Nowadays, when you buy a new PC, Windows Easy Transfer is one of the best tool you can use to help you to copy files (documents, music, pictures, etc.) and settings from the old computer to the new one.
If you have used previous versions of Windows Easy Transfer in the past, you might experienced that this Windows’ feature was not the best way to transfer files and setting to a new PC, even more for Windows users that don’t have a lot of experience; it was a little hard to understand and also it would sometimes suddenly stop working before finishing the process. This time around, Microsoft has redesigned the old Windows Easy Transfer feature and now it is more reliable, easier to understand; you can specify what files and settings to copy and even see a final report of what have been transfered and not. Now let’s get started, keep reading and follow the steps to learn how to transfer files to a new PC with Windows Easy Transfer.
1. Go to Start 
, type windows easy transfer and press Enter.
2. Click Next and you will find three different ways to copy files and settings to a new PC: the Easy Transfer Cable, using your home network, or using an external hard disk or USB flash drive, select this last one to continue.
3. It is assumed that the computer you are initiating the transfer on is the old computer, so click on This is my old computer.
4. After Windows 7 checks what can be transferred, select the files and settings you want to copy to the new computer.
Note that you now have more flexibility to what to transfer to a new computer, by clicking the Customize link to add or remove items that you want to copy, or to go deeper by clicking the Advanced link and select specific files and/or folders; when you’ve made your selection click Next.
5. Windows Easy Transfer also gives you the ability to protect everything you are going to transfer with a password. If you don’t wish to use a password, just leave the password field blank and click Save; browse to the external hard disk or USB flash drive and click Save again.
6. Wait until everything gets copied, click Next, Next one more time, and then Close — Remember to unplug the storage device and plug it into the new PC –.
Use these steps to import the transfered files and setting from the storage device to the new PC.
1. While in the new PC, plug the hard disk or USB flash drive and repeat steps 1 and 2 from the previous steps.
2. Next, choose This is my new computer, click Yes and browse for the file named: Windows Easy Transfer – Items from old computer.MIG and click Open.
3. If you used a password to protect your content now it is the time to type it and then click Next.
4. Select what to transfer from the old PC to the new PC and click the Transfer button.
Now just wait until the process is complete. After the transfer is finished you can see what was transfered and see a list of programs you might want to install on your new PC, then just click Close and you are all done!
Was Windows Easy Transfer an easy solution to transfer files to a new computer as its name implies?
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].