How to transfer files to new computer on Windows 11

The easiest way to transfer files to your new Windows 11 computer is to connect an external drive to your old device. Using File Explorer, copy all your files to transfer. Finally, connect the drive to the new computer, and copy the files to the new destination folder.
Another way to transfer files from an old to a new computer is using a network share or cloud storage like OneDrive.

On Windows 11, you have many ways to transfer files from an old to your new computer, and in this guide, you will learn the three best ways to complete this task. If you have recently upgraded to a new Windows 11 laptop or desktop, you may have to transfer your files from your old computer to the new one. Usually, this is not a difficult process, but the method you choose will depend on the number of files and the equipment you may have at hand.

For example, if you have only a few gigabytes worth of data, you could move the files quickly to the new computer by uploading and then downloading the files through OneDrive (or another online storage service). You could transfer up to 1TB if you have a Microsoft 365 subscription.

If you have several gigabytes of files and a wired network connection, perhaps using the file-sharing feature available with the operating system may help you transfer the files to your new laptop or desktop computer. On the other hand, if you have a lot of files and don’t want to deal with network transfers, exporting the files to an external drive and then importing them to the new computer may be the best solution.

This guide will teach you three easy ways to transfer files from an old to a new device on Windows 11.

Transfer files from old to new computer from OneDrive
Transfer files from old to new computer from network
Transfer files from old to new computer from USB drive

Transfer files from old to new computer from OneDrive

If you don’t have a large set of files to transfer files to your new computer, you can use OneDrive to upload and download the files quickly.

From old computer

To transfer your files to OneDrive and then make them available on your new Windows 11 computer, use these steps:

Open File Explorer on Windows 11 (or 10).
Copy and paste the following path to the address bar and press Enter:
```
%HOMEPATH%
```
Quick note: This guide assumes that your files are stored in the default profile’s folders. If you’re storing files in another location, you’ll have to copy the files from that location.
Open each of the folders (Documents, Downloads, Desktop, Music, and Videos) to confirm where your files are stored.
Select a folder and click the Copy button from the command bar.

Quick tip: You can press and hold the “Ctrl” key, click each of the folders, and click the “Copy” button from the command bar.
Open the OneDrive folder.
Create a new folder (“Ctrl + Shift + N” keyboard shortcut) and confirm a name, such as “Old_PC_Files.”
Open the newly created folder.
Click the Paste button from the command bar.
Repeat steps 4, 5, and 7 to upload the remaining folders to OneDrive.

Once you complete the steps, OneDrive will sync the files to your online account. (The upload process can take a while if you have a lot of files.)

To new computer

Since your files are now in the cloud, you can always access them from the OneDrive folder. However, if you want to make them available in your local profile, you will have to move the files manually.

To transfer files from OneDrive to your new Windows 11 device, use these steps:

Open File Explorer on the new device.
Click on OneDrive from the left navigation pane.
Open the “Old_PC_Files” folder.
Open one of the folders, such as “Downloads.”
Select everything using the “Ctrl + A” keyboard shortcut.
Click the Copy button from the command bar (or use the “Ctrl + C” keyboard shortcut).
Copy and paste the following path to the address bar and press Enter:
```
%HOMEPATH%
```
Quick tip: You can use the “Windows key + E” keyboard shortcut to open another instance of File Explorer since you will be going back and forth between folders.
Open the folder where to restore the files, such as “Downloads.”
Click the Paste button from the command bar.
Repeat steps 4 through 9 to restore the files from the remaining folders.

After you complete the steps, the files from the old device will be available on the new Windows 11 computer.

Transfer files from old to new computer from network

Alternatively, you can share the folder containing the files you want to transfer, and you can simply access and copy the files from the old to the new device.

From old computer

To share a folder in the local network to transfer your files to a new Windows 11 computer, use these steps:

Open File Explorer.
Open the location with the folder with the files to transfer.
Right-click the item and select the Properties option.
Click on the Sharing tab.
Click the Share button.
Select the user or group to share the folder using the drop-down menu – for example, the Everyone group.
Click the Add button.
Under the “Permission Level” section, select the “Read/Write” option.
Click the Share button.
Click the “No, make the network that I am connected to a private network” option (if applicable).
Confirm the folder’s network path that other users need to access the network’s content.
Click the Done button.
Click the Close button.

After you complete the steps, you should now be able to access the files using your account credentials available on the old computer.

If you cannot sign in with your Microsoft account to access the shared folder from the new computer, you may have to use a local account.

From new computer

To transfer the files from your old computer to the new one over the network, use these steps:

Open File Explorer.
Click on Network from the left navigation pane.
Double-click to open the old computer from the right side.

Quick note: If the computer doesn’t appear on the list, you may need to turn on network discovery. Alternatively, you can type the path of the share in the address bar and press Enter to continue.
Confirm the account credential to access the shared folder.
Select everything using the “Ctrl + A” keyboard shortcut.
Click the Copy button in the command bar.

Quick note: If you have a large number of files, it’s a good idea to transfer the data to a few folders at a time.
Open the destination folder.
Click the Paste button.

Once you complete the steps, the files from the old computer will transfer to the new device. If you are moving a few files and folders at a time, you may have to repeat the steps to transfer the remaining content.

It’s also possible to perform this task even faster with the Robocopy command-line tool.

Transfer files from old to new computer from USB drive

Another easy way to move your files from an old laptop or desktop to a new Windows 11 device is to export the files to a USB flash drive or external hard drive and connect the storage on the new computer to import the data.

From old computer

To export your files to a USB hard drive on Windows 11, use these steps:

Connect the USB hard drive to the old computer.
Open File Explorer.
Copy and paste the following path to the address bar and press Enter:
```
%HOMEPATH%
```
Open each of the folders (Documents, Downloads, Desktop, Music, and Videos) to confirm where your files are stored.
Select a folder and click the Copy button from the command bar.
Open the USB hard drive.
Create a new folder (“Ctrl + Shift + N” keyboard shortcut) and confirm a name, such as “Old_PC_Files.”
Open the newly created folder.
Click the Paste button from the command bar.
Disconnect the USB hard drive from the computer.

After you complete the steps, you can connect the external storage on the new computer to restore the files.

From new computer

To import your old files from an external USB drive to your new Windows 11 computer, use these steps:

Connect the USB hard drive to the new computer.
Open File Explorer.
Click on This PC from the left navigation pane.
Under the “Devices and drives” section, double-click to open the USB storage with the files to transfer.
Open the “Old_PC_files folder” with the files to transfer to the new computer.
Open one of the user folders, such as “Downloads.”

Quick note: You could copy, paste, and replace the user folders with the ones from the backup, but it’s a good idea only to copy the contents of these folders to the same folder on the new device to minimize errors.
Select everything using the “Ctrl + A” keyboard shortcut.
Click the Copy button in the command bar.
Open the destination folder, such as the “Downloads” folder, on the new device.
Click the Paste button in the command bar.

Once you complete the steps, the files from your old computer will transfer to your account on Windows 11.