Moving to new PC: any tools to help me with this?

Thirith

I'll soon be doing my semi-regular move to a new PC, and I'm wondering if there are any good, useful and ideally free or cheap tools that make such a move easier, quicker and relatively painless. OneDrive should already make some things easier, but I'm wondering if there are for instance any programs that help with backing up and restoring settings across all sorts of software or that keep track of system tweaks and implement them on the new computer. Also, any links to useful guides on setting up a new PC in 2019 would be much appreciated. Cheers!

AkimboEG

Not related to files and settings, but ninite.com will help with some of the common installs.

Thirith

Thanks, that's a good start.

SanderJK

There is a program called savegame manager that can pull all kinds of launchers' data. I haven't used it in ages though, no idea how it is today. Most games do cloud saves, but not all.

Also remember that moving big files from old to new is much faster than redowloading.

For Steam, and I believe Origin and Battle.net at least, if you transfer the files to correctly named folders / install to a folder that already holds the games, it will verify the files instead of download.

You can either mount an old HDD in the New machine or spend about $10 on a case that makes an internal HDD into an external drive.

Otherwise this process has really improved over the years. There's not that much you need to do to a new PC.

Thirith

Cool, thanks. I'm hoping that Steam will do a lot of the work, as will OneDrive - but I don't know about all the other services, in particular Oculus.

Myiagros

Do you want to do a fresh install or just move to new hardware? If you are doing a custom build you can move your existing hard drive, or clone the existing drive to a new one (often done when switching from HDD to SSD).

Windows 10 is pretty good when it comes to starting up a cloned hard drive and will pick up the drivers you require. If you want to try this route I would recommend Macrium: https://www.macrium.com/reflectfree

Mugsley

Additionally, I can recommend the drive cloning tools that you can use for Samsung drives. All of Samsung's drive utilities are quite useful and straightforward.

Previously, I used Acronis True Image to great success, but it's a paid program.

Thegreatcow

Actually hopping in on this. I'm facing a similar situation. My computer is starting to show signs of death and it's about time I did a custom build. How bad is the whole "transferring the windows license" now with 10? For reference I had an OEM copy of window 8.1 when I last built my rig in 2014 that got the free windows 10 upgrade so I assume the license has been changed. Am I allowed to, or is it possible to transfer my windows installation to the new PC? I mean it would be all new hardware at the base level (new mobo/ram/cpu etc) and I'm transferring certain things that still work over from my previous rig (few hard drives, video card etc). I've heard wonky things about how the key is now locked via the UEFI bios but I'm not 100% certain on that front.

Is it as simple as just creating a backup of windows using some program like Acronis or something and restoring from a USB key or will I utterly bork and break everything in the process and pretty much have to do a clean install?

Thirith

It'll definitely be a fresh install, since I'm getting a pre-built PC that comes with W10 already installed. Of course I could still clone the drives, but I prefer an overall fresh install - which may no longer be called for, with Windows 10 in 2019.

Mugsley

Thegreatcow wrote: »

Actually hopping in on this. I'm facing a similar situation. My computer is starting to show signs of death and it's about time I did a custom build. How bad is the whole "transferring the windows license" now with 10? For reference I had an OEM copy of window 8.1 when I last built my rig in 2014 that got the free windows 10 upgrade so I assume the license has been changed. Am I allowed to, or is it possible to transfer my windows installation to the new PC? I mean it would be all new hardware at the base level (new mobo/ram/cpu etc) and I'm transferring certain things that still work over from my previous rig (few hard drives, video card etc). I've heard wonky things about how the key is now locked via the UEFI bios but I'm not 100% certain on that front.

Is it as simple as just creating a backup of windows using some program like Acronis or something and restoring from a USB key or will I utterly bork and break everything in the process and pretty much have to do a clean install?

The easiest way is to set up a Microsoft login before you move computers. Then all you have to do on the new build is log in and you're done. Otherwise, you can use some utilities to find the key itself and write it down; then enter it manually when you do your clean install.


Come to the PC Build Thread and the Windows Thread! We aren't bitchy most of the time!

Myiagros

Also keep in mind that you can still do a free upgrade from Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 OEM keys to Windows 10. You still have to do the initial install using those keys but you can then run the update assistant to get the latest and greatest.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/software-download/windows10