File and program transfer

What is the best way to transfer all my Files and Data from the old computer to the new one.

Transferring your files is easy. Programs can't be transferred - they have to be reinstalled on the new computer, and to do that you need to have the original installer and registration information. There is no supported method to transfer a program from one computer to another. In addition, you should only reinstall programs that are supported on Windows 11.

You can certainly try to reinstall unsupported programs. There's no harm done, but also no guarantee that they'll work properly in Windows 11, and neither the developer nor Microsoft will be able to help you if you run into problems.

In my opinion: It makes no sense to waste a factory-fresh Windows installation, along with the computer's warranty and access to the manufacturer's technical support, by over-writing it with a clone of an older computer.

To transfer your files:

First, be sure that all your personal files are located inside the folders that Microsoft intended to hold your personal files, i.e.:

C:\Users<your user account>\Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos

then copy these folders to an external hard drive or a USB flash drive. (The reason for copying rather than moving is that in case anything bad happens while you are transferring your files, the originals are preserved.) Then move the contents of the folders on the external drive to the corresponding folders in Windows 11.

Be sure to include user files that are not where you expect them to be. For example: If you're an Office Outlook user, be sure to have a copy of your .pst file in your \Documents folder.

The program is TurboCad 16 pro so I think it will be pretty complex. I will certainly try it but I think it will detect that it is being put onto a new computer and that the total number of licenses for this program have already been used. Using Macrium Reflect I think would have been the answer. Unfortunately my old computer id not compatible for loading Windows 11 as I thought of giving that a try in order to use Macrium.

Regards Paddy

Hi Paddy.

It depends on how complex that program is and if it will just run from its own folder.

Find the folder that program is installed into and copy that to a USB flash drive.

Then, transfer that folder temporarily into you Documents folder on the new PC, open that folder and double click the program exe file, does it work run there on the new PC?

Hi Dave,

Many thanks for your reply.

Windows 10 and 11 are apparently according to Dell both are embedded in the new computer's motherboard. Windows 11 is the operating system and I can get the details of that but no way can I get the details of the version of Windows 10 that is in there or can they tell me how you can use it as the operating system. So it looks as though I am going to be unlucky and not be able to transfer that particular program.

Regards Paddy

Hi Paddy

I am Dave, I will help you with this.

What edition (Home, Pro... etc.) of Windows 10 is on both PC's, do they have the same edition?

if they have the same edition of Windows 10, then you can clone the old drive onto the new drive, that would be the only way to transfer that program to the new PC, and Windows should self activate on the new PC.

Activate Windows on the new PC before proceeding.

Then if you connect both drives to the same PC, you can use the free version of Macrium Reflect to clone the old drive to the new drive.