Ask Leo! #736 – Can I Copy Windows 10 System Files to Another Drive?

Well, would ya look at the date! A very Merry Christmas to all! (Smile)

Copy Windows 10 to another drive? If only it were that easy. (Hint: it's not.)

Pagefile.sys: big, hidden, and mysterious. Do you need it? Maybe. Can you delete it? It depends.

Ever get that message from Windows telling you your network administrator has restricted something? Except ... there's no network administrator! Yeah, me too.

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Leo

Can I Copy Windows 10 System Files to Another Drive?

Can I copy Windows 10 system files to another drive and boot from it, assuming all other computer components are original to the first drive? I want to keep my Windows 10 license.

Taking your question literally, the answer is no. You cannot simply copy Windows (or pretty much any installed operating system) from one drive to another, or one machine to another, and have it work. Windows is too complex.

However, if what you're really trying to do is, say, replace a hard disk, or move your Windows installation to a different machine, the answers get more complex — and in some cases, more promising.

Continue Reading: Can I Copy Windows 10 System Files to Another Drive?
https://askleo.com/67844

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What Is Pagefile.sys? Can I Delete It?

Pagefile.sys is a file created and used by Windows to manage memory usage.

It takes some special steps if you want to remove it, but it's not really difficult.

The catch is, you probably don't want to.

Continue Reading: What Is Pagefile.sys? Can I Delete It?
https://askleo.com/15171

Who Is the Administrator of my Home Network?

Windows often advises that you “contact your network administrator” or it has a feature that has been disabled by the network administrator. But on a home network, one is the network administrator! How does one log in as the “network administrator” (as opposed to a normal administrator account) or override these settings?

You're quite right: you are the network administrator of your own home network.

In many ways, this terminology is a manifestation of the fact that in many ways, Windows is designed for large businesses, which feature larger and more complex networks managed by real, honest-to-goodness network administrators.

At home, you have no one to contact but yourself.

Continue Reading: Who Is the Administrator of my Home Network?
https://askleo.com/4865

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Posted: December 25, 2018 in: 2018
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