pctechguide.com

  • Home
  • Guides
  • Tutorials
  • Articles
  • Reviews
  • Glossary
  • Contact

Easiest Wat to Transfer Data From a Failing Computer to a New Computer

I really wish there was such a thing as easy but having done hundreds of data transfers I can tell you that many situations require different techniques.  With that said we tackle the most common ways of getting data from an old or failing computer to a new system.

Deciding on What to Move

This is the best place to start because depending on what needs moved you might be forced to go a certain route.

Common folders like Documents, Images, desktop files, Favorite, Music are very easy to move to a new system.  All you would do is just copy from 1 system to another via a network, portable hard drive, cloud storage.

If you require to move certain programs over to the new PC you would have to use a program like Laplink PCMover to do the transfer.  Laplink provides software that you install on the old computer and on the new computer as well as a cable (pro version shipped not downloaded).  The transfer is relatively easy and you are able to port over many of your old programs.

It is recommended that anything you can install fresh you should install fresh.

State of the Computer

If your computer will not even boot up or the hard disk has errors then you most likely are going to have to remove the hard drive and place it in an external enclosure shell.  There are sold at just about all PC repair shops and Ebay, Amazon.  They generally run $15 -$30 dollars.

Once you remove your hard drive from the old computer you would place it inside the shells and connect it.  Once powered you can connect that hard drive to your new computer and manually browse for files to copy over.

For those who just have a working computer I would probably just transfer the files over a network manually as this requires no extra hardware or software costs.  Assuming you already have a router.

Cloud Storage Port

Depending upon the amount of data you have you could take advantage of free cloud storage options like Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive.  Simply install the software on your older computer and tell it which folders and files you want copied over.  It may take several hours for the data to fully be copied but you would now have the data stored in the cloud and can easily install that software on your new computer and just copy it all down.

OneDrive gives you 5 GB and Google Drive gives you 15GB for free.  You can upgrade to far more space for just a few extra dollars a month.  If you do not want a cloud backup of your files you could just cancel the service after the transfer.

An extra advantage of 1 drive paid service is you can get office 365 with 1TB of storage for just $7 bucks a month.  That is a lot of space and just about everyone uses Office.

Over Your Network

It’s not hard coping files over to a new computer via your existing home network.  You might have to open up sharing permissions but once you are through connecting both computers on the same network it’s just a mater of hunting what you want to copy over.  Generally I recommend just dumping everything into the Public folder on the new computer then you can sort and place the files where you want when working on the new system.

Over a External Drive

One super easy way to transfer is just purchasing an external hard drive and plugging in the USB cable to the old system and copying everything you want over to the external drive.  From there you just remove it and plug it into the new system and copy over the data you want to the new computer.  This is probably the easiest method. You won’t be able to copy over software programs but zero issues with files.

External hard drives can be purchased just about everywhere for a decent price.  What is also nice about external drive is you can use them as a backup once the transfer is complete.  So it’s not use once and done but you can continue to use the external drive for backup purposes and storage.

Hard Drive is Corrupt

This opens up a whole range of issues.  We have a sister site built just for this called http://www.datarecoveryguides.org/  .  You can find some really in-depth and geeked out methods that can help you restore corrupt and damaged hard disk drives.  Much of it is a little more advanced and generally always will require the purchase of additional hardware and software.

 

 

 

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Data Backup Software

Latest Articles

Guide to Deciphering Hard Drive Error Messages

Hard disk errors can cause immense damage. But you can take precautions and, if in doubt, correct them - if you notice. We explain what you can do to prevent errors and what to do if the hard disk has a defect. However, it is always advisable to make a backup of the data before the hard disk gets a … [Read More...]

Avast! Pro Antivirus Review

Avast! Pro Antivirus Review

PROS: Shields for all user computing sessions CONS: The shareware reputation may prevent serious consideration. OVERVIEW: Avast! Pro Antivirus is a great piece of software to use to keep your computer safe. With most of us up and running around on the internet everyday, we all need to protect … [Read More...]

Definition of Operating System

What is an Operating System An operating system is a large program that will manage the hardware in a computer. Many people refer to it as the OS.  It also helps manage various aspects of the computer. Some of the most popular operating systems available today are Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac … [Read More...]

2021 PC Hardware Releases to Bolster Your Gaming

If you are a PC gamer, then chances are you are looking to upgrade your kit over the coming year. However, a lot of money can go into building the … [Read More...]

New Transfer Feature in Dropbox Enable Sharing files with Third Parties

Dropbox has been a popular P2P sharing platform for many years. They don't announce new features as often as other applications, since they have a … [Read More...]

Ransomware Operators Find Data Theft Profitable

How valuable is your data? That’s not a question that organizations or individuals have to ask themselves all that often. You might know the market … [Read More...]

Engineers Encounter the Quantum Challenge with Computers Running a Hundred Million Times Faster

Quantum computers have been a subject of discussion for many years. They have probably been something that philosophers and technology pundits have … [Read More...]

Transferring Image Files from Your Cell Phone Without Cables or Email

You don't have a cable available to transfer the photos from your cell phone to your computer? You don't feel comfortable sending them through your … [Read More...]

Why Drupal Accessibility is Vital for Your Website

Drupal may not be as popular as WordPress, but it is still used in over 1 million websites. The Internet might be more conducive to our needs if more … [Read More...]

Guides

  • Computer Communications
  • Mobile Computing
  • PC Components
  • PC Data Storage
  • PC Input-Output
  • PC Multimedia
  • Processors (CPUs)

Recent Posts

2006 Update History of the PC Technology Guide

Date Details of site updates in 2006 28Nov '06 A & E content updated: New article on Number Systems added, covering … [Read More...]

PC Speed Maximizer Review

PROS: As a stand alone registry cleaner, PC Speed Maximizer is easy to you and gives accurate registry repairs that can be counted on. CONS: PC … [Read More...]

Analysis of Global Embedded Automation Computer Market Research Report for 2020

The Global Embedded Automation Computer Market Research Report for 2020 focuses on market size, market share, growth, manufacturers and projections to … [Read More...]

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2021 About | Privacy | Contact Information | Wrtie For Us | Disclaimer | Copyright License | Authors