How to Copy OS to A New Hard Drive

Can I copy my operating system and files from one hard drive to another hard drive? I want to wipe the other hard drive clean.

Of course you can. But what you should pay attention is that you can't simply copy and paste your operating system by using Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V, for this only copies files that you can see, but there are many other invisible files, core components of your system like boot files, that can't be copied in the way. So if you want to copy OS to a new hard drive and want it work normally, you have to clone or image it. Only cloning and imaging can help to copy the full operating system.

How to Copy OS fully to a new hard drive?

To clone or image the full operating system, you need to use a third party program that supports cloning or imaging your Windows. You can try Wondershare LiveBoot Boot CD, with which you can clone your OS or image your OS. And the bootable CD/USB it offers gives you a pure environment without any infection or damage. You can copy a clean operating system for your new hard drive.

Tips:

Cloning OS will help you make a OS copy exactly as your original one, while imaging OS will help to copy your OS as an image file. Both of them are full OS contents.

Get LiveBoot CD/USB here

Step 1. Boot your computer from LiveBoot

Insert the CD or plug in the USB to your computer and start it. Choose to boot from LiveBoot. This LiveBoot integrates with the latest Microsoft PE 3.0 technology, and it's compatible with all brands of computers. Even when your computer can't be booted up, you also can use this LiveBoot to boot your computer and copy your operating system.

Step 2. Begin to copy your OS

After getting into Windows, the LiveBoot will be launched automatically. Then go to "Disk Management", and you can copy your OS here now

You can choose to clone the entire disk, or only the partition where your operating system exists. The content you clone will keep the original path. Or you can choose "Disk Backup" or "Partition Backup" to image your operating system to another disk.

Step 3. Copy OS to your new hard drive

After cloning or imaging your OS, you can copy it to your new hard drive now. If you chose to clone, you can clone it to your new drive just as the steps you operated above. If you imaged it, you can restore it to your new hard drive. And that's done.

Of course, if you don't think your operating works well, you can choose to reinstall it on your new hard drive. And this LiveBoot can help to find your Windows ID and key. You don't need to spend any extra dollars in purchasing a Windows.

Know more about Wondershare LiveBoot Boot CD