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Transfer programs and user settings

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Hi,

 

I have 2 laptops running the same OS, Windows 10 Family 64 bits, same windows local account (not domain account) but different hardware (both based on Intel Cpu and Nvidia Gpu, AHCI on both, UEFI on both systems)

One is fully configured with apps/programs and the other is blank of any installation.

Is that possible to tranfer program (with settings) and Windows User configuration settings to the new one ?

 

I read this https://kb.acronis.com/content/19296 but is talking about different system or upgrade OS.

And in this topic, https://forum.acronis.com/forum/127630, not possible on a different computer.

 

If definitely not possible with Acronis, is the best option still to reinstall all software manually on the new laptop and re-configure all of them from scratch ?

Or tools like PCMover from Laplink, CloneApp from Mirinsoft, PCTrans from EaseUS or PCTransfer from IObit can do the job ?

 

Regards

 

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Sebastien, you have already picked up on the key KB document: 19296: Acronis Products Cannot Be Used to Transfer Applications to Different System or Upgrade OS that deals with your specific question about transferring program (with settings) and Windows User configuration settings.

The other post you picked up, post: 127630: New computer migration has shown that it is possible to transfer the whole Windows 10 OS with all included programs, settings etc to a different computer provided that you can satisfy a number of key points.

In you case, having two Intel based laptops, both with UEFI and running Windows 10 OS, same disk controller mode of AHCI should be a fairly easy migration provided that you understand that you are not transferring just the programs and settings, but the whole Windows OS installation.

The method of proceding to do this would be as follows:

  1. Using ATIH 2017 (installed on the source laptop) - first create the Acronis bootable Rescue Media on CD/DVD or USB memory stick, and also create the Acronis Universal Restore media on either the same CD/DVD or USB stick or on a separate media.
  2. Create a full disk & partitions backup of the source laptop drive to an external backup drive.
  3. Create a full disk & partitions backup of the target laptop drive to an external backup drive - this is for a safeguard in case this migration process does not work, so that you can get back to your starting point on the target laptop.  Alternatively, you could replace the target laptop drive with a new or spare drive and put the current Windows 10 drive aside.
  4. Boot the target laptop from the Acronis Rescue Media with the external backup drive connected - check that you can see all the disk drives to be used, i.e. the internal and external drives.  The Rescue Media should be started in UEFI mode, the same as used for Windows 10.
  5. Restore the backup of the source laptop drive to the target laptop drive - restore the full disk & all partitions.
  6. Shutdown the target laptop, remove the Rescue media and the external drive.
  7. Boot the target laptop from the Acronis Universal Restore media and follow the prompts to select the restored Windows 10 OS to be prepared.  If needed, you may be prompted for any additional device drivers required.  When complete, shutdown and remove the AUR media, then restart normally to boot into Windows.

If all the above steps go correctly then you should see the restored Windows 10 OS detecting any new hardware devices in the target laptop and installing device drivers for the same as needed.   

Thanks Steve for your quick reply.

I was thinking your solution, but what about the windows license key ? Each laptop has its own windows license key, surely based on hardware (oem version) provided by the laptop manufacturer. One is an Acer with core i3 and geforce gt 720m, the new one is an Asus Rog with a core i5 and a geforce gtx 1060.

 

Sebastien, Windows 10 is licensed according the the hardware signature and you don't get a specific license key or need one.  Provided Windows 10 has been previously activated on both laptops, so just moving Windows to the new laptop shouldn't cause an issue with activation as far as I am aware, and this has been the case for other users who have done the same actions.

If you have a backup of the new laptop before you attempt the migration then you still have a way to go back to where you started if the worse case occurs and you cannot activate the migrated OS.