Solved Seeking advice re: best, easiest way to move everything from old Win 10 to new Win 11 PC

11Dude · Jul 8, 2026

I am planning to replace an old Win 10 Pro PC with a new Win 11 Pro PC (OOTB). Both computers are AIO (All In One) desktops. The computers are not connected by any kind of network. I do not use any kind of cloud backup (and don't want to). And I want to do it using only local accounts.

--I have heard about PC transfer/data migration software, which supposedly takes basically everything from the old computer (files, apps, settings, etc) and moves them all to the new one. Is this true? If so, what's a good one?

--I have also heard this can be done with some types of drive image creation software. True?

--Any other ideas would be helpful as well.

Thanks!

Brink · Jul 8, 2026

Hello,

You might also check out if using the Windows Backup app to transfer your PC like in the tutorial below may work for your situation.

It does require both to use an internet connection though.

Transfer Files and Settings to New Windows 11 PC using Windows Backup app

This tutorial will show you how to transfer your files, settings, and preferences from your previous (old) Windows 10/11 PC to your new Windows 11 PC during Windows Setup. The Windows Backup app includes a PC to PC migration experience to Transfer to a new PC. When you're setting up your new...

www.elevenforum.com

glasskuter · Jul 8, 2026

If I buy a brand new computer, I don't want all the junk that has accumulated over the years in my old one to move over to my new one. I backup my personal files from my old one(you can copy & paste files/folders to an external drive.) I On my new one, I install just the apps I use (not the stuff I don't), copy my files from the external drive into my new user account folders and move on fresh and clean. There are several things I don't believe in when it come to my computer....shortcutting and having a lot of junk.

Megahertz · Jul 8, 2026

You didn't mentioned what kind of computers (Laptop or desktop) you have and what are the specs of them (old and new).

There are many ways to do it.
- If the old computer main drive is EFI - GPT, on the new computer generate all drivers backup and a main drive image backup.
Then the easiest way is to take the old computer drive and install on the new computer and then clone the old computer drive on the new computer drive. Remove the old drive and then let it upgrade to Win 11. I don't like this method as glasskuter already said, you transfer all trash from old computer to the new one.

- I agree with glasskuter that a new computer deserve a fresh install. If the new computer has no OS do a Win 11 Clean install as EFI - GPT. If it already came with Win 11 keep it. Take the old computer drive and install on the new computer and then copy the old computer data files to the new computer drive. Remove the old drive and then install the programs and applications you wish to have.

TraderGary · Jul 8, 2026

glasskuter said:
If I buy a brand new computer, I don't want all the junk that has accumulated over the years in my old one to move over to my new one. I backup my personal files from my old one(you can copy & paste files/folders to an external drive.) I On my new one, I install just the apps I use (not the stuff I don't), copy my files from the external drive into my new user account folders and move on fresh and clean. There are several things I don't believe in when it come to my computer....shortcutting and having a lot of junk.

Absolutely agree!

The only difference here is that I'm a Microsoft 365 subscriber. The moment I log in to my new computer all my data and photos are instantly there in my 1TB of OneDrive and the latest Microsoft Office is there ready to work.

Ghot · Jul 8, 2026

I also agree with @glasskuter leave the dust bunnies on the Win 10 computer.

1st thing I do is use REVO Uninstaller free, to remove all the Microsoft bloat.
Then install the things I want and tweak as necessary.
Then make a fresh backup.

What is bloat and what isn't is a personal choice. This is usually what I remove....

Here's some other things that you may find useful...

Quickie Eleven Forum Setup Guide for new Members

Quickie Interface tour... Quickie set up... At the top right, click on your name, then choose "Preferences". Then go through everything on the left side. Quickie navigation... Click Forums and choose a subforum, OR... Click Forums, then New Posts or What's New Ranks, Trophies...

www.elevenforum.com

Macrium Reflect, AOMEI Backupper and Hasleo Backup Suite - GUIDES

How to use backup software... 1. When everything is working perfectly... make a full Windows backup. 2. Then, if something breaks... restore from the latest backup. 3. Then... try "whatever you were doing" a different way. If it still breaks Windows, then... go to step #2. 4. Repeat...

www.elevenforum.com

Windows 11 Tweaks - Leader Board.

