Best tool for migrating apps and settings to new Win11 PC?

S0C9 · Jan 7, 2024

Yes, generic title, but here’s details and seeking some advice/direction. .. hopefully this is the right sub-forum.

I’m considering buying a pre-built Win11 PC with i7 or i9 core cpu..etc.
I’ve built my own AMD PC’s for yrs (currently on Ryzen 7) and use Macrium for system drive backups.
Since the device drivers will be different (and pre-installed on new PC), I’m “assuming” cloning is NOT an option.
so, I need to move installed apps, reg settings, etc to make the new pc look like the old one.
Other than my user files, any app that will store data somewhere other than C:\ is appropriately configure… those SSD’s will be moved into new PC
Since there’s a ton of migration software choices from laplink to EaseUS, Acronis, etc.. looking for experienced advice on the best tool to migrate all my “stuff” to the new PC - remembering I’m also probably going from AMD to Intel.
Both Win11 versions would be most recent GA builds.

thanks in advance!!

PS - I’ve done these migrations the hard way (reinstall, etc) numerous times. Looking for an easier approach.

CSharpDev · Jan 7, 2024

S0C9 · Jan 7, 2024

CSharpDev said:
USMT

Thanks..I’ll take a look.. hopefully is moves apps over and not just user profiles.

idgat · Jan 7, 2024

Ideal opportunity for a clean install. Why get a new device then burden it down with an old system in which you can't guarantee no hidden bugs

FreeBooter · Jan 7, 2024

In this video guide, you will learn the steps to use the Windows Package Manager tool to export and import apps on Windows 10 and 11.

You can use CloneApp application to backup and import applications settings.

Download the portable CloneApp application.

Download CloneApp - MajorGeeks

CloneApp provides easy backup of all your most needed app settings from the registry and the Windows directories. The idea behind CloneApp is a bit different from the "classic" backup tool. The primary purpose of CloneApp is to ONLY backup the configuration files left in Windows Program...

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S0C9 · Jan 7, 2024

idgat said:
Ideal opportunity for a clean install. Why get a new device then burden it down with an old system in which you can't guarantee no hidden bugs

it WILL be a clean install on the pre-built NEW PC. I want to move my apps and user settings over to it.

cereberus · Jan 7, 2024

idgat said:
Ideal opportunity for a clean install. Why get a new device then burden it down with an old system in which you can't guarantee no hidden bugs

Sigh - ignore OPs request and tediously suggest the "nuke it on high" option.

That should be the last resort when all else fails.

Please read post properly.

Quote:
PS - I’ve done these migrations the hard way (reinstall, etc) numerous times. Looking for an easier approach.

cereberus · Jan 7, 2024

S0C9 said:
it WILL be a clean install on the pre-built NEW PC. I want to move my apps and user settings over to it.

To clean install and copy apps usually requires use of expensive 3rd party software like Easeus PCTrans, Zinstall, Laplink PC Mover and even then they are flakey.

So it is really all or nothing regrettably

i e. copy existing OS +apps + settings or clean install everything from scratch.

You can use image backup tools like Macrium Reflect but drivers can be an issue but Windows 11 is pretty good at resolving drivers, so simply restoring image to new pc usually works. I would try this first (tip: temporarily clean install OS on new pc and export drivers so you have them available after you restore pc image).

The new windows backup tool will do part of what you want with a clean install i.e. you can restore uwp apps plus most gui settings but you still have to install win32 apps. This is a sort of halfway house solution.

However, if you are adventutous and want a really robust method, the following is very reliable. There are tutorials in tenforums tutorial section for all the key steps.

1) clean install OS on new pc from a usb drive

2) export drivers fron new pc to a usb drive or secondary drive
(tutorial in tenforums how to do this)

3) Make custom install.wim of existing drive (tutorial in tenforums how to do this)

4) Inject exported usb drivers into install.wim (tutorial in tenforums how to do this)

5) create new usb installation drive replacing standard install.wim with custom install.wim - a bit tricky as install.wim will be over 4GB. (there is a tutorial in tenforums how to do this)

6) Install OS on new pc.

S0C9 · Jan 7, 2024

cereberus said:
To clean install and copy apps usually requires use of expensive 3rd party software like Easeus PCTrans, Zinstall, Laplink PC Mover and even then they are flakey.

So it is really all or nothing regrettably

i e. copy existing OS +apps + settings or clean install everything from scratch.

You can use image backup tools like Macrium Reflect but drivers can be an issue but Windows 11 is pretty good at resolving drivers, so simply restoring image to new pc usually works. I would try this first (tip: temporarily clean install OS on new pc and export drivers so you have them available after you restore pc image).

The new windows backup tool will do part of what you want with a clean install i.e. you can restore uwp apps plus most gui settings but you still have to install win32 apps. This is a sort of halfway house solution.

However, if you are adventutous and want a really robust method, the following is very reliable. There are tutorials in tenforums tutorial section for all the key steps.

1) clean install OS on new pc from a usb drive

2) export drivers fron new pc to a usb drive or secondary drive
(tutorial in tenforums how to do this)

3) Make custom install.wim of existing drive (tutorial in tenforums how to do this)

4) Inject exported usb drivers into install.wim (tutorial in tenforums how to do this)

5) create new usb installation drive replacing standard install.wim with custom install.wim - a bit tricky as install.wim will be over 4GB. (there is a tutorial in tenforums how to do this)

6) Install OS on new pc.

Right.. the NEW PC would be pre-built (Micro Center) with Win11 Pro ready for "user setup" upon power up... so other than the pre-installed bloatware, basically a clean install.

