To move files to new PC running Windows 11, back up the old PC with Windows Backup (it saves your folders, settings, Wi-Fi passwords and app list to your Microsoft account) and copy large folders such as photos and videos to an external drive. Sign in to the new PC with the same Microsoft account and choose to restore that backup during setup.
Then copy the external drive’s files across, sign in to your browser, reinstall your programs, and only then reset the old PC.
This is the route Microsoft supports in October 2026, and it works whether the old PC runs Windows 10 or Windows 11. If you’re replacing a Windows 10 PC because support ended, our Windows 10 end of support guide explains your options first.
What moves, and how
| What | How it moves | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music | Windows Backup (via OneDrive) or external drive | Free OneDrive has 5 GB, so big libraries need the drive |
| Windows settings, wallpaper, Wi-Fi passwords | Windows Backup | Needs a personal Microsoft account |
| Microsoft Store apps | Windows Backup restores their pins; click to reinstall | Sign in to each app again |
| Desktop programs (Office, Adobe, games) | Reinstall from the vendor | Licenses and activation limits |
| Bookmarks and saved passwords | Browser sync (Edge, Chrome, Firefox) | Turn sync on before you start |
| Email in Outlook data files (.pst) | Copy the file manually | Only for older POP-style accounts |
You may see older guides mention a “PC-to-PC” transfer over Wi-Fi in Windows Backup. Microsoft has withdrawn it: its support page now says the feature is no longer available and points to Windows Backup and restore instead.
Before you start
- List your installed programs (Settings → Apps → Installed apps) and find their license keys or the accounts they’re registered to.
- Turn on sync in your browser so bookmarks and passwords follow you.
- Deactivate programs that limit how many PCs they run on (some creative, accounting and antivirus tools need this).
- Have an external drive with more free space than your Pictures and Videos folders take up.
- Make sure you know your Microsoft account password; you’ll need it on the new PC.
Step 1: Back up the old PC with Windows Backup
- On the old PC, open Start, type Windows Backup and open the app. Sign in with your personal Microsoft account if asked; work and school accounts aren’t supported.
- Choose the folders to back up (Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos, Music) and turn on Settings, Apps and Credentials.
- Click Back up and wait until it says the backup is up to date. If OneDrive says you’re out of space, back up fewer folders here and copy the rest in Step 2.
Our Windows backup guide walks through this in more detail, including a full copy to an external drive.
Step 2: Copy big folders to an external drive
- Plug in the drive and open File Explorer.
- Open This PC, then your user folder (
C:\Users\yourname). - Copy Pictures, Videos, Music, Documents and Downloads, plus any folders you keep elsewhere, such as on a D: drive.
- When the copy finishes, open a few files from the drive to check they work, then eject it with Safely Remove Hardware.
Using Outlook with an older POP email account? Your mail is in a .pst file, usually in Documents\Outlook Files. Copy it too, and import it in Outlook on the new PC. Accounts like Outlook.com and Gmail sync on their own.
Step 3: Move files to a new PC during Windows 11 setup
- Turn on the new PC and follow the setup screens. Connect to Wi-Fi when asked.
- Sign in with the same Microsoft account you used for Windows Backup.
- Windows asks whether you want to restore from a backup. Choose your old PC. If you have backups from several PCs, select More options and pick the right one.
- Finish setup. Your wallpaper, settings and Start menu pins come back, and your backed-up folders sync down from OneDrive.
Already set up the new PC without restoring? Your folders still arrive once you sign in to OneDrive with the same account, but the settings and app pins are only offered during setup.
Step 4: Copy the rest and reinstall programs
Files from the external drive
Plug in the drive and copy each folder into the matching folder on the new PC (Pictures into Pictures, and so on). Skip anything that OneDrive has already brought across, or you’ll end up with duplicates.
Programs and licenses
Windows doesn’t move installed desktop programs. Store apps reinstall from their Start menu pins; for everything else, download the installer from the vendor’s official site and sign in or enter your license. Microsoft 365, Adobe and game launchers like Steam work from your account. If you have dozens of old programs, Laplink’s paid PCmover can move many of them, though some still need reactivation.
Browser, passwords and passkeys
Sign in to Edge, Chrome or Firefox to sync bookmarks and passwords. Passkeys saved with Windows Hello on the old PC may not come across, so sign in to those accounts on the new PC and add a new passkey there before you wipe the old one. See how to set up passkeys.
Printers and Wi-Fi
Add printers in Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners; most install their driver automatically. Wi-Fi networks come back with Windows Backup. If one doesn’t, here’s how to find a saved Wi-Fi password on the old PC.
Step 5: Check before you wipe the old PC
- Open a few photos, documents and videos on the new PC, including older ones.
- Check every program you need opens and is activated.
- Check your browser has your bookmarks and passwords.
- Look in the old PC’s Downloads folder and on its desktop one last time for anything you missed.
Step 6: Wipe the old PC
Resetting with Remove everything deletes all your files on that PC. Do it only once you’ve checked the list above.
- Deactivate licensed programs and sign out of your browsers on the old PC.
- Windows 10: Settings → Update & Security → Recovery → Reset this PC. Windows 11: Settings → System → Recovery → Reset PC.
- Choose Remove everything, then pick Cloud download or Local reinstall.
- Under additional settings, turn on Clean data. It takes longer, but Microsoft recommends it if you’ll sell, donate or recycle the PC.
- Finally, remove the old PC from your devices list on your Microsoft account’s devices page.
Can you move files to new PC without a Microsoft account?
Yes, but not with Windows Backup, which needs a personal Microsoft account. Copy your folders to an external drive (Step 2), copy them back on the new PC, and set up settings, Wi-Fi and printers by hand. Browser sync works with your browser account, not your Windows one, so bookmarks and passwords still follow you.
If it doesn’t work
- No restore option during setup: the backup didn’t finish, you signed in with a different account, or you used a work account. Copy files from the external drive instead and set things up by hand.
- OneDrive is full: back up only settings and smaller folders to OneDrive, and use the external drive for the rest.
- A program won’t activate: deactivate it on the old PC first, or contact the vendor to reset your activations.
- Files missing after restore: wait for OneDrive to finish syncing (check its icon in the taskbar), then look in the external drive copy.
After the move, run through our Windows 11 settings to change first. More in our Windows guides.
FAQ
Can I transfer programs to a new PC?
Windows doesn’t move installed desktop programs. Reinstall them from the vendor and sign in or enter your license. Paid tools such as Laplink PCmover can move many programs, but some still need reactivation.
Does Windows 11 have a built-in way to transfer files and settings to a new PC?
Yes: Windows Backup. It saves your folders, settings and app list to your Microsoft account, and Windows offers to restore them when you set up the new PC with the same account. The older local PC-to-PC transfer option has been withdrawn.
Can I transfer files with a USB cable between two PCs?
Not with an ordinary USB cable. Special USB transfer cables exist, but they need their own software. An external drive or OneDrive is simpler.
How long does it take?
Most of the time is copying photos and videos and waiting for OneDrive to sync, so it depends on how much you have and your connection speed.
Should I recycle or sell my old PC?
After a reset with Clean data turned on, either is fine. If it no longer works, use a certified e-waste recycler or a retailer’s take-back scheme.