These are tweaks I've seen asked for... many times. They are collected here for easy access. All of these and more can be found in the Eleven Forum Tutorials Make sure to read the "notes" in the various tutorials. At the bottom of the first post in all the "tutorials", there are links to...

www.elevenforum.com

Bree · Jul 8, 2026

11Dude said:
--I have also heard this can be done with some types of drive image creation software. True?

That is true.

While everyone else has praised the virtues of a clean install, then copying over all your user data (certainly the cleanest approach) there can be an argument for the opposite case, a warts and all migration of the original machine's OS drive to the new one.

In my case the overriding argument was that I wanted to keep the installed MS Office Starter 2010, a free version of MS Office that was only available on OEM Windows 7 machines, and cannot be reinstalled - not even on Windows 7 (only OEMs could do that) and certainly not on Windows 10/11 where its install would be blocked by the OS.

So, for a long time my 'main machine' was a Win7 laptop (Legacy BIOS and MBR disk) that had taken the free upgrade to Windows 10 when it was first released. With the approach of Windows 11 I wanted to upgrade to a UEFI/GPT W11-compliant laptop as my 'main machine', but I also wanted to continue using all installed software I already had. I would also have to convert from a Legacy/MBR install to a UEFI/GPT one in order to be offered the upgrade to Windows 11. The answer was to use Macrium Reflect Free to image the old machine and restore to the new one.

Bree said:
I used Reflect to restore the C: partition from a system image of my old Legacy/MBR machine to replace the C: partition of a clean install of the same version of Win10 on a new UEFI/GPT machine. Then used the Reflect recovery usb's 'fix Windows boot problems' option to rebuild the BCD. The end result was a transfer of my complete system to a new machine, not just my user files but all my installed software and configurations.

I have effectively got exactly the same PC as I had before, just with every part of its hardware upgraded.

Onboarding to Windows 11 is easy - post #8

In the process I had also moved from an Intel-based machine to an AMD-based one. Windows happily sorted out all the new drivers required for basic functionality, then when on the internet Windows Update upgraded a few more.

Yes, a lot of unnecessary OEM crud came over with the OS, in particular some Toshiba OEM utilities than were about as useful as a chocolate teapot on the new Acer hardware. But Revo Uninstaller cleaned up most of that, and DriverStoreExplorer dealt with the rest. The Acer (System One below) then became my 'main machine' for the next 5 years until its lid hinges started to give way. I've not found it to be any different from any of my other machines with their clean installs. Cumulative and Feature updates have installed cleanly and it's been as responsive as a clean install would have been.

Now that the Acer had started to fall apart I had no hesitation in migrating the OS for a second time to its current hardware, my System Seven below. An easier migration this time as they are both UEFI/GPT machines (and going back from AMD to Intel hardware in the process).

glasskuter · Jul 8, 2026

TraderGary said:
The only difference here is that I'm a Microsoft 365 subscriber. The moment I log in to my new computer all my data and photos are instantly there in my 1TB of OneDrive and the latest Microsoft Office is there ready to work.

Really?? I didn't know that. Why haven't you told us before? (Just bee essing you Gary.) Luv ya and your OD bunches.

TraderGary · Jul 9, 2026

glasskuter said:
Really?? I didn't know that. Why haven't you told us before? (Just bee essing you Gary.) Luv ya and your OD bunches.

You've heard that before? :wink:

I thought I'd make the comment just in case a thread reader might not know.

AdvancedSetup · Jul 9, 2026

Bree said:
While everyone else has praised the virtues of a clean install, then copying over all your user data (certainly the cleanest approach) there can be an argument for the opposite case, a warts and all migration of the original machine's OS drive to the new one.

