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easy transfer01 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PCWindows easy transfer is designed to help you get your settings from your old PC to your shiny, new PC. in this guide I’ll show you how to get your old PC setup for transfer, via  a USB drive/external hard drive, and then show you how to transfer the files to your new PC.

Set up Your old PC for Transfer

To set up the old PC with a transfer, you will need to go to your new PC and do the following:

1. Click the Start button, type transfer and click Windows Easy Transfer.

easy transfer01 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

2. Click An external hard disk or USB flash drive.

easy transfer02 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

3. Indicate this is your new computer.

easy transfer03 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

4. You will likely need to install Windows Easy Transfer on your old computer so click I need to install it now (even if it’s already installed, this does no harm and ensures compatibility.)

easy transfer04 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

5. You can transfer the installation settings via External hard disk, shared network folder, or USB drive. Click External hard disk or shared network folder if you have an external hard drive or USB flash drive if you have one of these to use.

easy transfer05 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

6. Save Easy Transfer to your hard disk/network drive/USB drive.

easy transfer06 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

7. Wait while Easy Transfer is copied.

easy transfer07 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

8. Follow these instructions to install Easy Transfer on your old computer.

windows easy transfer08 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

Transfer Your Files

9. Go to your old PC and, after following the instructions above, click Next on the Easy Transfer screen.

windows easy transfer09 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

10. Select the method you indicated on your new PC (likely An external disk or USB flash drive.)

windows easy transfer10 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

11. Indicate you are using the old computer.

windows easy transfer11 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

12. Note the transfer key and go to your new computer.

windows easy transfer12 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

13. Type the key on your new PC and click Next.

windows easy transfer13 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

14. Easy transfer will make sure the transfer can complete without errors.

windows easy transfer14 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

Easy Transfer will scan and find what can be transferred.

windows easy transfer16 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

16. Pick what files and settings you’d like to transfer.

windows easy transfer17 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

17. Clicking advanced options lets you customize exactly what should be transferred.

windows easy transfer18 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

18. Transfer begins from your old computer (please don’t use it while the files transfer as you don’t want to change program settings and files that are already transfered — you’ll lose your changes on your new PC.)

windows easy transfer15 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

19. After transfer is completed, click See what was transferred to make sure everything moved over. You can also come back and see what suggestions Windows gives for programs that need to be installed on your new PC. i.e. if you transferred .DOCX and .XLSX files over, Windows Easy Transfer will suggest installation of Microsoft Office so these files can be opened.

windows easy transfer19 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

You can see what transferred.

windows easy transfer20 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

See what programs you need to install on your new PC.

windows easy transfer21 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

You will be notified that transfer is completed and you can start installing programs on your new PC (if you haven’t already done so.)

windows easy transfer22 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC



 How to Transfer Your Files and Settings to a New PC

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix the problems he creates.

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Comments

  • srcfyd

    Wondering… Is this Windows 7 specific ? I am on the Windows XP Platform, so i don’t know if this is applicable to Vista or Windows 7.

    Thanks.

  • srcfyd

    Wondering… Is this Windows 7 specific ? I am on the Windows XP Platform, so i don’t know if this is applicable to Vista or Windows 7.

    Thanks.

  • Rich

    Hi srcfyd, if you run Windows Easy Transfer on your Windows 7 machine and use the option of a USB drive to transfer the data, when you put the USB drive in your old XP computer, it will run seamlessly :)

  • Rich

    Hi srcfyd, if you run Windows Easy Transfer on your Windows 7 machine and use the option of a USB drive to transfer the data, when you put the USB drive in your old XP computer, it will run seamlessly :)

  • georgilu

    Hi Rich, can you tell me where in the new computer are the new files located? I did the transfer and I can see all the files and programs, but I cannot locate them….thanks

    • http://richr.org/ Rich

      What files did you copy? That will help us tell you where they may have ended up.


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