Migrating to a new computer

How to drift to a new Windows PC

All your files, apps, and settings are on your old computer. Here'due south how to movement them to your new Windows PC, from either Windows or macOS.

Executive Editor for Global Content, Computerworld |

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Old PC, new PC. It'due south great to go a new computer, but it'due south not and so great to realize that all your stuff is on the quondam one.

At that place are several ways to transfer your old computer's files, apps, and settings to your new PC. The best and easiest mode is to use a deject storage service as the waystation. Cloud storage works whether you lot are moving from a Windows vii PC to a Windows 10 ane, or from one Windows 10 PC to some other. It even works if you are moving from a Macintosh to a Windows PC. Our commodity "The best way to transfer files to a new Windows PC or Mac" explains the ins and outs of migrating to a new computer via the cloud.

That said, you may not be able to use the cloud to transfer your files — for instance, if the data-usage costs would exist too high or you are not connected to the net, or if your IT section won't let you lot install the cloud business relationship on both the old and new PCs.

And yous might want to transfer more than simply files from your old computer to your new ane. This story includes methods for migrating files and apps, every bit well equally browser bookmarks; ane method can transfer some system settings as well.

Transferring files locally to a new PC

At that place are several methods to transfer files locally from an old computer to a new Windows PC, and well-nigh work whether y'all're moving from a Windows PC to a Windows PC or from a Mac to a Windows PC.

Direct file transfer via an external drive

You can connect an external hard drive, SD card, or thumb drive to your old PC, copy your files to information technology, then eject that device from the old computer, plug it into the new PC and copy the files to that new PC. The play tricks here (besides having enough storage capacity on your transfer drive) is to have your files and folders organized well enough and then yous get them all.

I recommend that you use the same folder organization on your new PC as on your quondam reckoner, at least to first. Once your migration is consummate, you should consider storing your files on the cloud for easier access, as the article "The best way to transfer files to a new Windows PC or Mac" explains.

Tip: If you are transferring files from a Mac to a PC, the external difficult drive must be formatted as MS-DOS, non NTFS or APFS. SD cards and thumb drives apply the aforementioned FAT32 format on both macOS and Windows, so if your files fit on those storage devices, that's ofttimes easier than using a hard drive.

Note: Digitally rights-managed files like purchased music normally won't piece of work once copied. The best way to transfer these is to re-download them from the service where you bought them. Such re-downloads are typically free.

Direct file transfer will non move your locally stored email files to the new PC. Windows stores these files in fairly arcane places, and copying them to a new PC often doesn't piece of work considering of how they are tied to the electronic mail application's Bone settings. I recommend yous make sure all your emails are stored in your email server (that is in, in your email client brand sure all your emails reside in folders stored on the server), so they can just sync to the email client on your new PC. The Microsoft Outlook client supports several servers, non just Microsoft's Commutation and Microsoft 365/Role 365 typically used in concern.

Note: IT retention policies may limit how far back emails are stored on the server, so you may accept local emails you lot tin't transfer that style. In that case, Microsoft Outlook does permit you lot import the local PST files to a Windows PC from the Outlook app on another Windows PC or Mac; Microsoft has provided export instructions and dissever import instructions.

Local contacts and calendar entries too are very hard to directly transfer from 1 computer to some other, and it is all-time to make sure they are stored on a server, such as Exchange, Microsoft 365/Role 365, G Suite/Google Workspace/Gmail/Google Calendar, or iCloud, so they will sync to your contacts and agenda apps on your new PC. Your contacts and calendar apps may have an consign feature that yous tin can try. (You can oftentimes export individual contacts as a VCF file, for instance.) These days, few contacts and calendar apps are non server-based, and so chances are very loftier your contacts and calendar entries are stored somewhere they tin can be synced from into Outlook.

Transfer via a File History backup

Windows 7 through Windows 10 have a congenital-in fill-in utility that lets you restore a PC's folder and files — but not settings or applications. Y'all can use the Windows backup characteristic to restore files from an old PC to a new ane. Windows calls this facility File History.

In Windows x, you set upwardly your backup in the Backup pane of the Update & Security section of Settings. You lot click Add together a drive to select the external bulldoze for fill-in and restore. Once you take selected a bulldoze, you enable automatic fill-in past turning the Automatically back upwards my files switch to On.

migrate new win10 pc backup settings IDG

Windows x'due south backup settings: When no fill-in bulldoze is chosen (left) and afterward a drive is chosen and backup is enabled (right). (Click image to overstate it.)

Y'all can fine-melody the backup settings in the Fill-in options pane by clicking the More options link. For instance, you can ready the fill-in frequency, folders to be backed up and folders to exclude, and finish using the backup drive (to select a unlike backup drive, for example).

Nigh important, at the very lesser of the Backup options pane is the Restore files from a current backup link. Use information technology to restore files from the backup drive.

Tip: You can support to and restore from a network drive if it is set upwardly in the Windows 10 File Explorer. Click the Mapping a network drive link for details on how to do that.

Note: Windows x tin restore from a Windows 7 backup; click the Become to Fill-in and restore (Windows vii) link to initiate that performance on your new PC.

In Windows 7, right-click your local drive to open up the Properties window, then click Support now in the Tools pane to open the Back upwardly or restore your files window. That's where you lot can back upwardly your old PC or restore it to a new PC, using the external bulldoze containing the fill-in.

Transfer via a file-transfer utility

If you want more manus-holding in your file transfer, you can buy and apply a utility similar Laplink's $60 PCmover Professional, which has been effectually for decades. Information technology works over your network and optionally via a direct cable connection provided by Laplink if you lot buy the CD version, lets you choose which files and folders to transfer, and will transfer your settings, bookmarks, and applications besides. You lot can migrate from quondam Windows versions to later on Windows versions, as well as between the same versions. (One exception: you cannot migrate from Windows XP to Windows XP.)

