Hardware migration: 8300 to ProDesk under W10.

[BroMama]

I am stymied.

I have an HP 8300 with W10 Pro 64 installed and operational.

I want to migrate this W10 Pro 64 installation and ALL the installed Software and User Data to a ProDesk.

The version of ProDesk supports W11 whereas my 8300 doesn't.

No, I do not want to hear how to cause / make W11 work on the 8300, Thank you in advance.

Can I migrate my existing W10 install from my 8300 to my ProDesk?

If so, how?

Best regards,

Mike Lynch

[NonSequitur777]

@BroMama,

I already answered your question in your previous discussion thread.

It's exceedingly unlikely you're going to get a different response from anybody else out here.

Summarizing:

You can certainly try to clone your HP 8300’s Windows 10 drive to the ProDesk, but in practice it usually won’t work well.

Windows installations are tightly tied to the original hardware (chipset, drivers, activation). Even if it boots, you’ll often run into blue screens, missing drivers, or license errors.

The stable path is, again:

• Do a clean install of Windows 10 Pro (or Windows 11 Pro, since your ProDesk supports it).

• Migrate your user data (documents, pictures, etc.).

• Re-install your apps with their license keys.

If you insist and really want to move apps and settings as well, you could look at a tool like PCmover (paid). It won’t carry over the raw Windows install, but it can automate moving software and profiles once the new system is set up.

Bottom line:

There is not a safe or recommended way to pick up your 8300’s Windows image and drop it onto the ProDesk.

That's simply not how it is done.

A fresh OS plus data/app migration will give you the most reliable result.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[BroMama]

@NonSequitur777

Simple to you but not so to this novice.

Copy whatever to whatever, right!

Help me do it once, and I'll be able to duplicate it.

Can I do the coping from the cloned disk I created?

How do I know what to copy, there are a lot of files on that disk?

If your still willing, please help me get "one" file copied and then let me try on my own.

My system has just been used for email, word and excel file work and Picasa photo accumulation.

Could / would you help me copy just one of these to W11 and hopefully see it actually work on from the W11 Drive?

If you can't, I thank you for your efforts on my behalf.

Best regards,

Mike Lynch

[BroMama]

@NonSequitur777

To add to my confusion, when I sign-in I'm asked to sign-in as a Google Account or a Local Account.

I have tried both and of course sighed in with different Usernames.

Shame on me!

This has been a reason why I have not been able to consistently follow NonSequitur777 responses.

Some are under Mike-Lynch and some under BROMAMA.

Now I know and will only use the Google sign-in procedure.

Best regards and apologies,

Mike Lynch

[NonSequitur777]

@BroMama / @Mike-Lynch,

All right, it is sometimes difficult to ascertain an OP's level of experience -my bad...

So, in order to transfer files, you'll have to connect your cloned drive to your W11 PC using a SATA SSD to USB adapter, such as seen in this inexpensive Amazon purchase option: Amazon.com: BENFEI SATA to USB Cable, 2in1 USB-C/USB 3.0 to SATA III Hard Driver Adapter Compatible ... -I have one (several actually, but I digress), and I use it regularly, mostly to 'wipe' (reformat) SSDs and HDDs when connected to a PC.

Anyway, if your cloned disk is an HDD (mechanical drive), a 12V power supply is necessary -if this is the case, you'll have to use the second purchase option you can find in the aforementioned Amazon link.

Next:

• Plug the cloned drive to the SATA to USB adapter.

• Connect the adapter to a free USB port on the ProDesk. Use a USB port on the back of the PC if possible.

• Power on the ProDesk and sign into Windows 11. Windows should detect the drive automatically. You may see a notification “New device ready.”

• Open File Explorer (press Windows key + E). Click This PC in the left column. The cloned drive should appear as a new drive letter (e.g., D : or E:).

How to copy one Word file (step-by-step, exact clicks/keys):

Let's copy a single Word file from the cloned disk to your Windows 11 Documents folder:

1. Open File Explorer (Windows key + E).

2. Click This PC on the left. Find the cloned disk (e.g., E:). Double-click it.

3. Navigate to: Users → (old username folder) → Documents

   • If you don’t know the old username folder, open Users and look for a folder name that matches the old account (e.g., John, Owner, etc.).

   • If your Word files were saved elsewhere, check Pictures, Downloads, or Desktop inside that old user folder. Use the search box (top-right) and type *.docx or *.doc to find Word documents.

