Best Way to Restore Windows 10 to Dissimilar Hardware

How to restore Windows 10 to dissimilar hardware? If you are trying to do the Windows 10 migration and wondering what is dissimilar hardware. You are lucky to be here. Start to use the best backup software.

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Updated by Daisy on Jul 20, 2023
Written by Tracy King
Can I restore a Windows system image backup to a computer with dissimilar hardware? - quora.com

Are you searching for a solution to this question? If yes, you are lucky! This article holds a reliable method to restore Windows 10 to dissimilar hardware.

Page Content:

What Is Dissimilar Hardware?
Can I Restore Windows 10 to Dissimilar Hardware?
Best Backup Software for Restoring Windows 10/11 to Dissimilar Hardware
How to Restore Windows 10 to Dissimilar Hardware
Restoring to Dissimilar Hardware FAQs

What Is Dissimilar Hardware?

Dissimilar hardware refers to computer components that are not the same. This can include different types of CPUs, types of GPUs, motherboards, and so on. The term is often used in contrast to "similar hardware," which refers to computer components that are the same.

For example, two identical CPUs would be considered similar hardware, while two dissimilar CPUs would not. Dissimilar hardware can offer advantages over similar hardware, particularly in compatibility and performance. In some cases, dissimilar hardware may be necessary to achieve the desired level of performance.

However, it is essential to note that dissimilar hardware can also introduce additional complexity and potential problems. It is essential to weigh the pros and cons before deciding to use dissimilar hardware in a given system.

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How to Clone Windows OS & Disk to Dissimilar Hardware

Cloning to dissimilar hardware is a great way to migrate from an old system to a new one without the hassle of reinstalling Windows and applications. Find out how to do it with this guide from EaseUS.

clone to dissimilar hardware

Can I Restore Windows 10 to Dissimilar Hardware?

Two issues:

#1. Hardware Incompatibility

You can restore Windows 10 to dissimilar hardware, but we also need to consider the incompatibility hardware issue. 

What aspects should we check:

1. Driver

One dissimilar hardware is the Drivers that will not work. You must go to Safe mode to overcome it and install the new drivers. 

2. Windows Re-activation

After restoring Windows 10 to another computer with dissimilar hardware, you need to reactivate Windows due to the Microsoft policy.

#2. License Type: Retail and Volume Can Be Moved

OEM licenses are tied to the computer they were first installed on and cannot be transferred. Retail licenses can be deactivated on one computer and then activated on another. Volume licenses can also be transferred, but the process is more complicated.

How to check Windows 10 License:

  • Run Command Prompt as an administrator.
  • Enter the command line and press Enter.

slmgr /dli

  • Check the Windows Script Host.

check Windows type

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How to Move Windows 10 to A New Computer with Dissimilar Hardware

Trying to move Windows 10 to a new computer with dissimilar hardware? Read on to get one great software.

Best Backup Software for Restoring Windows 10/11 to Dissimilar Hardware

EaseUS Todo Backup is an automatic backup and restores a solution that can be used to restore Windows 10 to dissimilar hardware. The "Universal Restore" feature of EaseUS Todo Backup allows you to restore Windows 10 to dissimilar hardware without worrying about hardware incompatibility issues. 

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Support Windows 11/10/8/7

With EaseUS Todo Backup, you can quickly create a system image and restore your Windows 10 installation to dissimilar hardware. It is an ideal solution for businesses and individuals who need to change their hardware frequently or who need to restore their systems after a hardware failure.

How to Restore Windows 10 to Dissimilar Hardware?

Step 1. On the main page, click "Select backup contents".

create system backup step1

Step 2. Among the four available categories, click OS.

create system backup step2

Step 3. EaseUS Todo Backup will automatically select your system partition, you only need to select the backup destination.

create system backup step3

Step 4. Both Local Drive and NAS are available for you to save the backup file.

create system backup step5

Step 5. After finishing the backup process, you can check the backup status, recover, open, or delete the backup by right-clicking the backup task on the left.

create system backup step5

*Try to boot the computer with the EaseUS Todo Backup emergency disk to accomplish system recovery on a non-bootable machine..