Thanks for the suggestions.. def looks like I'm back to the usual 3-day re-install/re-register grind for my apps - as I've researched most of the above listed "migration" app, and none are 100%.
Should I go down that path.. would you recommend any of them?

Bree · Jan 7, 2024

S0C9 said:
Since the device drivers will be different (and pre-installed on new PC), I’m “assuming” cloning is NOT an option.

Not necessarily. Windows contains a lot of drivers and is quite capable of sorting out new ones to use when it finds itself running on different hardware.

Take my System One in my Computers below. It's been running Windows 11 since the first release, and is running 23H2 today. But the Windows 10 that it was running when offered the upgrade to 11 was a restored Macrium image of my old 'main machine', a Legacy/MBR device that was in no way Windows 11 compatible. I needed to replace the old machine to get Windows 11, but I didn't want to loose my installed software, some of which would have been impossible to reinstall.

The two machines couldn't have been more different. The old one was a Legacy bios Intel based system with a Pentium B950 and Intel HD graphics. The replacement machine has a UEFI bios, an AMD Athlon Silver 3050U, and Radeon graphics. On restoring the old machine's Windows 10 image to the new machine, on first boot Windows said 'setting up drivers', then rebooted to a fully functional system with all my installed software working as before. Windows Update then found a few updates for some of the drivers. Shortly after that it was offered the upgrade to Windows 11.

cereberus · Jan 7, 2024

S0C9 said:
Right.. the NEW PC would be pre-built (Micro Center) with Win11 Pro ready for "user setup" upon power up... so other than the pre-installed bloatware, basically a clean install.

Thanks for the suggestions.. def looks like I'm back to the usual 3-day re-install/re-register grind for my apps - as I've researched most of the above listed "migration" app, and none are 100%.
Should I go down that path.. would you recommend any of them?

Well I am biased but the full dism method (official ms deployment tool) works every time for me despite very big difference in hardware.

Problem is it does need a bit of a learning curve and I have swt up batch files to do all the hard work. I can do it in 2-3 hours.
If you export drivers from a temporary clean install, this approach requires very few drivers to be updated afterwards - not quite plug and play but pretty close.

As I said earlier, and also by @Bree, using a cloning/imaging solution nearly always works well and typically only takes a couple of hours or so (admittedly quicker perhaps than dism but you usually have to sort some drivers out after installation).

I would go with this as easier to do but mastering the dism method is a great way to enhance your skillset and is kinda fun if you are adventurous.

To me a clean install is for "wimps" lol.

S0C9 · Jan 7, 2024

cereberus said:
As I said earlier, and also by @Bree, using a cloning/imaging solution nearly always works well and typically only takes a couple of hours or so (admittedly quicker perhaps than dism but you usually have to sort some drivers out after installation).

I have full image backups [macrium] of my system disk (C:\, recovery, etc.) on external drives
Sounds like your saying I should install Macrium on the new PC and restore from image backup(s) and deal with fixing drivers as the "path of least resistance".
Definitely quicker than what I've done in the past, and while I've played w/ DISM now and again.. it's NOT my forte.

Ghot · Jan 8, 2024

S0C9 said:
I have full image backups [macrium] of my system disk (C:\, recovery, etc.) on external drives
Sounds like your saying I should install Macrium on the new PC and restore from image backup(s) and deal with fixing drivers as the "path of least resistance".
Definitely quicker than what I've done in the past, and while I've played w/ DISM now and again.. it's NOT my forte.

Yep... that's what they're saying.

If it's a paid version of Macrium, don't forget to deactivate it on the old computer, before you install it on the new computer.

Bree · Jan 8, 2024

S0C9 said:
Sounds like your saying I should install Macrium on the new PC and restore from image backup(s) and deal with fixing drivers as the "path of least resistance".

You don't need to install Macrium on the new PC first, you can boot it from a Macrium rescue usb to do the restore....

Ghot said:
Yep... that's what they're saying.

If it's a paid version of Macrium, don't forget to deactivate it on the old computer, before you install it on the new computer[

Yes, good advice.

Of course, if Macrium is in the image then it will be restored to the new PC too. I did a test migration when the first W11 Insider build was released and forgot about that. For three months I was running two machines, both with Reflect licensed with the same key. I didn't dare touch the licensing on either of them for fear of deactivating my key. For the W11 release I wiped the test install from new machine and made sure I deactivated Reflect on the old one before imaging and performing the restore.

S0C9 · Jan 8, 2024

Thanks @Bree , @cereberus and @Ghot .. will let you know how it goes..

Ghot · Jan 8, 2024

S0C9 said:
Thanks @Bree , @cereberus and @Ghot .. will let you know how it goes..

Yoda: "No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try."

Bree · Jan 8, 2024

S0C9 said:
Thanks @Bree , @cereberus and @Ghot .. will let you know how it goes..

Good luck. There's always the clean install option if you're unhappy with the results, but I don't think you'll be needing it.

cereberus · Jan 8, 2024

S0C9 said:
I have full image backups [macrium] of my system disk (C:\, recovery, etc.) on external drives
Sounds like your saying I should install Macrium on the new PC and restore from image backup(s) and deal with fixing drivers as the "path of least resistance".
Definitely quicker than what I've done in the past, and while I've played w/ DISM now and again.. it's NOT my forte.

yep that is what I am saying but the dism method works really well.

The key difference is Macrium Reflect only manages key drivers needed to boot pc whereas dism method handles whatever you throw at it.

I clean install on host and export all 3rd party drivers first so after using dism, all drivers are pretty much resolved immediately.

You can do same with
Macrium Reflect method of course, but you may have to manually resolve some drivers but no big deal if you export them first.