Help moving win 10 to new win 11 computer


Butch007

New member
Local time
7:50 PM
Posts
4
OS
win 11 pro, v.22H2, build 22621.1265
Windows 11 Pro, Ver.22H2, Build 22621.1265

Looked at various apps for moving files from old to new PC such as ( Zinstall , PCMover, Easeus, etc.) but after looking at the prices and reviews I decided to do it myself...

Big mistake ! I'm neither a noob or a nerd, but I am in a rabbit hole with no light at the end.

I have a new desktop with OEM factory installed win 11 and I have installed a second disk drive from my old win 10 computer. I went through the startup process, Set up MS account, fumbled through One Drive setup, set up as "personal" account, etc. Some how my PC name wound up being "Administrator" and my "about about windows 11" dialog box says the license is to: "Administrator, Administrator" - yes two entries.

At this point, it looks like I should just do a factory reset and start all over again :-((

I am the only user of this PC, have no need for a PW, no need for public and users, and would like to boot to the desktop without a PIN.
I do not want to use One Drive or any other cloud.

So... a few questions...

1. If I restart the install/migration/transfer, what is the best way to achieve the above goals?
2. I have OneNote installed on both disks. How do I transfer all my win 10 notebooks to the empty win 11 app?
3. Do I really need an administer account if I can usually run app as admin.?

Any and all help, tips, advice or ramblings are appreciated.

Thanks, Butch007
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 11 pro, v.22H2, build 22621.1265
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    geekom
    CPU
    11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1155G7 @ 2.50GHz 2.50 G
    Memory
    16GB
1) (Physically) remove the old drive. Since it still has all your stuff on it, you do not want to (take a chance and) lose it.

2) Use a PC reset to get it back to the initial install state (assuming you bought it, check the manufacturer to find those instructions, regardless of where you bought it from). Typically, though you can initiate it from
Settings --> Recovery --> Reset PC, it is best if you check your manufacturer first, they may have a different method they would prefer that you use.

3) If you don't want to use a Microsoft account, follow this tutorial after it is reset on how to set it up freshly without a Microsoft account:

You can use Step 21 from Clean Install Windows 11 Tutorial to install without using a Microsoft account.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 Current build
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HomeBrew
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
    Memory
    4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12G-P5-3955-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Eve Spectrum ES07D03 4K Gaming Monitor (Matte) | Eve Spectrum ES07DC9 4K Gaming Monitor (Glossy)
    Screen Resolution
    3x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3x Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 2 TB SSD (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM) } 3x Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1 TB SSD (USB)
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling’s Silencer Series 1050 Watt, 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 XL Dark ATX Full Tower Case
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN Z73 73.11 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (3x 120 mm push top) + Air 3x 140mm case fans (pull front) + 1x 120 mm (push back) and 1 x 120 mm (pull bottom)
    Keyboard
    SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S | MX Master 3 for Business
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
    Browser
    Nightly (default) + Firefox (stable), Chrome, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender + MB 5 Beta
  • Operating System
    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E5470
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 + RealTek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell laptop display 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 128GB M.2 22300 drive
    INTEL Cherryville 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SATA III SSD
    PSU
    Dell
    Case
    Dell
    Cooling
    Dell
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S (shared w. Sys 1) | Dell TouchPad
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
After that all is done, you can probably start the transfer process again, as you did before. As for specifics:

I have OneNote installed on both disks. How do I transfer all my win 10 notebooks to the empty win 11 app?

Export them, and the copy to new location, and extract by double clicking:


Note, this needs to be done for each notebook.

Do I really need an administer account if I can usually run app as admin.?

No, and you should not enable the default admin account to have a login - your user that you create, unless you specifically make it a non admin, will have admin right available - and this applies to both local only accounts as well as Microsoft accounts to log in to the system.