You've been putting up with difficult operations in Widows for years now. You have the chance to put that behind you. Just curious what are the augments to mess up your brand new install and continue with more years of self-inflicted issues?

Sure you might save several hours now but then you're going to miss the opportunity to have a good working system that runs faster, smoother than what you've been running.

dalchina · Jul 9, 2026

Hi, once again, here's the way I did it.

1. Clean install Win 11 on the new PC.
2. Create clone of old Win 10 on a USB drive.
3. Install a (giveaway) copy of Easesus ToDo PC Trans on Win 11.
4. Connect clone and run Easesus ToDo PC Trans
5. Have it scan the clone- it then lists the programs installed etc.

Thus you can transfer entire accounts, complete programs (selectively) to the new O/S.

A huge time save if you've lots of progs.
In some cases licenses are transferred.

Probably not recommended for huge complicated programs (better to install an Office suite or large game manually).
And certainly not for security progs.

Works extremely well.

MisterEd · Jul 9, 2026

Bree said:
In my case the overriding argument was that I wanted to keep the installed MS Office Starter 2010, a free version of MS Office that was only available on OEM Windows 7 machines, and cannot be reinstalled - not even on Windows 7 (only OEMs could do that) and certainly not on Windows 10/11 where its install would be blocked by the OS.

Microsoft might want you to believe that but I was just able to install it in Windows 7.
All I needed was the setup program "setupconsumerc2rolw.exe". However, there is a gotcha. In order to get the setup to run you have to temporarily disable the IPV6 protocol.

It will also install in Windows 10 and 11. Unfortunately, Windows 10 & 11 block the program from running.

Bree · Jul 9, 2026

AdvancedSetup said:
Just curious what are the augments to mess up your brand new install and continue with more years of self-inflicted issues?

Sure you might save several hours now but then you're going to miss the opportunity to have a good working system that runs faster, smoother than what you've been running.

What self-inflicted issues? ~~My other car is a Porsche~~ my other laptops are all clean installs. I can see no performance difference between this migrated system and any of the others. It's not 'saving time' - it's saving software that cannot be reinstalled. If I want to keep it I have no choice.

MisterEd said:
Microsoft might want you to believe that but I was just able to install it in Windows 7.
All I needed was the setup program "setupconsumerc2rolw.exe". However, there is a gotcha. In order to get the setup to run you have to temporarily disable the IPV6 protocol.

MisterEd said:
It will also install in Windows 10 and 11. Unfortunately, Windows 10 & 11 block the program from running.

Microsoft's Windows 10 installer will uninstall Office Starter as being 'incompatible' if you try upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 10. There is a loophole though, Starter was only added to the list of incompatible programs with W10 version 1511 (10586). This system got the free upgrade to the original version 10240 which left it installed. Incompatible programs are only checked for and removed when upgrading W7>W10, a W10 upgrade to the next version (or to W11) makes no such checks, so it remains there to this day.

MisterEd said:
.....Unfortunately, Windows 10 & 11 block the program from running.

Apparently my system didn't get the memo.....

AdvancedSetup · Jul 9, 2026

Bree said:
It's not 'saving time' - it's saving software that cannot be reinstalled. If I want to keep it I have no choice.

True in some cases. But I've installed hundreds of apps that supposedly could not be reinstalled onto the new OS and it worked just fine. But that does require a very advanced understanding of Windows and the Registry.

AdvancedSetup · Jul 9, 2026

Aside from conquering the annoyances of Windows (which can often be fun and rewarding) the LibreOffice is free open source and miles ahead of MS Office Starter edition capabilities. But if you're on a low powered system then MS Office Starter Edition will be a lot lower on resource usage.

HTA · Jul 9, 2026

Bree said:
That is true.

While everyone else has praised the virtues of a clean install, then copying over all your user data (certainly the cleanest approach) there can be an argument for the opposite case, a warts and all migration of the original machine's OS drive to the new one.