4. Find one file you want to test, e.g., MyLetter.docx.

5. Right-click the file → choose Copy (or select it and press Ctrl + C).

6. In the left column, open This PC → Local Disk (C:) → Users → (your current Windows 11 username) → Documents.

7. Right-click in the Documents folder window → choose Paste (or press Ctrl + V).

8. After it pastes, double-click the file you just pasted in Documents to open it. It should open in Word exactly like before.

If double-clicking asks you to choose an app, pick Microsoft Word.

---

Quick notes for photos (Picasa) and email:

• Photos: Picasa stored pictures in the old user’s Pictures folder. In the cloned drive look under Users\<oldname>\Pictures. Copy whole folders the same way you copied the Word file and then open them with Windows Photos app.

• Email (Outlook): email files (PST) are more advanced. If your email was web-mail (**bleep**, **bleep**), your messages are online and will work once you set up the account in Windows 11. If you used Outlook with a local PST file, ask me and I’ll walk you through locating and importing that specific file (that’s a second step -don’t do it yet).

---

Troubleshooting tips (common issues):

• If File Explorer won’t open the file: make sure Word is installed on Windows 11.

• If the cloned drive looks empty: make sure you opened the Users folder on the cloned drive (system folders can mask personal files). Use *.docx (*.doc) or *.jpg search.

• If Windows asks to format or initialize the drive -do not format. That will erase the data. Close that window and check Disk Management instead:

The drive doesn’t show in File Explorer (common) — quick fixes:

1. Open Disk Management: right-click the Start button → choose Disk Management.

2. Look for the disk in the lower pane. Possible states and fixes:

   • Disk X = Offline (often happens with cloned system disks): right-click the left label (where it says “Disk 1”) and choose Online.

   • Has no drive letter: right-click the partition (the right pane area) → Change Drive Letter and Paths… → Add → pick a letter.

   • Says “Not Initialized” — do not initialize that disk (initializing can wipe it). If it’s genuinely uninitialized and you expected it to hold old data, stop and ask for help.

3. After bringing it online or assigning a drive letter, go back to This PC in File Explorer  -the drive should appear.

---

Summary:

• Try the USB adapter method first -it’s the simplest and safest.

• Follow the “How to copy one Word file” steps exactly. If you get stuck on any step, tell me the exact message you see (e.g., “Drive shows Offline in Disk Management” or “I don’t see a folder called Users”) and I will give the next step to fix that exact problem.

• When you’ve successfully copied and opened one file, you’ll be able to repeat the same move for all the other files!

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[BroMama]

Please give me a day or two to read, re-read and absorb the information in your Post.

I will do / prepare what may be needed and implement it.

Thank you for staying with me.

Important item:

My wife shares the PC in question with me.

She is a User and has her own Desktop.

She has many "things" on here Desktop.

If possible, I'd like to try and move her User status, Desktop and "things" over to the ProDesk asap.

After 61 years of marriage, keeping peace at home is number one.

Best regards,

Mike Lynch

[DGroves]

windows 10 is out of mainstream support in less than 2 weeks and will then have a optional 1 year extension if you agree to let MS use you data for advertising purposes so moving to windows 11 should be considered

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/extended-security-updates

your request to move users and apps/data between systems is actually a rather involved and complex operation cloning a drive will usually duplicate all existing users  onto the new drive

if cloning a drive, fails to work for you then you will need to create user profiles on the new system for each of you

and creating the user profiles should be done first before moving anyones data

read this link on creating a user profile and let us know if you can do it or require additional help again this is only if cloning your existing hard drive image onto a the new computers HD fails

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/manage-user-accounts-in-windows-104dc19f-6430-4b49-6a2b-...

[NonSequitur777]

@DGroves,

My friend, I couldn't agree more.  However, the OP made it crystal clear, and I quote (including bold emphasis): "No, I do not want to hear how to cause / make W11 work on the 8300, Thank you in advance." -end quote.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[DGroves]

i was aware of his desire to stay with windows 10 which is why i reminded him that all security patches, OS fixes and everything else ends in approx 2 weeks

while i do understand the reluctance of many users to move to a newer OS,................. having a unsupported OS that goes on the internet with users who are not that skilled (as many of us can be) in recognizing threats that either encrypt your data for ransom or steal your credit card data or your identity really should be prompted to move to windows 11

even with all of my years in "IT" support i have been hit with credit card details theft twice and the aftermath each time trying to straighten it out was time consuming and a very unpleasant experience to say the least

[NonSequitur777]

@DGroves,

One can hope that perchance your spiel changed the OP's mind! 

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777