drivers. You can dive into Program Files & Registry to copy games/programs but if its a few simple things I just re-install them. If its a very complex program with a lot of customization, I install the program and then copy its configuration files, addons, plugins, etc.
Wow. I’ve ran into this website multiple times but its answers are always vague and probably incorrect. Would it be so hard to just try it out? Yes windows does configure a bit, but the only game breaker I’m aware of is legacy IDE mode vs. AHCI (standard since like 15 years or such). A IDE mode windows will not have any AHCI drivers and not run on a bios in AHCI mode. Id like to get information on SPECIFIC other things that are tailored to my specific PC by windows during setup. Because most drivers are just programs you install onto an already running Windows, so they can not matter.
I have gone from Intel to Intel systems with the same c:drive. I now have an AMD X570 system on windows 11 and now in the middle of building a new Ryzen 7000 PC and was looking for a short cut for not having to reinstall and configure everything all over again. Thanks for the info. Hoping with just a BIOS update everything will be ok since their both AMD systems, but I think I’ll just download a new windows and take my time reloading things before totally killing my current machine.
He is not kidding about others claiming to know how to do this, I wasted several hours attempting their fixes and none of them work, in fact, most of them don’t know what they are talking about. At least this man was honest about it and gave good advice about the warnings about attempting to move one hard drive from one computer to another.
I backup and restore windows to dissimilar hardware all the time for enterprise purposes. Moving physical servers to virtual is the same process. Yes, you can, but you need to know what needs to be manually removed. The bigger problem is most novice installs of windows are OEMs and they are legally locked to the motherboard the license shipped with. They won’t reactivate when moved to a new MB unless you buy a retail license or have a volume license. Licenses aside, its a false statement claiming windows installs can’t be moved to different hardware with perfect success. Done it for decades.
After perusal you article, I think i have a solution but I would like to hear your thought on my idea. background: My old Motherboard MSI B450 has Windows 10 on it on a Samsung 970 Pro M.2 that contained only my OS of Windows 10. That board I think only had a Bad Lan Port on it, but it still worked, but it drove me to upgrade to a New MSI B550 Tomahawk board with a New Samsung 980 Pro M.2 that now has on it a new OS of Windows 11. I used the same Ryzen 7 3700X CPU from my old Motherboard in the new B550 Motherboard. I as well upgraded my Ram but I’m not sur if that has any impact on the story. My PC Case Lian Li Lancool II has three Hot swap Bays (removable trays) with 1TB/2TB/4TB drives that are currently not recognized in the New upgraded build in Windows 11 (from the old Windows 10 motherboard). Now I really want to keep the data on them, they contain about 90 percent of my 20 years photos of my time in the US Navy, as well as many family photos, as well as Games and many other things that i want to keep. So I really don’t want to Format and loose all that data. Even so in Disk Manager none of the Drive Bays are shown in the Windows 11 build. After writing my idea I realize I may be barking up a bad path. Will a 8TB external drive i format in Windows 11 be recognized in a Windows 10 system and accept files from my 3 drives and be recognized in my Windows 11 system after I transfer the files to it, or will the Win 11 system do the same and want to reformat the 8TB drive getting me nowhere.
Just don’t paste/overwrite files into a new windows install from the old one, I did this and my driver related apps like icue, gpu tweak iii etc stop responding and close. Ontop of this I get status_breakpoint and status_access_violation errors in any browser I use within minutes of loading a page 😂 Since doing this for 3rd time I’m also getting both my displays go off and back on like it dropped the display adapter 😅😅 Tested all my hardware from my 13900k with Intel processor diagnostic to memtest and benchmarked dozens of games that seem to run without crashing, it’s only Windows and its associated files that appear to be doomed. Without copying the files in my new clean windows will run a few tabs overnight with no issues, but I forgot to turn off the 15 minute default sleep trigger that windows comes with so I’ll ignore that and try again today. I’ll update accordingly if this gets a reply asking, otherwise you can assume its fine as my hardware is fine 😂❤
Do you think I could plug in my old SSD drive to a new PC (that has windows installed) and run it as a secondary drive. Would I be able to use all my files without a problem? I need to make sure that all the programs and plugins installed to my old pc can be used on the new PC. OLD PC: 1 SSD 1 HDD (sata 2.5″ windows on SSD) 1 SSD m2 on new pc (plenty of space to physically fit both drives from old pc to new pc)
In my older pc I have a 2 TB HDD that is windows 10 with saved files for previous games I wanted to keep and not have to redownload them all to my new pc that also has 2 TB HDD but it is windows 11. Any recommendations that I should do to install my older 2 TB HDD into my new pc to have a total of 4 TB HDD? Please help.
