Export ALL System settings & Files

[Crocodeal]

Hello,

What's the best method to export & import all Windows 10 files and settings from a PC to another? I want to back up everything from my current laptop which I highly customized (software, windows settings, drivers, chrome settings, photoshop hotkeys, 1-2 registry tweaks etc.), so when I get a new PC, I want everything to be exactly as it was with this laptop, with minimum effort. Note: my current laptop uses one SSD (windows&software) and one HDD (other software&storage).

I see that Windows offers a "Backup & Restore" option, but I assume that only backs up the files on the PC and no settings.

Thank you, much appreciated

 

[Saga Lout]

All those files are stored in C:\Users>{your username}AppData>Local, Local Low and Roaming folders but you need to open up the folders to be visible because they're either hidden or protected system folders and files. That you do in the View menu of File Explorer then Options and Change folder and file settings. Tick Show all folders then untick "Hide protected etc."

Before you put them in your new laptop's equivalent folders, make sure you have the programmes installed first. That way you overwrite the new settings fles with the old.

All that said, your better bet is to clone the entire system on to the new laptop's disk but would present activation problems. EaseUS Disk Copy is my utility of choice - once a week for one customer or another.

You won't know the Product Key because it's no longer printed on the case so before you swap any AppData files over, download Magical Jelly Bean Finder to pull the key out of the system. Then, go to Control Panel>System and click on Change Product Key so that you ditch the Key that went over in the cloning and replace it with the new one.

 

[hydranix]

All those files are stored in C:\Users>{your username}AppData>Local, Local Low and Roaming folders

No, they're not. Only his chrome settings might be located there. Everything else is not.

Before you put them in your new laptop's equivalent folders, make sure you have the programmes installed first. That way you overwrite the new settings fles with the old.

Bad advice, this will not work.

All that said, your better bet is to clone the entire system on to the new laptop's disk but would present activation problems. EaseUS Disk Copy is my utility of choice - once a week for one customer or another.

No, the new hardware will be what determines activation... Cloning the operating system directly will not work because it will not copy the correct drivers or hardware configurations. Windows will likely fall into repair mode, fail due to the extensive customizations, then require a "reset" losing all of the settings OP wants to keep.

You won't know the Product Key because it's no longer printed on the case so before you swap any AppData files over, download Magical Jelly Bean Finder to pull the key out of the system. Then, go to Control Panel>System and click on Change Product Key so that you ditch the Key that went over in the cloning and replace it with the new one.

Windows 10 doesn't use product keys for any editions other than ones purchased aka "retail copies". Laptops almost always come with OEM editions of Windows installed and do not use product keys.


To the OP.

When you're ready to move your stuff to the new laptop, do this:

Press WinKey + R

Paste this into the run dialog:

%SystemRoot%\System32\Sysprep\Sysprep.exe

Make sure "Enter System Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE)" is selected.

Tick the "Generalize" box.

Select the "Shutdown" shutdown option, and press OK.

System will eventually shut down. Do not turn it back on yet.

Clone the harddrive/ssd which Windows is installed on to the new laptop.
(Or just physically move the disk to the new laptop)

Power on the new laptop, proceed to set up windows like normal, drivers, settings etc will be migrated. Some settings will not be mirgrated as it's impossible when moving to a new system.

Good luck.

 

[Saga Lout]

The OP will choose which method he uses but if "only his Chrome settings wlil be there" what do you think all the other folders contain?

As to "Bad advice, this will not work.", it works in this PC fixing business on a very regular basis and this advice has been posted in Tom's and other fora since XP SP3 came out and been said to have resulted in success.

If "No, the new hardware will be what determines activation... " is a problem - Windows 7 upwards has been able to sort out the main drivers and the OP may need to refine some.

Finally, if "Windows 10 doesn't use product keys" for OEM machines, what do you see when you run slmgr?

It's taken you over two years to get two Best Answers out of 32 posts. I have 780 BAs out of 13,903 posts. That doesn't make me right in every instance but what I post here is based on experience in only fixing PCs and nothing else for for my living for the last twelve years.

The OP will decide.