Utilizing File Historical past from Management Panel in Home windows 11.
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To exclude folders from the backup, choose Exclude folders from the left navigation menu, click on Add, and select the folders you wish to exclude.
To repeat the backed-up information to your new PC, plug the drive into it, repeat the above steps, and click on Restore private information.
For extra detailed directions, see “How one can use File Historical past in Home windows 10 and 11.”
Switch information by way of an exterior drive
Emigrate information and folders to your new PC, you possibly can dispense with utilizing any particular software program in any respect, and as a substitute join an exterior onerous drive, SD card, or thumb drive to your outdated PC, copy your information to it, then eject that machine from the outdated pc, plug it into the brand new PC and duplicate the information to that new PC. The trick right here (apart from having sufficient storage capability in your switch drive) is to have your information and folders organized properly sufficient so that you get all of them.
We advocate that you simply use the identical folder group in your new PC as in your outdated pc, not less than to start out.
Be aware: In case you are transferring information from a Mac to a PC, the exterior onerous drive should be formatted as MS-DOS, not NTFS or APFS. SD playing cards and thumb drives use the identical FAT32 format on each macOS and Home windows, so in case your information match on these storage gadgets, that’s typically simpler than utilizing a tough drive.
| A be aware about transferring e mail
For those who use a cloud-based mail service equivalent to Gmail or the Outlook internet app, you don’t have to switch your mail information. Nevertheless, when you use client-based e mail software program (just like the desktop model of Outlook), you’ve obtained some work forward of you. Direct file switch won’t transfer your domestically saved e mail information to the brand new PC, and copying them to a brand new PC typically doesn’t work due to how they’re tied to the e-mail software’s OS settings. We advocate you be sure all of your emails are saved in your e mail server to allow them to simply sync to the e-mail shopper in your new PC. The Microsoft Outlook shopper helps a number of servers, not simply Microsoft’s Alternate and Microsoft 365 usually utilized in enterprise. IT retention insurance policies might restrict how far again emails are saved on the server, so you will have native emails you possibly can’t switch that manner. In that case, Microsoft Outlook does allow you to import the native .PST information to a Home windows PC from the Outlook app on one other Home windows PC or Mac; Microsoft has offered export directions and separate import directions. Completely different shopper variations of Outlook have completely different most measurement limits for .PST information that may be transferred from one pc to a different. So when you’re planning to maneuver .PST information, learn this Microsoft article to seek out out these limits and get recommendation on methods you would possibly have the ability to cut back the scale of .PST information earlier than attempting to switch them. Native contacts and calendar entries likewise are very tough to straight switch from one pc to a different, and it’s best to ensure they’re saved on a server, equivalent to Alternate, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace/Gmail/Google Calendar, or iCloud, so they’ll sync to your contacts and calendar apps in your new PC. Your contacts and calendar apps might have an export characteristic you could attempt. (You possibly can typically export particular person contacts as a VCF file, for instance.) Today, few contacts and calendar apps are not server-based, so chances are high very excessive your contacts and calendar entries are saved someplace they are often synced. |
Switch information with a USB data-transfer cable
One of many easiest methods to maneuver information out of your outdated PC to a brand new one is to make use of a USB data-transfer cable. You possibly can’t use simply any USB cable; it must be one specifically designed to switch information. While you plug the cables in, they typically robotically set up the drivers they want. Additionally they include file-transfer software program that tends to be bare-bones however does the trick.
You possibly can simply discover the cables on-line. For those who’re transferring information between two PCs which have USB-C ports, take a look at this PCWorld article with suggestions for the most effective ones.
Switch information domestically over Wi-Fi or LAN
For those who’d like, you possibly can transfer your information out of your outdated PC to your new PC by way of Wi-Fi or a LAN. To do it, the PC together with your information and the PC to which you wish to switch them must be on the identical Wi-Fi or Ethernet community.
To do it, it’s essential activate community discovery and file sharing on each the PCs. In Home windows 11, choose Settings > Community & Web > Superior community settings > Superior sharing settings, and activate the toggles for Community Discovery and File and printer sharing.
In Home windows 10, choose Settings > Community & Web > Community and Sharing Heart. That can launch the Management Panel. In Management Panel, choose Change superior sharing settings from the fitting aspect of the display. On the display that seems, within the Community Discovery part, choose Activate community discovery, and within the File and Printer sharing part, choose Activate file and printer sharing.
Now you can drag and drop information and folders out of your outdated PC to your new one utilizing Home windows Explorer. Click on Community on the backside of the left-hand pane in File Explorer, discover the brand new PC to which you wish to switch information and folders, and duplicate them to it.