I have two computers and the older one will not boot up at all. This happened suddenly and I have no idea why. There is about 300g of data on the old hard drive I really need. Can I put that hard drive into my newer computer as a second drive and pull all that data out of it and save it on the new computer? Then remove and discard it without any risk to the operating system of the newer computer?
Tried to clone my disk from HDD to SSD both WD. Actually booted really quickly but quickly noticed off things. Keyboard would work in chrome, but no where in windows. Not even the on screen keyboard. Couldn’t read any articles. Quickly formatted SSD and created a Disk image onto the SSD. Will next find a way to make sure it’s aligned. What a curve ball when it actually booted.😅
I do hope people will take what this man says to heart and save themselves a headache down the road. The best alternative is to just get another hard drive and install Windows on it and then bit by bit transfer files from the one drive to the new one in the system. I have attempted this numerous times and that is the only surefire way to make sure you don’t have any driver file corruption and other corrupt files.
Looking for a driver injector prog so i can run an old C: drive on an old lap top. Why? There’s a few old progs on there that i don’t want to go through the hassle of looking for them and reinstalling. My old pc’s watercooler pump finally died so i thought. Why not try it. Well the acer i put it in said no boot and then i rememebered there’s a driver prog out there but it’s been years. Anyone know of one?
Not talking about my operating system to move. Just Data Drives to a new computer. Here is the situation. HELP!!!, So my case has 3 Hot Swappable Bays with three different SATA drives. I have been using these drives without issue in Windows 10 for 3 years now. Well I recently had a problem with my system that drove me to update My Motherboard and GPU as well Installing Windows 11 on a new M.2 Samsung 980 pro that is complete installed. When I did this WIN 11 install I removed the three HOT SWAP Bays with the Drives i was using for backups/Games and Files I wish to keep, so I do not want them to be FORMATTED OR ERASED. When I returned them in their Bays and rebooted my system they did not show up. I’m overly frustrated and not sure what I can do to return my drives and the Data not being lost. The Drives range from 4TB/2TB and 2TB bay drives. I hope a smart person can help out this Dumb old man. I would be most very relieved if someone can help me with this.
A new Dell lasted 2 years of occasional use as I am retired. Then simple kills the power supply green light as soon as plugged in. They have 6 different motherboard in the same model depending on the supply chain. A “Cedar AMD XXX” is the only motherboard this hard drive will work. No backup disc, no book, I am surprised Best Buy has them in a box. Sad. Even $250 is out of reach. $2.65 @ month for magic jack phone, $17.45 for internet, no big screen TV’s, no new or leased cars or subscriptions online or paper. I put money into insulation, high efficiency 2 stage furnace & A/C and now my own yard. Covid pricing makes everything expensive! Sad!
Since the the release of windows 10 i have refused to use it and have continued to use windows 8.1 and i move the ssd around like im changing girlfriends from one machine to another from Dells, Hp’s and Asus this is with both laptops and desktops and have never had a problem all i do is just update the drivers using software and the bios and restart and all is Great i have never had a problem with any system by doing this…
I have two HP laptops that are identical. One of them the hard drive has crashed. The other the hard drive is functioning fine but the physical body of the laptop itself is falling apart. My original thought had been to move the hard drive from the laptop that is falling apart physically to the body of the other laptop where the hard drive has crashed, your thoughts? Clueless about this, never done anything like it before. But I work daily on the laptop that is physically falling apart.
I am here because I am prepping to go from a windows 10 on my ancient HP xw 8400 into my less ancient HP XW 8600 workstation that is running window 7 but wont take an Win 10 update for some reason. Both have dual Xenon HD however the window 7 is getting really tempermental and I get all these messages about unsupported op sys from the browsers. But that baby is still a 3.1 ghz powerhouse so I said let me give it a shot before I go with a HP Z class that cost $1500.00.
Thanks for the article! I have a 10 year old Acer laptop with windows 8 and all my programs in it… the laptop is working great but I needed some features it does not have so I purchased a 5 year old HP laptop with Windows 11 in it. I wonder if I could erase this new hard drive with Windows 11, install windows 8 for which I have an original CD the same I used for my laptop now and then replace the hard drive with my current hard drive with windows 8 and all programs in it. Would that help the newer computer to “accept” my older hard drive? Thanks!!
