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?
We use multi drive systems and keep nothing but the os on the system drive so if the os needs reinstalled there’s no data loss.
Tough choices–the last time I used PCMover which worked great; it’s easy enough now to re-install programs. Be sure to deactivate Office and grab a serial. Looking through the data migration tools available now, rather than years ago, I think I would pay the price and try Zinstall WinWin or EaseUsToDo (maybe a Paragon tool). As old school as it may sound, I prefer to start from scratch and copy files to a USB external drive, backup bookmarks, make sure I have passwords, etc. One can eliminate so much clutter that way; using data migration software tends to move a bunch of clutter to the new machine!
@VioletMoon Could you elaborate on the bit about deactivating Office?
Tomorrow I’ll be transferring all data from an old Windows Go tablet (Win10) to a new Windows Pro 11th Gen. The old one has Office (Microsoft 365), and the new one will as well.