Be aware that transferring information this fashion may be flaky — you will have issues together with your PCs exhibiting up on the community. Setting it up takes just a few minutes, although, and if it doesn’t work you possibly can at all times use one other methodology on this story to switch the information. (For troubleshooting assist, you could wish to use the recommendation in PCWorld’s article “Home windows 11: How one can arrange a neighborhood community.”)
Switch information, settings, and extra by way of file-transfer software program
If you need extra hand-holding in your file switch, you should purchase and use a utility like Laplink’s $60 PCmover Skilled, which has been round for many years. It really works over your community (both Wi-Fi or Ethernet) or by way of Laplink’s Ethernet or USB cables (these price additional). It allows you to select which information and folders to switch, and can switch your settings, bookmarks, and functions too. You possibly can migrate from outdated Home windows variations to later Home windows variations, in addition to between the identical variations. (One exception: you can not migrate from Home windows XP to Home windows XP.)
Be aware: You want administrator privileges in Home windows to make use of all of PCmover’s capabilities.
Earlier than you switch any functions by way of a utility like PCmover, signal out of or deactivate any apps in your outdated pc. Most software program lately is tied to a web based account that limits the variety of lively installations or has digital rights administration to forestall piracy by way of copying. You don’t need the switch to be seen as a piracy try or as an extra set up that counts towards any restrict you will have.
An alternative choice is EhlerTech’s USMTGUI, a graphical entrance finish to Microsoft’s command-line Consumer State Migration Software. USMTGUI (like USMT) transfers solely settings and related information like emails, not functions. The house model pricing begins at $10, and the company license pricing begins at $300.
Set up and arrange apps in your new PC
Whatever the switch methodology you utilize, you virtually actually may have apps to reinstall, relying on what IT did for you in getting ready your new pc. (PCmover Skilled will switch most apps; its documentation describes its limitations.)
In your new PC, re-download the apps you want and register as required. You’ll discover some apps on the Microsoft Retailer, whereas others you’ll have to obtain from the software program vendor’s web site. As famous earlier, when you restore from a backup in Home windows Backup, you’ll discover placeholders on your apps that may pace up this course of.
Typically, you’ll have to arrange your functions’ preferences on the brand new pc, so put aside the time to try this.
Switch browser bookmarks to your new PC
You additionally will wish to switch your bookmarks out of your outdated pc’s browser to your new pc’s browser. There are three strategies: direct syncing between the identical browser and exporting a browser’s bookmark information to import into a special browser. The primary methodology retains the browsers in sync, whereas the second methodology is a handbook method for when you’re shifting to a brand new pc (or browser) and received’t use the outdated pc (or browser) anymore.
Chrome, Firefox, and Edge all sync bookmarks throughout all of your gadgets if they’re all signed into the identical account. Simply allow syncing in every browser on every machine you utilize. To be clear, you possibly can sync solely to the identical browser, equivalent to from Chrome to Chrome.
For conditions the place your browser isn’t signed into the identical account as your outdated pc, the most important browsers all have a facility to export and import bookmarks by way of information:
- Google Chrome: To export bookmarks, click on the vertical three-dot icon on the high proper of your browser window, then choose Bookmarks and lists > Bookmark Supervisor from the menu that seems. Click on the three-dot icon to the fitting of the search bar and choose Export bookmarks. To import bookmarks, comply with the identical process however select Import bookmarks as a substitute of Export Bookmarks.
- Mozilla Firefox: To export bookmarks, click on the Menu button (three horizontal strains) on the highest proper of the display, then choose Bookmarks and click on Handle bookmarks on the backside of the display. Choose Import and Backup from the highest of the display that seems and select Export Bookmarks to HTML. To import bookmarks, comply with the identical process however select Import Bookmarks from HTML as a substitute of Export Bookmarks to HTML.
- Microsoft Edge: Click on the Favorites button (the star icon), then click on the three-button icon on the high of the panel that seems and select Export favorites. To import bookmarks, comply with the identical process however select Import favorites as a substitute of Export favorites.
What to do after migrating your information and apps to the brand new PC
When every little thing is transferred, remember to take these steps to guard your information:
- Signal out of all of your accounts on the outdated pc. This contains Microsoft, Google, browser sync, passwords, monetary info, cloud storage accounts, and others. You don’t need the following proprietor to have the ability to use your accounts, particularly any which will hook up with credit score and debit playing cards or financial institution accounts.
- Think about wiping/reformatting the outdated pc, however examine with IT first if it’s a enterprise pc, in case they should maintain it as is for some time frame for regulatory or HR coverage causes. If your individual pc and also you’re feeling notably paranoid, you possibly can take away the outdated onerous disk and bodily destroy it.
- Again up your new PC. Don’t neglect to ascertain a daily backup routine in your new Home windows pc, whether or not it’s by File Historical past, picture backup software program, or the brand new Home windows Backup facility in Home windows 11.
This text was initially printed in November 2020 and most just lately up to date in December 2025.