In my case the overriding argument was that I wanted to keep the installed MS Office Starter 2010, a free version of MS Office that was only available on OEM Windows 7 machines, and cannot be reinstalled - not even on Windows 7 (only OEMs could do that) and certainly not on Windows 10/11 where its install would be blocked by the OS.

So, for a long time my 'main machine' was a Win7 laptop (Legacy BIOS and MBR disk) that had taken the free upgrade to Windows 10 when it was first released. With the approach of Windows 11 I wanted to upgrade to a UEFI/GPT W11-compliant laptop as my 'main machine', but I also wanted to continue using all installed software I already had. I would also have to convert from a Legacy/MBR install to a UEFI/GPT one in order to be offered the upgrade to Windows 11. The answer was to use Macrium Reflect Free to image the old machine and restore to the new one.

Onboarding to Windows 11 is easy - post #8

In the process I had also moved from an Intel-based machine to an AMD-based one. Windows happily sorted out all the new drivers required for basic functionality, then when on the internet Windows Update upgraded a few more.

Yes, a lot of unnecessary OEM crud came over with the OS, in particular some Toshiba OEM utilities than were about as useful as a chocolate teapot on the new Acer hardware. But Revo Uninstaller cleaned up most of that, and DriverStoreExplorer dealt with the rest. The Acer (System One below) then became my 'main machine' for the next 5 years until its lid hinges started to give way. I've not found it to be any different from any of my other machines with their clean installs. Cumulative and Feature updates have installed cleanly and it's been as responsive as a clean install would have been.

Now that the Acer had started to fall apart I had no hesitation in migrating the OS for a second time to its current hardware, my System Seven below. An easier migration this time as they are both UEFI/GPT machines (and going back from AMD to Intel hardware in the process).

This has worked for me many times and I get the same results as you do. Saves me days and days of labor on our machines, and customers want their new computer to look and act just like the old one did.

AdvancedSetup · Jul 9, 2026

If you and your customers are happy that's what counts. I take a different approach and in over 35 years now I do not recall ever doing an upgrade for a single customer. New, clean, fresh install, make the old software work. Not a money maker that's for sure but I don't do it for the money.

glasskuter · Jul 9, 2026

For some tasks there is more than one way and we're all different in the way we do them. The only thing I am OCD about is my computers and I practice a 'better safe than sorry' approach, but what I feel is right for me may not be right for the next guy who is not as OCD as I am. I say whatever floats one's boat, more power to them. All we can do is give our varying opinions when responding to a thread. In the end, the poster is going to choose to do what he wants to do anyway.

Marie SWE · Jul 9, 2026

glasskuter said:
For some tasks there is more than one way and we're all different in the way we do them. The only thing I am OCD about is my computers and I practice a 'better safe than sorry' approach, but what I feel is right for me may not be right for the next guy who is not as OCD as I am. I say whatever floats one's boat, more power to them. All we can do is give our varying opinions when responding to a thread. In the end, the poster is going to choose to do what he wants to do anyway.

I dont have OCD, but i have my own way of doing things that might be on the extreme side... even for other advanced power-users.

*lol*

So i say as you say.... what is right for me is most likely not right for others.

But... (a post can never be complete without a but) *lol*.. But.... it can never go wrong with doing a clean install and then just sync/copy over the personal data from a backup drive.

oh.. and never forget...... Backup, backup and backup... so you never have to cry over lost data.

11Dude · Jul 10, 2026

Thanks to everyone for all the very helpful info! I am not a really a tech person and I appreciate everyone's wisdom. I am taking everything you've said into consideration.

In my original post I said: I have heard about PC transfer/data migration software, which supposedly takes basically everything from the old computer (files, apps, settings, etc) and moves them all to the new one. Is this true? If so, what's a good one?

I asked this because simplicity is very helpful for my non-tech brain.

Some of the apps available are: FastMove, EaseUS Todo PC Trans Free, PCMover, and Zinstall. Anyone used any of these successfully? (Also, if you've used something not listed, I would like to hear about that as well)

Solved Seeking advice re: best, easiest way to move everything from old Win 10 to new Win 11 PC

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