This is the most reliable method. We will use VirtualBox to "trick" the Windows installer into thinking it is installing on a generic computer, writing the data directly to your physical hard drive.

Run:

2026-04-14 Objective: To successfully install the Windows operating system onto a physical hard drive using one computer (Host) so that the drive can boot and run on a different, target computer (Destination).

Installing Windows on a hard drive for use in a different computer is possible and often straightforward, though it requires specific steps to ensure the new hardware recognizes the operating system.