Step 1. Click Browse to Recover to luanch EaseUS Todo Backup.

Click Browse to Recover

Step 2. Navigate to the backup location, and then select the system backup file you need. (The backup file created by EaseUS Todo Backup is a pbd file.)

System recovery step2

Step 3. Select a recovery disk. Verify that the partition styles on the source and recovery disks are same.

system recovery step3

Step 4. You may change the disk layout to suit your requirements. Then, to begin system backup recovery, select Proceed.

Sytem recovery step4

Video Guide: Restoring an Image Backup from One Computer to Another

This video provides a correct solution to restore an image backup to a new computer.

Timestamps:
0:54 You can restore an image to a new machine
1:15 Probably won't work
1:25 What your backup is for
2:00 Windows configures itself for your machine
3:01 Three possible outcomes
5:00 Restoring to a different machine might work if . . .
6:58 What should you do instead?
7:47 Possible tools

Restoring to Dissimilar Hardware FAQs

How do I restore to dissimilar hardware?

You can restore to dissimilar hardware by using a disk image backup. This will refresh the entire contents of your hard drive, including the operating system, applications, and settings. You can create a disk image backup using software such as EaseUS Todo Backup. Once you have made the backup, you can restore it to dissimilar hardware by booting from the backup media and following the prompts.

Can you restore Windows 10 to another computer?

You can restore Windows 10 to another computer, but you will need to have a backup of your system first.

To create a backup, you can use the built-in tools in Windows 10 or a third-party backup program. Once you have a backup, you can restore it to another computer.

In most cases, you will need to boot from a USB drive or optical disc and then follow the prompts to restore your system. Remember that restored systems often require additional configuration, such as installing drivers and software updates. As a result, it is typically best to fix Windows 10 to a computer similar to the one you backed up.

Can I restore a system image to a different computer?

You can restore a system image to a different computer as long as that computer has the same CPU architecture (32-bit or 64-bit) and uses the same edition of Windows 10. The restore process will overwrite the existing Windows installation on the target computer.

When restoring a system image to a computer with dissimilar hardware, it's recommended that you use the "Universal Restore" feature.

How do I clone Windows to another hardware?

You can clone Windows to another piece of hardware in a few different ways. One way is to use a disk cloning tool like EaseUS Todo Backup. 

It will clone your entire hard drive, including Windows, to the new piece of hardware. Another way is to use Microsoft's Backup and Restore to create a Windows image. 

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Updated by Daisy

Daisy is the Senior editor of the writing team for EaseUS. She has been working in EaseUS for over ten years, starting from a technical writer to a team leader of the content group. As a professional author for over 10 years, she writes a lot to help people overcome their tech troubles.

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Written by Tracy King

Tracy joined in EaseUS in 2013 and has been working with EaseUS content team for over 10 years. Being enthusiastic in computing and technology, she writes tech how-to articles and share technical solutions to resolve Windows & Mac data recovery, data backup, partition management, data transfer, Windows update issues, etc.

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Product Reviews

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  • Taking everything into consideration, we can say that EaseUS Todo Backup Home can offer you a little extra sense of security with a set of advanced tools. The interface provides quick adaptation, every process guiding you all the way through so you don't get stuck or further damage your system rather than keeping it safe.

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  • EaseUS Todo Backup Free lets you create backups of your important files or your entire computer through its streamlined interface. Just choose the backup type you'd like to get started, and let the program do the reset.

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  • EaseUS includes all the features I expect from backup software like versioning, incremental backups, and scheduling. For more advanced users, EaseUS allows you to install a pre-boot environment onto your hard drive so you can use it to restore files without burning a CD or putting it on an external USB drive.

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