Not everything transfers the same way : documents are copied, software is reinstalled, and some settings cannot be recovered at all.
That distinction avoids the main disappointment of changing machines, when you find out afterwards that a program will not reinstall or that an account has been lost. A little preparation changes everything.
Take ten minutes to note what is on the old machine :
Documents, photos, videos, music, browser bookmarks, contacts. Three methods depending on the case :
This is the most important rule on this page.
Keep the old machine intact, or at least its drive, until you are certain nothing is missing. It takes several weeks of use to notice that a folder, a document template or a mail archive did not follow. A drive kept for a few months costs nothing ; data erased too soon is gone.
Software is not copied : it is installed, with its key or its account. Many licences can be reused, sometimes after being deactivated on the old machine - check that point before parting with it, as it is often impossible afterwards.
The new computer's Windows licence belongs to it ; the old one does not need to be recovered.
Passwords saved in the browser without syncing, the preferences of certain programs, and the data of applications that store everything locally with no export. That is precisely why the list beforehand matters.
Once the transfer is verified, if you sell, give away or recycle the machine, a simple format is not enough : the data stays recoverable with any recovery tool. Two reliable methods : a secure erase that rewrites the whole drive, or simply removing the drive and keeping it.
This is a badly neglected point, when second-hand computers regularly turn up containing their previous owner's tax documents, personal photos and passwords.
Full transfer, software reinstalled, email set up again, printers put back, then a secure erase and recycling of the old machine. You get your working habits back without spending your evenings on it. See also when to replace your computer.
The contents of an old drive can be cloned, but that is rarely wise onto different hardware : you inherit the accumulated slowness and problems along with it. Starting clean is better.
A few hours, depending on the volume of data and the number of programs to reinstall. Copying the files is the longest part, the configuration the most delicate.
Keep it a few months as a precaution, then have it securely erased before giving it away, selling it or recycling it. A format alone does not protect your data.
Would you rather we took care of it ? See our computer repair at home service, in Lyon and across the Rhone.
Full migration and secure erasure of the old one, with no unpleasant surprises.
Automatic assistant: it can make mistakes. Never share a password or a card number.
