How do I retrieve my old Office files from my former computer, onto my new Windows 11 computer?

Question

How do I retrieve my old Office files from my former computer, onto my new Windows 11 computer?

Barbara Parlin 20

I had many files on my former computer, mostly Word and Excel. I now have a new computer and I've purchased Microsoft 365. I want to access those files. How do I bring them over? I'm not real sure of myself...

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Answer accepted by question author

EmilyS726 268.8K Independent Advisor

Hello

Do you have access on the old computer? If so, you can just go there, copy the files from folders such as Documents, Desktop into a flash drive or external drive, then bring them to the new computer.

Or did you use OneDrive to sync your files on the old computer? If you do, can you verify that the files can be found on https://www.onedrive.com? If you find them in the cloud, you can install OneDrive desktop app on the new computer, sign in and they should sync over.

Barbara Parlin 20 Reputation points

2026-01-10T16:59:03.9666667+00:00

I so appreciate your help! I do not have my old computer. I have a OneDrive account. At the risk of sounding helpless, I'm on my OneDrive account, but don't know how to find them in the cloud.
EmilyS726 268.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-01-10T17:02:32.9566667+00:00

No worries Barbara.

Go to https://www.onedrive.com.

Sign into your account.

Then on the left, go to My files. On this page, you can go to folders such as Documents, Desktop, etc. See if you can find your files. If you do find them, on the new computer, go to your Start menu and see if you already have the OneDrive app installed. If so, go ahead and run it, sign in. If you don't have it installed, you will need to download it, install it back and then set it up. You can download it from here: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/onedrive/download

Once you have the OneDrive app up and running again, these files should start syncing and show up on your new computer.
Barbara Parlin 20 Reputation points

2026-01-16T17:06:12.8533333+00:00

So kind of you to continue helping me! All done! Happy to say these files are once again mine. Thanks again!
EmilyS726 268.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-01-17T03:00:07.1066667+00:00

I am glad to hear you found your files. Well done Barbara!!

1 additional answer

Your answer

Barbara Parlin 20 Reputation points

2026-01-10T16:59:03.9666667+00:00

I so appreciate your help! I do not have my old computer. I have a OneDrive account. At the risk of sounding helpless, I'm on my OneDrive account, but don't know how to find them in the cloud.
EmilyS726 268.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-01-10T17:02:32.9566667+00:00

No worries Barbara.

Go to https://www.onedrive.com.

Sign into your account.

Then on the left, go to My files. On this page, you can go to folders such as Documents, Desktop, etc. See if you can find your files. If you do find them, on the new computer, go to your Start menu and see if you already have the OneDrive app installed. If so, go ahead and run it, sign in. If you don't have it installed, you will need to download it, install it back and then set it up. You can download it from here: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/onedrive/download

Once you have the OneDrive app up and running again, these files should start syncing and show up on your new computer.
Barbara Parlin 20 Reputation points

2026-01-16T17:06:12.8533333+00:00

So kind of you to continue helping me! All done! Happy to say these files are once again mine. Thanks again!
EmilyS726 268.8K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-01-17T03:00:07.1066667+00:00

I am glad to hear you found your files. Well done Barbara!!

Answer 1

To retrieve your old Office files from your former computer to your new Windows 11 computer, you can follow these steps:

Transfer Files via External Storage: If you have access to your old computer, you can copy your Word and Excel files to an external USB drive or an external hard drive. Once copied, connect the drive to your new Windows 11 computer and transfer the files to your desired location.
Cloud Storage: If you used OneDrive or another cloud storage service on your old computer, you can log into that service on your new computer and download your files directly from there.
Windows File Recovery Tool: If you are unable to locate your files on the old computer, you can use the Windows File Recovery tool available for Windows 10, version 2004 or later. This tool can help recover files that have been permanently deleted. You can find it in the Microsoft Store.
Check for Backup: If you had any backup solutions in place (like Windows Backup or third-party software), you can restore your files from those backups.
Email or File Sharing: If you had sent any files via email or shared them with others, you can check your email attachments or ask colleagues for copies of the files.

Once you have your files on your new computer, you can open them using Microsoft 365 applications like Word and Excel.