Finally, you can use the method outlned from Step 21 to log in locally, and *then* add a Microsoft account later on, making it a hybrid - you log in with a local username, but you still ahve access to Microsoft Office stuff as needed.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 23H2 Current build
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HomeBrew
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
    Motherboard
    MSI MEG X570 GODLIKE
    Memory
    4 * 32 GB - Corsair Vengeance 3600 MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti XC3 ULTRA GAMING (12G-P5-3955-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC1220 Codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2x Eve Spectrum ES07D03 4K Gaming Monitor (Matte) | Eve Spectrum ES07DC9 4K Gaming Monitor (Glossy)
    Screen Resolution
    3x 3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    3x Samsung 980 Pro NVMe PCIe 4 M.2 2 TB SSD (MZ-V8P2T0B/AM) } 3x Sabrent Rocket NVMe 4.0 1 TB SSD (USB)
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling’s Silencer Series 1050 Watt, 80 Plus Platinum
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 XL Dark ATX Full Tower Case
    Cooling
    NZXT KRAKEN Z73 73.11 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (3x 120 mm push top) + Air 3x 140mm case fans (pull front) + 1x 120 mm (push back) and 1 x 120 mm (pull bottom)
    Keyboard
    SteelSeries Apex Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S | MX Master 3 for Business
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
    Browser
    Nightly (default) + Firefox (stable), Chrome, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender + MB 5 Beta
  • Operating System
    ChromeOS Flex Dev Channel (current)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E5470
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6300U CPU @ 2.40GHz, 2501 Mhz, 2 Core(s), 4 Logical Processor(s)
    Motherboard
    Dell
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520
    Sound Card
    Intel(R) HD Graphics 520 + RealTek Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell laptop display 15"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 * 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 128GB M.2 22300 drive
    INTEL Cherryville 520 Series SSDSC2CW180A 180 GB SATA III SSD
    PSU
    Dell
    Case
    Dell
    Cooling
    Dell
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3S (shared w. Sys 1) | Dell TouchPad
    Keyboard
    Dell
    Internet Speed
    AT&T LightSpeed Gigabit Duplex Ftth
The key issue is that what you call "files" in your post are NOT files, but instead, are applications -- and while those do use files, they also use the registry and settings -- stuff you will not see if you try to move these manually.

The ONLY way to successfully transfer apps from one PC to another is to use one of the apps designed to do that. The ones I have used are EaseUS ToDo PC transfer nmd LapLink PC Mover. The paid version is required for either of these -- as neither has a free version that moves apps.

Sorry, but without these apps, you are not going to be able to do the migrations you want.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
    CPU
    Ryzen 5600X
    Motherboard
    ASRock Steel Legend
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GT 710
    Sound Card
    None
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23",24", 19" - flat panels
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    None - only M.2 SATA and NVMe drives
    PSU
    750W
    Case
    Antec
    Cooling
    stock Wraith cooler
    Keyboard
    Corsair gaming
    Mouse
    Logitech M720
    Internet Speed
    1Gb
Thank you John and Mark.
It took a while, but I gotterdone.

Mark, this is why I did not go with PCMover:

Screenshot 2023-02-20 183740.png
I do not see why Microsoft or PC makers do not offer this a free service. Computers are supposed to make one's life easier, not harder.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 11 pro, v.22H2, build 22621.1265
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    geekom
    CPU
    11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1155G7 @ 2.50GHz 2.50 G
    Memory
    16GB
Simpler method, I would clone my entire old disk on the new computer. Boot that to have my old Windows 10 installation with all my data and all my applications. Update drivers. Then upgrade to Windows 11. It is much easier than it sounds, and certainly much easier than reinstalling all your applications and manually moving your data. To clone the disk connect the old disk either internally or via USB adapter to your new computer and use a tool such as Macrium Reflect or Acronis. At first boot on your new computer it will take a while to install drivers. Manually download and install any missing drivers. Even if all drivers are installed automatically, I would manually download the latest graphics drivers to improve performance.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
Thanks. I did not look at Macrium or Acronis.
Macrium Reflect Home costs $70 - one time, one computer. I did not look at the fine print on the "free" version.
Acronis (Formerly Acronis True Image) - one computer costs $50

In any case, I did it manually -the hard way
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 11 pro, v.22H2, build 22621.1265
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    geekom
    CPU
    11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1155G7 @ 2.50GHz 2.50 G
    Memory
    16GB
Macrium Reflect Home costs $70 - one time, one computer. I did not look at the fine print on the "free" version.
Macrium have retired their Free version of Reflect and no longer provide any links to download it on their website. There is a Trail version that expires after 30 days.

Reflect Free is still on their download servers though and you can download it if you know the right URL to use.

