Technical progress does not stand still. This is especially true for the development of computer technology, so most of us usually do not upgrade to replace the motherboard and processor, but prefer to just buy a new PC or laptop that will be more powerful than the previous configuration (with a similar or updated OS). All this is good. But after all, on the new device you will have to reinstall all those programs that were on the old PC or copy all user files, as well as configuration files of the operating system and previously installed applications to its hard drive. It is clear that this can take a lot of time. But isn’t it easier to use the data transfer tool in Windows 10 from an earlier system so that everything you need is automatically copied? Of course, many users will answer in the affirmative. But very often pitfalls and problems await them, which Microsoft experts prefer to keep silent about.
Data transfer tool in Windows 10 from other operating systems: the main problem of the tenth modification.
The main problem faced by almost all users trying to transfer important data to other PCs is that in the tenth modification of the applet, which was presented in earlier systems as an independent system application, no.
Previously, this tool was called either from the “Control Panel” or from the “Run” console using the migwiz command . In Windows 10, this command does not work, because there is no associated program file, and when you enter it in the console, only the system folder of the same name opens.
What can be transferred?
In addition, it is quite obvious that in this situation you can transfer only your user files, some (but not all) installed programs, as well as settings for the system, network, some applications, etc. Naturally, all system libraries, even those located Outside system directories and partitions will also be copied automatically.
However, if you approach the entire process of transferring data from the “top ten” to the “top ten” objectively, frankly, it is much easier to create a complete image of the entire hard disk with the OS installed on it, using only user data transfer to Windows 10 is completely impractical. But, since you have chosen such a thorny path, let's go through it together to the end.
Note: keep in mind that it will be impossible in principle to migrate data from a 64-bit OS to a 32-bit one. On the contrary - no problem.
Where is the data transfer tool in Windows 10?
In older versions of Windows, the tool itself is invoked by the method described above. But in the tenth version of the system, you can use only one, which is called "File History". You can find it in the archiving service section, which is located in the options menu. In order not to search for this tool for a long time, you can immediately use the search bar and enter the search name. To call it, you just need to make RMB on the "Start" button and run the corresponding applet.
What to use - cable or external drive?
There are several options for you to choose from, among which you can choose the one that suits you best. Firstly, you can attach an external HDD to the old terminal or laptop. Secondly, you can specify the copying of data to a network resource (hard disk), if any. But do not abuse virtual cloud storages connected as network drives that synchronize their real volume with the system partition of the computer.
Thirdly, you can connect two computers directly using a special data transfer cable, which is a cord with two USB plugs that connect to the corresponding ports on both terminals. It seems that the latter option is much more convenient, because if there is no hard disk at hand, the same flash drive will have to have an impressive amount to perform all the operations, and a new hard drive or USB-HDD is quite expensive for many.
Data copying process
Now we proceed directly to the transfer. On systems below the tenth, press the Win button along with the R key and enter the above command to call the transfer tool.
In the window that appears, mark the method of the transfer, and specify the source PC from which you are going to copy the information as the source.
Next, it will be proposed to install the data transfer tool itself (in Windows 10 it is not, so you can install it on the media where the copy will go). If the transfer is carried out in equivalent OS (up to the eighth modification inclusive), this step can be skipped. After that, in the next dialog, click “Yes” and select the objects to be copied. If you click "No", the system will offer to save user settings automatically and immediately. If you selected the transfer method using the cable, wait until the connection is established, and then the copying process will start.
Actions on another computer
On the second PC, if the system is similar to the one from which the transfer was performed, run the same applet, but in the source selection dialog, specify “This is my new computer”.
In the case of the “top ten”, refer to the backup service section, click on the search link for other copies (Windows 7), and then click on the link for selecting another archive from which backups will be restored. Then indicate its location on removable media. In case of cable or network connection, a special key will be preliminarily created, which during the transfer process will need to be inserted into the field provided for it. When copying is complete, the compatibility check tool will automatically start.
Note: sometimes there may be emergency situations when the transfer of user information may not be fully completed.
In this case, it is strongly recommended that you copy the entire contents of the hidden AppData directory located in the user directory in the Users section of the system drive.
Using OneDrive
The data transfer tool in Windows 10 is far from always necessary. The fact is that in the "top ten" almost all user information is automatically synchronized with the OneDrive cloud service, which is enabled by default.
Only to use it, you need to log in not under local registration, but using your Microsoft account. This technique is useful when working with the eighth and tenth modifications, since earlier operating systems do not support this synchronization method. All user settings on the new PC will be restored automatically.
PCmover
If you do not like your own Windows tool, you can simplify your task by using the PCmover application. However, it is paid. It is better to choose the Ultimate modification, which extends to Amazon, and a universal cable is also bundled with the optical drive.
Winwin application
In the same way, you can just use the WinWin application, which costs almost a widow cheaper than the package described above, and works just as well. However, in both cases, you should take into account the fact that both programs are reliably protected from copying, so you should have an uninterrupted Internet connection (for software authentication). But even in this case, none of the well-known applications guarantees full copying of the data, and the process itself takes much longer than usual.