Windows 10 Can I use a windows file backup to boot Windows again?

[papaformigas]

HI,

Recently I took the 2.5" SSD off from my Windows notebook, formatted it and installed MACOSX to use it on. a Mac temporarily.

Some time later I bought a NVMe M.2 SSD to upgrade the MAC and a M.2 SSD to upgrade the Windows notebook.

As the Windows notebook accepts two 2.5" SATA SSDs, I thought i could include both the original 2.5" SSD and the new M.2 SSD with an adapter to fit it in the 2.5" SDD bay.

When I initially took off the 2.5" SSD from my notebook I did a copy and paste of the hole windows file structure that came pre installed with the notebook to a backup drive I have,

I now want to use all this Windows backup file structure in the Windows notebook again in order to boot the notebook as i used but do not know how i can do it?

All I can read in the internet are tutorials to install new Windows OS but what i want is to use the Windows OS file structure that is copied in the file structure I have in the backup drive.

I also do not know if its best to use M.2 128GB as startup system or the original 2.5 SSD 240GB. It seems to me that the M.2 SSD is faster that the 2.5" SDD.

What can I do?

 

[patcooke]

You cannot simply copy a complete folder and file structure to make a system bootable. You need to have used an install disk to make the system bootable as you yourself have described in the internet tutorials you have found.

 

[papaformigas]

So do I need to use the original install disks of the notebook to install the windows again in the SSD and them move over the windows system backup files to overwrite the installed windows system. The install disks install Windows 7 and in the backup its windows 10...

Cant i just make the SSD bootable and them copy the files over.. because the files is the hole Windows system files.

 

[Neemobeer]

Copying the file structure is only one of the partitions. That doesn't create the boot partition nor copy any of the files that allows windows to load. While technically true you could do some work to make it bootable it is not an easy process for technical or non-technical people. It would simply be easier to just re-install Windows on the SSD after backing up your data if needed. You don't need to install Windows 7 on it, just install Windows 10 and if it's a digital entitlement it should just activate or if you have a Windows 7 license you can enter that and it should activate Windows 10 just fine.

 

[patcooke]

because the files is the hole Windows system files.

This is the problem - the Windows system is more than just the files which are visible to you - there are masses of entries, registrations, files associations etc - it is much more than making a drive bootable and copying files. (it's the same with applications programs - installing an applications program is more than just copying the files from the "program files" folder.