Simpler method, I would clone my entire old disk on the new computer. Boot that to have my old Windows 10 installation with all my data and all my applications. Update drivers. Then upgrade to Windows 11. It is much easier than it sounds....
I used Macrium Reflect to migrate Windows 10 and all its installed apps from my old unsupported machine to my supported System One (see My Computers below) so it could upgrade to Windows 11. In my case it was a little more complicated than spapakons describes. My old machine was a Legacy bios/MBR install of Window 10 and I had to convert that to a UEFI/MBR install on the new machine. Still reasonably straight forward though. I described how I did it here:

 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
If your new computer can be configured to boot in Legacy BIOS mode (CSM), then you don't have to convert MBR to GPT.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
Windows can save files on the Windows 10 computer.
Then a clean install can be performed on the Windows 11 computer.
This can be followed by restoring important files.
There are no software fees when using Windows to save files.
Drivers and applications need to be reinstalled.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4800MQ CPU @ 2.70GHz
    Motherboard
    Product : 190A Version : KBC Version 94.56
    Memory
    16 GB Total: Manufacturer : Samsung MemoryType : DDR3 FormFactor : SODIMM Capacity : 8GB Speed : 1600
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA Quadro K3100M; Intel(R) HD Graphics 4600
    Sound Card
    IDT High Definition Audio CODEC; PNP Device ID HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_111D&DEV_76E0
    Hard Drives
    Model Hitachi HTS727575A9E364
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender
    Other Info
    Mobile Workstation
The whole point is to avoid all the hassle to taking a backup of all your data and reinstall all applications from start. No matter how careful you are and how much good job you do, it will never be exactly the same as your old system. While using it you will notice some settings are not what you had in your old system and you will spend some time to figure out how to make it the same. You may notice you forgot some utility you want and you cannot remember where you have the installer, is not easy to find again. At least not the same version you were used to. I have been through all that. It can take some days until you feel your new system is ready.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
Not sure I've followed this, but if the new computer has windows 11 - could you not just backup personal files (copy and paste to an external drive) from the Windows 10 computer. And then paste them back into the new computer on Windows 11? Ok so you may have some programs to install from scratch but at least it would be a clean start on a new computer.

Or did you want Windows 10 on the new computer?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion 14-ce3514sa
    CPU
    Core i5
    Memory
    16gb
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 evo plus 2TB
    Cooling
    Could be better
    Internet Speed
    200mbps Starlink
    Browser
    Firefox
    Other Info
    Originally installed with a 500gb H10 Optane ssd
Windows 11 Pro, Ver.22H2, Build 22621.1265

Looked at various apps for moving files from old to new PC such as ( Zinstall , PCMover, Easeus, etc.) but after looking at the prices and reviews I decided to do it myself...

Big mistake ! I'm neither a noob or a nerd, but I am in a rabbit hole with no light at the end.

I have a new desktop with OEM factory installed win 11 and I have installed a second disk drive from my old win 10 computer. I went through the startup process, Set up MS account, fumbled through One Drive setup, set up as "personal" account, etc. Some how my PC name wound up being "Administrator" and my "about about windows 11" dialog box says the license is to: "Administrator, Administrator" - yes two entries.

At this point, it looks like I should just do a factory reset and start all over again :-((

I am the only user of this PC, have no need for a PW, no need for public and users, and would like to boot to the desktop without a PIN.
I do not want to use One Drive or any other cloud.

So... a few questions...

1. If I restart the install/migration/transfer, what is the best way to achieve the above goals?
2. I have OneNote installed on both disks. How do I transfer all my win 10 notebooks to the empty win 11 app?
OneNote is cloud based, so you should have no issue with it.
3. Do I really need an administer account if I can usually run app as admin.?
What are you talking about? Are you talking about the account type or the account name? My account name is my name, and my account type is Administrator. If the account name says "Administrator" then you need to sign out of MS account which will convert your account to a local account. Then create a new account using your name (or whatever name you want) and make the account type "Administrator". Log into the new account and sign-in to your newly created account and move all your files over to the new account. Then once you're satisfied you have everything in your new account, you can then delete the old account from within Windows settings.

To tell you the truth, NEVER EVER use the image that came with the PC. You should learn how to install a fresh copy of Windows using the media creation tool.
Things you can backup are:
  • Your personal Files and folders - If you use Microsoft 365 and OneDrive then (if it was setup correctly on the old PC) you just need to log-in to OneDrive and set it to back up all your known folders (Desktop, Documents, Music, Pictures, Videos, Downloads) and then you can have it restore all your files and folders onto your new PC from the cloud.
  • Browser bookmarks - If you signed into your browser of choice on your old PC then no need to back this up as it will restore onto the new PC when you sign into that browser's account
  • Portable apps - these are apps that can run off a flash drive. For example, I use a fan controlling app called "Fan Control", I can run this app from a thumb drive and copy it to an identical computer and run it on that computer with no issues
  • Some app settings - Some apps use a folder that has all the settings in it. Not all apps can function when copying the App's setting folder over to a new PC.
What you cannot copy over:
  • Most non-portable apps cannot be copied over as those apps are tied deeply into the operation system
With a MS account, most of your PC settings will automatically be copied over to the new PC. Cloud based apps like OneNote will always have all your stuff brought back down from the cloud.
Any and all help, tips, advice or ramblings are appreciated.

