I'm in the process of building a new all-AMD system (7800x3d/9070 xt) and I'm considering cloning my Windows installation from my current Intel/NVIDIA laptop (11800h/3060). I've heard about using DDU to remove drivers beforehand, but I'm concerned about potential leftover driver issues or conflicts. Would this cloning process work smoothly, or would it be better to do a fresh install of Windows?
4 Answers
Cloning might work, but there’s a chance you'll encounter leftover driver issues. To play it safe, I’d recommend doing a fresh Windows install instead.
Just a heads up, if you're moving your Windows install, it could end up deactivated. But both Windows and Linux are smart enough to set up standard drivers that should make your GPU, LAN, and Wi-Fi work, even if they're not the latest versions.
I’ve never had much success with cloning old OS drives. For a new PC like yours, starting fresh is usually the best way to go.
My current OS install is over 20 years old! I started on a spinning drive with Athlon (XP, upgraded to 7), cloned to an SSD with Intel (Win 7, then upgraded to 10), and finally, moved it from SSD to NVMe with Ryzen (10, upgraded to 11). All using AMD cards!
I have a Linux install too, and I'm definitely cloning that! I've used it to boot on different machines without any issues since most Linux drivers are part of the kernel, so conflict isn't a big concern.