Category: Windows

Microsoft has updated the official Backup app of the Windows operating system recently with PC transfer functionality. It is designed to move files and data from an older PC, e.g., a Windows 10 device, to a newer PC.

The new option addresses a common issue that users face when they buy or a build a new PC: how do you get your files, data and settings from the old system to the new?

Microsoft’s transfer option sounds like a good option, as it is baked into the operating system. While it can be useful indeed, it is important to understand that it has limitations.

What is transferred? Microsoft says that you can use the option to transfer “all files”, settings and preferences from one PC to another.

What is excluded? System and operating system files, OneDrive files, installed applications, saved passwords and credentials, encrypted drives with BitLocker.

Are there other limitations? There are three. First, you need a Microsoft account and use it to sign in to both PCs. Second, while you can run the Backup app on Windows 10 and 11 devices, you can only use it to transfer data to a PC with Windows 11, version 24H2 or newer. Also, ARM-based PCs are not supported currently. Third, both PCs need to be connected to the same network.

In other words, you can use it to move files, such as documents or photos, from the older PC to the new system. You may also use it to move settings and preferences, such as your wallpapers, to the new system, provided that it runs the latest version of Windows 11 and is not ARM-based.

Installed applications are not transferred, which is probably the biggest shortcoming. This means, that you will have to install your favorite apps manually and configure them manually as well, unless they offer imports of settings from another device or do so via the cloud.

Some Windows users may find the tool useful, despite its obvious limitations. You can check out a detailed tutorial on how to use the tool on the Microsoft Support website.

Now You: how do you handle migrations from one system to another? Do you use tools for that or a manual approach?

Mobile devices like Windows 11 laptops use batteries for power. Keeping an eye on the remaining battery is essential to avoid unexpected system shutdowns due to a lack of power.

Modern mobile devices support battery saving modes. These are designed to save battery while the device is idle or in use. Common tweaks include reducing the screen brightness, powering down devices, or limiting background activity.

Up until now, Windows’ energy saver mode was either turned on or off. Microsoft has started a trial to change that.

What is the adaptive energy saver? It is a new, opt-in mode, for Windows 11 devices that have a battery. The feature enables energy saving automatically to conserve energy, even while the battery is not particularly low.

This happens without changing the brightness of the screen and is based “on the power state of the device and the current system load”. So, I assume this means that if the load is light, Windows 11 might turn on energy saving mode for a bit to save energy. Once more resources are required, it may turn off energy saving mode again.

How this actually works remains to be seen. Since this feature is introduced in test builds. expect some tweaking and testing to find out how well it works.

The feature is disabled by default and in testing in the latest insider builds of Windows 11 only (where it may be enabled for some for testing). You find it under Settings > System > Power & battery. There, under Energy saver, set “always use energy saver” to adaptive to use it.

Both Android and iOS support adaptive power or battery options. Some Android devices support adaptive power saving, which dynamically adjusts power-settings like the screen brightness based on user behavior. Apple introduced adaptive power in iOS 26, which makes slight performance adjustments to extend battery life.

Quick Machine Recovery is a relatively new feature of Windows 11 that promises speedier troubleshooting of system failures. Announced earlier this year, the feature has now landed in a recent Windows Insider test build of the Canary channel.

What is Quick Machine Recovery? Microsoft describes it as an automated recovery feature that is designed to detect and fix “widespread issues” on devices running Windows 11. Think of it as an automatic repair option baked into the operating system that, Microsoft claims, is fixing issues faster than you.

How does it work? Microsoft says that Quick Machine Recovery kicks in automatically “if a device experiences a widespread boot issue”. It will enter “WinRE”, the Windows Recovery Environment, and connect to the Internet so that “Microsoft can deliver a targeted fix through Windows Update”.

A blog post on the Tech Community website offers deeper insight on how the feature works:

• Device enters recovery mode: If a Windows 11, version 24H2 device encounters a critical failure preventing normal boot, it enters Windows RE.
• Network connection established: Windows RE connects to the network using ethernet or Wi-Fi protected access (WPA), ensuring the device can communicate with Microsoft’s recovery services. Future updates will introduce additional networking configurations for broader support.
• Incident analysis: Microsoft analyzes crash data from affected devices to identify patterns and pinpoint the root cause. If a widespread outage is detected, an internal response team is activated to develop, validate, and prepare a targeted remediation.
• Remediation rollout: In this initial release, Microsoft will deliver the remediation via Windows Update, adhering to the update policies configured on the device. Microsoft will safely rollout the remediation.

Microsoft claims that the feature is reducing downtime and the need to fix issues manually. According to the initial announcement, Quick Machine Recovery will be enabled automatically on Windows 11 Home devices, once they install the update that introduces the feature.

System administrators may enable the recovery feature on all other editions of Windows 11, including Windows 11 Pro, Education, and Enterprise. Local admins find the setting under System > Recovery > Quick Machine Recovery.

The feature will send crash data to Microsoft when it triggers, which is certainly something to consider before enabling the feature.

Now You: what is your take on this? Useful feature to get Windows 11 devices faster back on track? Feel free to leave a comment down below.