Thanks, Butch007
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built (ASUS, Intel, Nvidia, Creative Labs, Corsair, Seasonic, Lian Li)
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XI EXTREME
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 128GB (4x32GB) ‎CMW128GX4M4E3200C16
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 TI Founders Edition
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster AE-9
    Monitor(s) Displays
    MSI Creator PS321URV 32 Inch HDR600
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160 (4K)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro 1TB
    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime TX 1000
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic XL ROG Edition
    Cooling
    ASUS ROG STRIX LC II 360 ARGB AIO, 10x UNI FAN SL-INFINITY Fans
    Keyboard
    Razer Huntsman Elite (Silent keys)
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3s
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s Down and 20 Mb/s Up
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Speakers: Vanatoo Transparent One Encore with a REL HT/1003 Subwoofer
If I remember correctly the OP was changing to a new PC and asked how to transfer his applications and data. Instead of the tedious process of reinstall everything from scratch and copy-paste his data, I suggested to make a clone of his old system, so he has everything as it was, and then upgrade that to Windows 11. Much easier than the first option.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
Whew! This discussion is as confusing as migrating to a new computer 😢
Simply stated: Computer software should do the migrating - not humans.
Bottom line: I painfully managed to do the migration.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    win 11 pro, v.22H2, build 22621.1265
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    geekom
    CPU
    11th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-1155G7 @ 2.50GHz 2.50 G
    Memory
    16GB
Simpler method, I would clone my entire old disk on the new computer. Boot that to have my old Windows 10 installation with all my data and all my applications. Update drivers. Then upgrade to Windows 11.
Ditto.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    i5-8400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    2x8gb 3200mhz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    benq gw2480
    PSU
    bequiet pure power 11 400CM
    Cooling
    cryorig m9i
  • Operating System
    win7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    pentium g5400
    Motherboard
    gigabyte b365m ds3h
    Memory
    1x8gb 2400
    PSU
    xfx pro 450
Computer software should do the migrating
Right now the need for W10>W11 migration isn't there for the masses, and there is no big biz to be made yet.

But there is over a billion monthyly active W10 devices (the one billion mark was achieved 3 years ago) and maybe half of them don't satisfy the W11 system requirements.

Hence, there will be big biz around October 2025 (EOL of W10) for automated W10>W11 migration tools ...

... PC vendors with the best W10>W11 migration tools thrown in the deal will sell the most PCs (y)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
If you keep your current PC there is nothing to migrate. Bypass compatibility check and upgrade Windows 10 to 11. See relevant thread. If you want to move your current Windows 10 installation on a new computer do as suggested in my previous post. You don't need any special software.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
If you keep your current PC there is nothing to migrate. Bypass compatibility check and upgrade Windows 10 to 11. See relevant thread. If you want to move your current Windows 10 installation on a new computer do as suggested in my previous post. You don't need any special software.
That may be a message to forum users, but ... 99.9% of the masses out there will ask 'bypass what?' 'what is compatility check? etc

My previous message was about the masses come EOL of W10.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro
If I remember correctly the OP was changing to a new PC and asked how to transfer his applications and data. Instead of the tedious process of reinstall everything from scratch and copy-paste his data, I suggested to make a clone of his old system, so he has everything as it was, and then upgrade that to Windows 11. Much easier than the first option.
This way is not as reliable. Upgrading is supposed to make people's lives easier, but it made many people's lives miserable.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built (ASUS, Intel, Nvidia, Creative Labs, Corsair, Seasonic, Lian Li)
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XI EXTREME
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 128GB (4x32GB) ‎CMW128GX4M4E3200C16
    Graphics Card(s)
    Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 TI Founders Edition
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster AE-9
    Monitor(s) Displays
    MSI Creator PS321URV 32 Inch HDR600
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160 (4K)
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Pro 1TB
    Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime TX 1000
    Case
    Lian Li 011 Dynamic XL ROG Edition
    Cooling
    ASUS ROG STRIX LC II 360 ARGB AIO, 10x UNI FAN SL-INFINITY Fans
    Keyboard
    Razer Huntsman Elite (Silent keys)
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3s
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s Down and 20 Mb/s Up
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Speakers: Vanatoo Transparent One Encore with a REL HT/1003 Subwoofer

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