You can not always just get away with install windows from scratch . In my example I have thousands of thousands of music programs and plugins and if I was to do a total reinsatall I could litterly spend the next year ( if not more ) on just reinstall all the software . That is the reason Im still using win XP ( and the fact some programs wont even runj on newer versions ) and NOT getting a newer OS despite I have original installations media for every windows made . You can NOT upgrade from win XP to win 7 ( or never ) directly . Only perform clean install . ( unless you are a multi coorporate company that can pay big money to microsoft, in that case they will privide you with tools to just upgrade and never have to worry about reinstall your software ) That mean im stuck with older hardware, it make it more difficult to get ‘ new ‘ if something break . Especially because new hardware doesnt have drivers for XP at all . I use the computer as a music studio and have litterly set it up in all the years with software so trough the years it is an insane amount . Thus NOT possible to ever reinstall all this again . Good thing is that I have NEVER experienced any slow windows or such at all and despite I have NEVER reinstalled windows it run even faster than it did with a fresh installation . only two times since 2004 I have REPAIRED system files because I got a virus attack and it did some dammage to the system . Im using a chinese security software solution ( have used for past 12 years ) and I DO still get updates to my win XP .
I have an old vista laptop and an old MacBook Pro. I want to extract certain files….. my MacBook Pro have windows options if I am not wrong. All I know is I need an external hard drive….. my old inspiron 1546 is responding to reboot…battery reseated. Could I take out the hard disk and put it in a special contraption? To extract the data? Tq
It worked when moving from my surface pro 7+ to a surface pro 8 it first booted with no proper drivers (some stuff wasn’t working) but it quickly found the drivers on windows update and after it installed them and manually installing the rest of the drivers everything works, but I guess those are both devices directly made by microsoft and it’s the direct successor. I usually would reinstall but since they both surfaces I decided to just try to move the ssd and it worked.
So I need help. I’m replacing a PC for a elderly couple. Old pc MB died but HHD was fine. I have no clue what OS it was using (it had ddr3 ram, so no telling). New machine has Win11. She can’t remember any passwords and says she didnt have a gmail linked to chrome so the sync option is out of the table. Is it possible I boot from old HHD and it’ll restore old browser informaiton?
I have a question since I have so many drives my main hard drive I installed windows fresh on the drive. Should I delete all the other drivers or is it safe to keep the software I have on the other drives. So I have 5 hard drives 2 ssd NVME, 1 sold Stat, and 2 different externals. I do photography so I also have cloud storage but that’s only for photos really. I’m hoping this is enough information to get some help. Thanks if anyone can help 😊
Thanks for this….not the answer I wanted to hear, but I think I will give it a try anyway. I have a 12 year old PC running Win10, bought a new PC running Win11. Will clone old HDD onto new NVMe SSD, and try that as a boot drive in the new PC. If it works, then I will upgrade that cloned NVMe drive to Win11. If it doesn’t work, then I will revert back back to the NVMe boot drive that came with the new PC and have the cloned NVMe in my new PC as a data only second drive. The reason I want to do this is because I have some old legacy programs currently installed on my old PC HDD that can no longer be installed in Win10 or Win11. If I can’t make this work, then I will likely lose those programs for good. 🙁
One thing that was not mentioned was the Windows License….unless things have changed….the Windows License will not allow you to move from one computer to another, even if you use the install disk. My understanding is that it will simply fail on the new machine because the existing Windows License Key will not work on the new machine. I have always understood it to be that whenever you upgrade or switch computers, if the new machine does not already have Windows on it, you have to purchase a new copy of Windows.
Hey guys, I ordered a new PC with a SSD. I want to build in my old HDD of my current PC in addition to the SSD. Is it the best to save everything on an external drive and to empty my old HDD? And the build in my empty old HDD in my new PC and install everything fresh from my external Drive? Edit: I want to install Windows fresh on the new SSD I am very new to this, so any advice would be highliy appreciated 🙂
$55.00. That’s what it cost me to get a “box” off ebay. A box is a computer with no hard drive or operating system, that is otherwise identical to my Dell 780 in both model and form factor. A full size horizontal desktop must be supplemented with a full size box. A small form factor requires a small form factor box. And likewise, a tower desktop requires a tower. In this way, the cloning option can be a full function back up solution. Clones made on one will boot up and operate on the other. Boxes range from $30.00 to $70.00 on ebay. A full size desktop can be distinguished from a small form factor desktop by the location of the power plug in back. A full size has the plug just left and outside of the power supply vent. A small form factor has the plug within the power supply vent. And unlike images, a clone’s operation can be verified the day that it is created. There’s no waiting for the source drive to fail before verifying the reliability of an image.
I moved multiple times with Linux and macOS. My current macOS installation is on the 4th or 5th machine now, without problems. Just backup and restore it on a new computer. Linux is a bit more complicated, but still worked fine in my situations. And now I wonder if getting a Windows PC was a mistake. I want to move to a new one and the thought of installing and configuring it all over again, is nauseating.