How do I transfer everything from Windows 10 to a new Windows 11 PC

Windows 11 Migration Tool made by Microsoft.

Windows 11 setup has a built-in migration path that lets you restore from a previous PC during the initial installation process, without needing third-party tools. This is how to transfer everything from Windows 10 to Windows 11 on a new PC or laptop.

1. Microsoft Account Restore (OOBE)

During the Out-of-Box Experience (the initial setup screens after a fresh Windows 11 install), Windows will offer to restore from a previous PC automatically.

Steps:

1. Boot into Windows 11 setup on the new PC
2. When prompted to sign in, use the same Microsoft account as your old PC
3. Windows detects previous PCs linked to that account and shows a screen: "Let's get you back to your recent self"
4. Choose your old PC from the list
5. Select what to restore — apps, settings, and preferences
6. Windows completes setup and begins restoring in the background

This works best when the old PC had Windows Backup enabled and OneDrive syncing active beforehand.

2. Transfer Local Files with OneDrive

OneDrive can act as a free intermediary to move local files from your old Windows 10 PC to your new Windows 11 PC without an external drive.

Limitations of Built-in Migration

• No app data transfer for Win32 apps — settings for apps like Photoshop, games, or specialist software don't carry over
• Local files only transfer if they were in OneDrive-backed folders
• Microsoft account required — doesn't work well with local accounts
• Older app licenses may need reactivation on new hardware

For a more complete migration from Windows 10 to Windows 11 including app data and non-OneDrive files, combining the built-in restore with a tool like PCmover or a manual external drive backup gives the most complete result.

If you are going to transfer everything from Windows 10 to Windows 11 on the same computer, this is the simplest method. You do not need to transfer anything at all.

Microsoft designed the Windows 11 upgrade process to preserve your files, applications, and settings. According to Microsoft's official documentation, as long as you select "Keep personal files and apps" during the upgrade, everything stays exactly where it is .

How to transfer everything from Windows 10 to Windows 11:

1. Go to Microsoft's official Windows 11 download page

2. Click "Download Now" under the Windows 11 Installation Assistant

3. Run the downloaded tool

4. Follow the prompts and choose "Keep personal files and apps" when the option appears

This method works perfectly for the same machine. If you are moving to a brand new computer with Windows 11 pre-installed, you will need one of the methods below.

Use a PC Transfer software. It is a category of tools designed to migrate your entire computing environment such as files, applications, settings, and user profiles from one PC to another, without manually reinstalling everything.

How to Transfer Windows 10 to Windows 11 new computer

The software runs on both PCs simultaneously and creates a migration package by:

1. Scanning the source PC — inventories installed apps, user accounts, files, and registry settings

2. Packaging — bundles everything into a transferable snapshot

3. Transmitting — sends it over a network, USB cable, or external drive

4. Rebuilding — recreates the environment on the destination PC

Why It's Good for Windows 10 to Windows 11 Transfer

1. Handles the OS gap automatically

The tools understand that source and destination are different OS versions and reconcile compatibility differences — registry paths, file structures, and app locations that differ between Win 10 and Win 11.

2. Saves enormous time

Manually reinstalling 30+ apps, reconfiguring settings, and copying files can take a full day or more. PC transfer tools compress that to 1–3 hours largely unattended.

3. Preserves app settings and data

This is the biggest advantage. A fresh install loses:

• Game saves
• Email profiles and local mail
• Software license activations
• App preferences built up over years

Google Drive is a cloud-based solution you can use to transfer windows 10 to windows 11 on new computer, by uploading files from your old PC and downloading them on your new device.

How to Transfer Windows 10 to windows 11 on new computer

Step 1: Install the software on your old Windows 10 computer

Step 2: Upload all the files you want to keep to the software

Step 3: Install the program on your new Windows 11 computer

Step 4: Sign in with the same Google account

Finally, download the uploaded files to your new device

Pros

• Cross-platform access
• No physical storage device required
• Access your files anytime, anywhere with an internet connection

Cons

• Limited free storage (15 GB, shared with other Google services)
• Slow transfer speeds when the internet connection is weak

Although you can use the software to transfer your content to a new computer, keep in mind that this is a cloud service—part of the Google ecosystem—that provides you with 15 GB of storage. However, you may not be able to store all your content within the software; if you’ve purchased additional storage, that’s perfectly fine.

OneDrive is a cloud service you can use to transfer windows 10 to windows 11 on new computer, as well as syncing files and system settings between devices.

Instructions: On your older Windows 10 computer, go to Settings > Accounts > Sync settings, then turn it on. Save all important files in the Software folder.

On your new Windows 11 computer, sign in with the same Microsoft account. Your files and supported settings will sync automatically.

Its advantages include automatic cross-device synchronization, no need for external storage devices, and seamless access to files from any device logged into the account.

Its disadvantages include a free storage limit of only 5GB, slow synchronization speeds when the network connection is unstable, and the inability to transfer installed applications.

Important Notes:

• Make sure you have enough OneDrive storage space to accommodate all the files you want to sync.
• Be sure to use a stable, high-speed internet connection to avoid sync failures or delays.
• Verify that your system settings are compatible with Windows 11’s sync features.
• Be sure to back up important files to your local disk as an extra safety measure.

This allows you to easily transfer windows 10 to windows 11 on new computer. It is suitable for users who want a simple, cloud-based way to keep their files and settings synced without manual file transfers.

Manual Transfer is a basic way to transfer everything from windows 10 to 11, supporting migration of personal files, bookmarks and partial app data.

How to transfer everything from windows 10 to 11

1. Copy the C:\Users\username folder from your old computer to an external storage device.
2. Paste the folder into the same directory on your new Windows 11 computer.
3. Sync Chrome bookmarks: Go to Settings > Sync and sign in with your Google account.
4. Sync Firefox bookmarks: Enable sync in your Firefox account settings.
5. Copy the data in %APPDATA% to preserve some application settings.

Limitation: Installed programs cannot be migrated; you will need to reinstall them manually.

Notes

• Make sure your external hard drive has enough storage space.
• Once the copy is complete, be sure to check that all files are present.
• Only some app settings can be retained.

If you use this method to migrate content from Windows 10 to Windows 11, it’s ideal for transferring your everyday personal data. However, some apps won’t transfer over, so you’ll need to download them manually.

Windows Built-in Backup is a system function that helps you transfer everything from windows 10 to 11 via system image backup and restoration.

It can migrate personal files but fails to carry over installed applications and personalized system settings.

First open Control Panel on your old Windows 10 PC, enter Backup and Restore and create a complete system image, then store the image file on an external storage drive. Access the restoration option on your new Windows 11 device and recover saved files from the backup.

After restoration, you can get personal documents back successfully. This approach partially helps you transfer everything from windows 10 to 11, yet it cannot move programs and related configurations.

Bear in mind its obvious limitation that applications and custom settings will not be migrated during the whole process.

ps

• Ensure that the external storage device has sufficient space to store the complete system image
• Keep the device powered on throughout the backup and restore process
• Verify file integrity to prevent data loss or corruption