Inquiring about the simplest method to move files from an old PC to a new one.
Inquiring about the simplest method to move files from an old PC to a new one.
Hi,
I’m working with an old Windows 10 system and planning to upgrade to a new Ryzen 7000-based Windows 11 PC. The current configuration is:
- Boot drive: SSD SATA 256GB
- Data drives: 2xHDD, 1xNVMe SSD
The new setup will be:
- Boot drive: 1TB NVMe SSD [NEW]
- Data drives: 1x SSD [new] + 2xHDD [old]
My documents are stored on Drive D: and a copy exists on the Synology Drive. I’m considering moving everything back to C: for a larger storage space.
Questions:
1. The simplest method to transfer files without cloning, so I can install fresh Windows
2. Which folders should be copied from C:?
3. How to import my program list for reinstall?
4. How to keep my Windows license valid on the new PC and after upgrading to 11?
Thanks!
If I were you, I'd copy all the data to an external drive and then transfer that copy to the new platform. I wouldn't make a clone because you're switching to a different system, but if your specs stayed consistent—like processor, RAM, or storage—I'd have chosen a clone instead.
Literally copying and pasting the files over. Though you should copy the files in the current install to a directory outside of your user folder, preferably an external drive. Not that there's a problem copying from one OS install to another per se, but you'll just have to keep telling Windows "Yes, let me access this folder" whenever you access stuff from the old install.
Everything in C:\Users\[username] if you want a dead brain answer. Though delete the following once you've made a copy:
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Temp
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft
It wouldn't hurt to also clean up what's the copy of C:\Users\[username]\AppData anyway.
When you reinstall Windows, move the copy back into your user folder, then reinstall the apps.
With the exception of games from game store fronts (Steam, EGS, etc), you don't. Though technically a lot of apps don't really care if they weren't installed, but you should reinstall them anyway if you want the expected behavior.
For the games, you can just copy the games over to where the new path is for the store front's library path. So for Steam games, you can move the files from the old C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps to the new one.
You may not need to do anything, but just in case, keep a copy of the license key handy. If you don't know what it is, you can
grab it in various ways
.
Visit https://ninite.com/ and explore if it helps with batch installing the apps you rely on. I recently started experimenting with PowerShell scripting and created something tailored to my needs. If you're interested, I can offer a brief tutorial on building one yourself.
I install ninite on all systems I set up or perform a complete reinstall.
Yes, it is free software without unnecessary bloat and clutter.
It's free software with no bloatware. It actually installs without many unnecessary programs, unlike those other apps.
Do you think a Windows 10 Pro license key would be suitable for installing a fresh Windows 11 version?
I’m not very enthusiastic about Windows 11, but it does unlock certain capabilities, such as using iMessage on Windows, which could be useful despite my strong dislike for most aspects of the platform.