Notation: You need administrator privileges in Windows to use all of PCmover's capabilities.

Before you transfer any applications via a utility similar PCmover, sign out of or deactivate any apps on your old computer. Almost software these days is tied to an online account that limits the number of agile installations or has digital rights direction to prevent piracy via copying. You lot don't want the transfer to exist seen as a piracy attempt or as an additional installation that counts against any limit yous may accept.

Another option is EhlerTech's USMTGUI, a graphical front to Microsoft's command-line User State Migration Tool, which works with Windows 8 through 10. The Pro version adds support for migrating from (but not to) Windows XP and Vista. USMTGUI (like USMT) transfers only settings and associated data similar emails, not applications. The home version pricing starts at $x, and the corporate license pricing starts at $200.

Transferring and setting up apps on your new PC

Regardless of the transfer method yous use, y'all almost certainly will accept apps to reinstall, depending on what IT did for you in preparing your new calculator. (PCmover Professional will transfer well-nigh apps; its documentation describes its limitations.)

On your new PC, re-download the apps y'all demand and sign in every bit required. You lot'll discover some apps on the Microsoft Store in Windows 10, while others you lot'll need to download from the manufacturer'southward website. If you're moving from macOS to Windows, some apps won't exist bachelor for installation in Windows, just most macOS business organisation apps come up in both versions and most software manufacturers (but non all!) allow y'all use the same license on either platform.

In most cases, you'll need to ready your applications' preferences on the new figurer, and then set bated the fourth dimension to exercise that.

Transferring browser bookmarks to your new PC

Y'all likewise will desire to transfer your bookmarks from your former computer's browser to your new computer's browser. There are three methods: direct syncing between the same browser, syncing between macOS'south Safari and sure Windows browsers, and exporting a browser'southward bookmark files to import into a different browser. The beginning ii methods proceed the browsers in sync, whereas the third method is a manual arroyo for when you are moving to a new computer (or browser) and won't use the old computer (or browser) anymore.

Chrome, Firefox, and Edge all sync bookmarks across all your devices if they are all signed into the same account. Just enable syncing in each browser on each device yous use. To be clear, you tin sync only to the same browser, such as from Chrome to Chrome.

Apple's Safari is non bachelor for Windows (or Android), but you tin sync between Apple's Safari and a supported Windows browser (Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox) if iCloud is installed in Windows and signed in to the same account as the Mac or iOS device running Safari. Note: iCloud syncing is not bachelor for education users with managed Apple IDs.

For situations where your browser is not signed into the same account as your quondam computer, the major browsers all have a facility to export and import bookmarks via files:

  • Google Chrome: To consign bookmarks, click the vertical three-dot icon at the height correct of your browser window, then select Bookmarks > Bookmark Manager from the menu that appears. Click the three-dot icon to the right of the search bar and select Consign bookmarks. To import bookmarks, follow the aforementioned procedure just choose Import bookmarks instead of Export Bookmarks.
  • Mozilla Firefox: To export bookmarks, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Shift-B in Windows or ⌘-Shift-B in macOS to open the Library window, which shows all your bookmarks. Select the desired bookmark folder (or All Bookmarks), then choose the Import and Backup push button (in macOS, information technology's the icon of two arrows) > Export Bookmarks to HTML. To import bookmarks, follow the same procedure simply choose Import Bookmarks from HTML instead of Export Bookmarks to HTML.
  • Apple Safari: To export bookmarks from this macOS browser for import into a Windows browser, choose the File menu > Export Bookmarks.
  • Microsoft Edge (legacy version): To consign bookmarks from this Windows 10-just browser that is pre-installed in Windows 10 versions prior to 20H2, click the three-dot icon to open the General window, click Import or Export to open the Import export window, scroll downwardly until you see Export your favorites and reading list to an HTML file, select Favorites to export your bookmarks, so click Export to file. To import bookmarks, follow the aforementioned procedure but click Import from file in the Import or export
  • Microsoft Edge (Chromium version): In both Windows and macOS, to export bookmarks from this optionally installed Chromium-based browser that will get the Windows ten default starting with version 20H2, click the Favorites button (the star icon), and then choose Manage favorites to open the Favorites window, select the desired bookmarks folder to consign, click the horizontal three-dot icon at the top right of the browser window, and choose Export favorites. To import bookmarks, follow the same procedure but choose Import favorites instead of Export favorites.
  • Internet Explorer: To consign bookmarks from this discontinued Windows browser, click the Favorites button (star icon), cull Import and Export from its menu, select the Export to a file option, click Next >, select Favorites to export bookmarks (and optionally Feed and Cookies to consign them), click Adjacent >, cull the bookmarks binder to export, click Next >, set the export location, and click Consign. To import bookmarks, follow the same procedure but select the Import from a file.

When everything is transferred, be sure to sign out of all your accounts, such equally Microsoft, Google, iCloud, iTunes, browser sync, shopping, and deject storage accounts, on the old computer. You don't desire to exceed any maximums on computers that can be signed in, and yous don't desire the next owner to exist able to apply your accounts, especially any that may connect to credit and debit cards. Y'all might even consider wiping/reformatting the erstwhile computer, merely check with IT starting time, in case they need to keep it equally is for some menstruum of time for regulatory or HR policy reasons.

Further reading:

  • How to switch from Android to iPhone
  • How to switch from iPhone to Android
  • How to motion data between your Android telephone and a computer
  • How to motion files between an iPhone and Android phone

Galen Gruman is executive editor for global content at IDG Foundry Co.'s enterprise sites.

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