Getting a new computer is exciting. You anticipate the speed, lots of extra storage, and often a new operating system. You unpack your new laptop and power it on… and then the “fun” begins because unless you want to start fresh and store all of your files in the cloud, you need to spend hours transferring your files from your old PC to the new one.
There are lots of ways to move data between computers but deciding which one to use will depend on how much data is stored on your old PC, what types of files you want to transfer, and the size of the files. Do you want to move your documents only? Or everything, including photos, music, videos and even installed software? You should also consider how much time you’ll need to move all your files.
In this article, we’ll list our favorite data transfer methods for Windows computers.
The easiest and quickest way to move literally everything from your old computer to the new one is to use data migration software like FastMove. With its help, you’ll be able to transfer not only your files and photos, but also user profiles, device drivers, Windows settings, and even installed software in just a couple of simple clicks. You can use FastMove to move files either using your home network, or offline with the help of an external hard drive or a data transfer cable.
If you don’t need to transfer a lot of files, using an external hard drive will do the job. All you’ll need to do is copy the files from your old computer, connect the external HDD and paste the files there. When done, connect the hard drive to the new PC, copy the files, and paste them to the new computer. This method takes a long time but it works well if you don’t have a lot of large files and you don’t want to move any software and settings from the old PC to the new one.
Another great way of moving files from an old computer to your new laptop is to use the power of cloud storage. Just like when using an external hard drive, you won’t be able to migrate your software and settings, but you will be able to automatically download files from your cloud storage to the new machine. To do that, you’ll need to install the cloud service client on the new computer (OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive or any other service you’re using), log in, and sync your folders. You’ll need an active Internet connection for that and, depending on how many files need to be downloaded and their size, lots of time for the job to complete.
We hope this article helped you to move your files from one PC to another in a quick and hassle-free way.
