Migrating to a new computer

How to drift to a new Windows PC

All your files, apps, and settings are on your erstwhile computer. Here'south how to motion 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 become a new figurer, but it's non so cracking to realize that all your stuff is on the former one.

There are several ways to transfer your quondam computer'southward files, apps, and settings to your new PC. The all-time and easiest fashion is to use a deject storage service as the waystation. Cloud storage works whether you are moving from a Windows 7 PC to a Windows x 1, or from one Windows 10 PC to another. It even works if y'all are moving from a Macintosh to a Windows PC. Our article "The all-time way to transfer files to a new Windows PC or Mac" explains the ins and outs of migrating to a new figurer via the cloud.

That said, you may non be able to apply the cloud to transfer your files — for case, if the data-usage costs would be too high or you are not connected to the cyberspace, or if your It department won't allow you install the cloud account on both the erstwhile and new PCs.

And you might want to transfer more than just files from your one-time calculator to your new one. This story includes methods for migrating files and apps, every bit well as browser bookmarks; ane method can transfer some system settings besides.

Transferring files locally to a new PC

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

Directly file transfer via an external drive

You can connect an external hard bulldoze, SD carte, or pollex drive to your old PC, copy your files to it, then eject that device from the old computer, plug information technology into the new PC and copy the files to that new PC. The flim-flam hither (besides having enough storage chapters on your transfer drive) is to have your files and folders organized well plenty so you go them all.

I recommend that yous use the same folder organization on your new PC as on your old computer, at least to start. Once your migration is consummate, you should consider storing your files on the deject for easier access, as the commodity "The best way to transfer files to a new Windows PC or Mac" explains.

Tip: If yous are transferring files from a Mac to a PC, the external difficult drive must be formatted as MS-DOS, not NTFS or APFS. SD cards and thumb drives use the aforementioned FAT32 format on both macOS and Windows, and then if your files fit on those storage devices, that's often easier than using a hard drive.

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

Direct file transfer will not movement your locally stored email files to the new PC. Windows stores these files in adequately arcane places, and copying them to a new PC often doesn't work because of how they are tied to the e-mail application's Bone settings. I recommend you make sure all your emails are stored in your email server (that is in, in your email client brand certain 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, not just Microsoft'due south Exchange and Microsoft 365/Office 365 typically used in business.

Note: IT retention policies may limit how far back emails are stored on the server, so you may have local emails you can't transfer that mode. In that case, Microsoft Outlook does permit y'all import the local PST files to a Windows PC from the Outlook app on some other Windows PC or Mac; Microsoft has provided export instructions and separate import instructions.

Local contacts and agenda entries likewise are very hard to direct transfer from i estimator to another, and it is best to make certain they are stored on a server, such as Commutation, Microsoft 365/Role 365, G Suite/Google Workspace/Gmail/Google Calendar, or iCloud, and so they volition sync to your contacts and agenda apps on your new PC. Your contacts and calendar apps may have an export feature that you can attempt. (You can often export individual contacts as a VCF file, for example.) These days, few contacts and agenda apps are not server-based, and so chances are very loftier your contacts and calendar entries are stored somewhere they can exist synced from into Outlook.

Transfer via a File History backup

Windows 7 through Windows x have a congenital-in backup utility that lets you restore a PC'southward folder and files — but not settings or applications. You can use the Windows backup feature to restore files from an old PC to a new i. Windows calls this facility File History.

In Windows 10, you gear up up your fill-in in the Backup pane of the Update & Security section of Settings. Yous click Add a bulldoze to select the external drive for backup and restore. Once you have selected a bulldoze, you enable automatic fill-in by turning the Automatically back up my files switch to On.

migrate new win10 pc backup settings IDG

Windows 10'southward backup settings: When no backup drive is chosen (left) and after a bulldoze is chosen and backup is enabled (correct). (Click image to enlarge it.)

You can fine-tune the backup settings in the Fill-in options pane past clicking the More options link. For example, you can gear up the backup frequency, folders to exist backed up and folders to exclude, and stop using the backup drive (to select a different backup drive, for instance).

Most important, at the very bottom of the Fill-in options pane is the Restore files from a current backup link. Utilize it to restore files from the backup bulldoze.

Tip: You can back upward to and restore from a network bulldoze if it is ready in the Windows 10 File Explorer. Click the Mapping a network drive link for details on how to exercise that.

Note: Windows 10 can restore from a Windows 7 backup; click the Go to Backup and restore (Windows seven) link to initiate that performance on your new PC.

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

Transfer via a file-transfer utility

If you desire more manus-holding in your file transfer, y'all tin buy and use a utility similar Laplink'south $60 PCmover Professional, which has been around for decades. It works over your network and optionally via a direct cable connexion provided by Laplink if y'all buy the CD version, lets yous choose which files and folders to transfer, and will transfer your settings, bookmarks, and applications likewise. Yous can migrate from former Windows versions to later Windows versions, every bit well as between the same versions. (1 exception: you cannot migrate from Windows XP to Windows XP.)

Note: You need administrator privileges in Windows to apply all of PCmover'due south capabilities.

