Copy your files from an old PC to your new one

Copy Instructions:

Step 1: Prepare for the Transfer

Before starting, ensure you have an external hard drive or USB drive with enough storage space to temporarily hold the files from the old PC.

Step 2: Copy Files from the Old PC

1. Connect your external USB drive to the old PC via a USB port.
2. Open File Explorer:
   • Press the Windows Key + E to open File Explorer.
3. In the left-hand pane, click on "This PC".
4. Navigate to your User Folder:
   • The folders to copy are located in your user directory (e.g., C:\Users\YourUsername).
   • Look for the following folders that you will be copying:
     
     • Contacts
     • Desktop
     • Documents
     • Downloads
     • Favorites
     • Links
     • Music
     • Pictures
     • Saved Games
     • Searches
5. Select multiple folders at once:
   • Hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard.
   • Click once on each of the above-listed folders** to select them all.
6. Copy the selected folders:
   • Right-click on any of the selected folders and choose Copy from the context menu.
7. Paste the folders to your external drive:
   • Go to the external drive in File Explorer (listed under "This PC").
   • Right-click inside the external drive window and select Paste.
     • This may take a few minutes. Be patient.

Step 3: Eject the External Drive Safely

1. Safely remove the external drive:
   • At the bottom-right corner of your screen, click the USB icon and select Eject [drive name].
     • Be sure the copy process is done before performing this step.
2. Wait for the notification that says "Safe to Remove Hardware," then disconnect the external drive.

Step 4: Transfer Files to the New PC

1. Connect the external USB drive to your new PC via a USB port.
2. Open File Explorer on your new PC by pressing Windows Key + E.
3. Go to the external drive by clicking on "This PC" in the left pane, then select your external drive.
4. Select the folders from the external drive:
   • Hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard.
   • Click once on each folder you previously copied (i.e., Contacts, Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Favorites, Links, Music, Pictures, Saved Games, Searches).
5. Copy the selected folders:
   • Right-click on any of the selected folders and choose Copy.
6. Paste the folders back to their original locations:
   • On the new PC, navigate to your user folder (e.g., C:\Users\YourUsername).
   • Right-click in the destination folder (e.g., C:\Users\YourUsername\) and select Paste.
     • Again this may take some time. Be patient.

Step 5: Verify the Files Have Transferred Correctly

1. Open each folder (Desktop, Documents, etc.) on the new PC to ensure the files have been copied over.
2. If all your files are there, you can safely delete them from the external drive.
3. You should be able to see your files immediately after the copy process.