Win 10 / 11 · Windows

Move everything to a new PC

The files are the easy part. What catches people out is the browser profile, the licence keys and the two-factor codes — sort those before the old machine gets wiped.

DifficultyMedium
Time60 min
RiskMedium
ReversibleYes
PlatformWin 10 / 11
UpdatedAug 18, 2026

Written and tested by emdottech

What that means

Medium risk. This fix changes system settings, services, drivers, startup items or security features — reversible, but taking it back takes some effort or knowledge, and it may temporarily affect stability. This change is reversible — you can return to the previous state without professional help or data loss.

The new-PC move in three stages — Windows Backup plus copying files from the old machine, signing in on the new one to verify browser profiles and 2FA codes, then keeping the old drive for a month

Steps

01
- Sign in on the old PC with a Microsoft account and use Windows Backup (SettingsAccountsWindows Backup) to carry settings and your app list across
02
- Copy the actual data yourself over an external drive or the network — for large folders it's faster and far more predictable than any migration tool
03
- Sign into your browser on the new PC to pull bookmarks, saved passwords and extensions, and confirm they've arrived before you wipe anything
04
- Move your authenticator app across, or export the recovery codes first. Being locked out of your own 2FA is the one mistake here that's genuinely hard to undo
05
- Keep the old drive intact for a month. Something always turns out to be missing in week three

How to verify the fix

Bookmarks, passwords, extensions and 2FA codes all work on the new PC, confirmed before the old machine is wiped.

If this didn't fix it

Something is missing after the switch — the old drive was kept intact for a month; recover from it rather than re-doing the migration.

Next stop: the related fixes below, or start a guided diagnosis.

Still stuck? Diagnose my problem Browse all Windows fixes

Move everything to a new PC

Steps

✓How to verify the fix

!If this didn't fix it

Related fixes

How to verify the fix

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