Before you lot transfer any applications via a utility like PCmover, sign out of or deactivate any apps on your quondam computer. Most software these days is tied to an online account that limits the number of active installations or has digital rights management to preclude piracy via copying. Yous don't want the transfer to be seen as a piracy attempt or every bit an additional installation that counts against any limit yous may accept.

Some other selection is EhlerTech's USMTGUI, a graphical front end stop to Microsoft's command-line User Land Migration Tool, which works with Windows 8 through ten. The Pro version adds support for migrating from (merely non to) Windows XP and Vista. USMTGUI (like USMT) transfers merely settings and associated data like emails, not applications. The home version pricing starts at $10, and the corporate license pricing starts at $200.

Transferring and setting upwardly apps on your new PC

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

On your new PC, re-download the apps y'all need and sign in every bit required. You lot'll detect some apps on the Microsoft Shop in Windows 10, while others you'll demand to download from the manufacturer's website. If yous're moving from macOS to Windows, some apps won't be available for installation in Windows, but almost macOS business apps come in both versions and most software manufacturers (but not all!) allow you use the same license on either platform.

In nearly cases, you'll need to ready up your applications' preferences on the new reckoner, and so fix aside the time to do that.

Transferring browser bookmarks to your new PC

You lot also will want to transfer your bookmarks from your old calculator's browser to your new estimator's browser. There are three methods: direct syncing between the same browser, syncing betwixt macOS'south Safari and certain Windows browsers, and exporting a browser's bookmark files to import into a different browser. The beginning two methods keep the browsers in sync, whereas the tertiary method is a transmission arroyo for when y'all are moving to a new computer (or browser) and won't apply 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. But enable syncing in each browser on each device you utilize. To be clear, you tin can sync simply to the same browser, such every bit from Chrome to Chrome.

Apple'south Safari is non available for Windows (or Android), but you tin can sync betwixt Apple'due south Safari and a supported Windows browser (Net Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox) if iCloud is installed in Windows and signed in to the same business relationship as the Mac or iOS device running Safari. Note: iCloud syncing is non available for education users with managed Apple IDs.

For situations where your browser is non signed into the same account as your old figurer, the major browsers all have a facility to export and import bookmarks via files:

  • Google Chrome: To export bookmarks, click the vertical three-dot icon at the tiptop right of your browser window, then select Bookmarks > Bookmark Manager from the carte that appears. Click the iii-dot icon to the right of the search bar and select Export bookmarks. To import bookmarks, follow the same procedure only cull Import bookmarks instead of Export Bookmarks.
  • Mozilla Firefox: To consign bookmarks, utilize the keyboard shortcut Ctrl-Shift-B in Windows or ⌘-Shift-B in macOS to open up the Library window, which shows all your bookmarks. Select the desired bookmark binder (or All Bookmarks), then cull the Import and Backup push button (in macOS, it's the icon of 2 arrows) > Consign Bookmarks to HTML. To import bookmarks, follow the same process but cull Import Bookmarks from HTML instead of Consign Bookmarks to HTML.
  • Apple Safari: To export bookmarks from this macOS browser for import into a Windows browser, choose the File carte > Export Bookmarks.
  • Microsoft Border (legacy version): To consign bookmarks from this Windows 10-just browser that is pre-installed in Windows 10 versions prior to 20H2, click the 3-dot icon to open the Full general window, click Import or Export to open the Import export window, coil downward until yous meet Export your favorites and reading listing to an HTML file, select Favorites to export your bookmarks, so click Consign to file. To import bookmarks, follow the same procedure simply click Import from file in the Import or consign
  • Microsoft Edge (Chromium version): In both Windows and macOS, to export bookmarks from this optionally installed Chromium-based browser that will become the Windows 10 default starting with version 20H2, click the Favorites button (the star icon), so choose Manage favorites to open up the Favorites window, select the desired bookmarks folder to consign, click the horizontal three-dot icon at the summit right of the browser window, and choose Consign favorites. To import bookmarks, follow the same procedure simply choose Import favorites instead of Export favorites.
  • Internet Explorer: To export bookmarks from this discontinued Windows browser, click the Favorites button (star icon), cull Import and Export from its carte, select the Consign to a file choice, click Next >, select Favorites to consign bookmarks (and optionally Feed and Cookies to export them), click Side by side >, cull the bookmarks folder to export, click Next >, prepare the export location, and click Export. To import bookmarks, follow the aforementioned procedure merely select the Import from a file.

When everything is transferred, be sure to sign out of all your accounts, such as Microsoft, Google, iCloud, iTunes, browser sync, shopping, and cloud storage accounts, on the old estimator. You don't desire to exceed any maximums on computers that can be signed in, and you don't want the next owner to exist able to use your accounts, especially whatever that may connect to credit and debit cards. You might fifty-fifty consider wiping/reformatting the old computer, merely cheque with Information technology first, in case they need to keep it every bit is for some period of fourth dimension for regulatory or HR policy reasons.

Further reading:

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

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

Copyright © 2020 IDG Communications, Inc.