How can I transfer all the data from my Laptop to another Laptop?

Question

I just bought a new laptop and I want to tranfer everything ( files folders and programs ) from my old laptop to the new one. How can I do that?

Answer 1

Easiest to use a USB to USB cable for files. Programs will be a different story. What operating systems are on the machines?

Answer 2

There are programs such as Norton Ghost and Drive Image which allow you to make a complete copy of one hard drive to another. However, you would need to purchase an "enclosure" to put the new hard drive into so you can attach it by USB to the old hard drive to use the program.

Then you will hit the issue of Windows not activated on the new PC (wrong serial number), and of it lacking the drivers, etc. needed to operate the chipset, video card, sound card, etc. of the new laptop. Plus you copy over any bad files, unwanted programs, spyware, registry orphans, etc from the old to the new computer, killing its performance.

From experience, it is a nightmare to try to do that.

You are better off to make a fresh install of everything (Windows and programs) on to the new computer, and then just transfer the data (pictures, music, etc) that you want.

It is actually faster and cheaper to do that, and the new computer will run much better.

(Oh, while you can move files with a cable, CD or memory stick, you can NOT move Windows and most other programs that way. Keeps people from stealing them. So the suggestion of a transfer cable will not work)

Answer 3

If the older laptop that has no USB or CD burner, then I suggest investing in a parallel port ZIP drive and move 100mb at a time. You can get parallel port Zip drives off ebay for REALLY cheap (just bought one for this very purpose for $7.77). A disk will run you $10 or so.

I wouldn't suggest copying programs over, because a lot of programs won't function properly with just the folders copied over. A lot of programs install registry entries and copy files over to the C:, which the new computer won't have. You should install those programs fresh.

USB key would be the prefered way to go if they both have that function.

Answer 4

To transfer one data to another laptop, there are some methods, 1. you may transfer via bluetooth, if the both the laptop have .. 2. you may connect the crass lan interfacecable in between the two. 3. use a pen drive or any data storage device etc.

Answer 5

There is no good solution. You try this way,
1. Find a USB disk enclosure with big enough disk volume
2. Get Hiren CD to reboot your old notebook
3. Run some disk clone software (forget the name) to pack whole old notebook disk as a volume to you USB enclosue disk
4. Attached USB disk to new notebook and run Hiren CD to reboot new one
5. Run the same program to unpack disk volume to new notebook

Note: When packing disk volume, don't package disk partition information. Pack only file and folder. One more thing, make the same disk partition table as old notebook

Answer 6

I don't know about the programs, but for files, you just need to copy them to something else like a CD or USB drive. You can also buy a USB enclosure for about $20. You just pull out your hard drive and plug it into that and then plug that into your USB port on your new computer and it basically works like an external hard drive.

Answer 7

U can dump it onto a CD and do it.
U can use a USB memory stick
You can go to Bestbuy or Walmart and buy a cable and program to hook them together. This latter one also transfers settings and bookmarks.

Answer 8

get a usb transfer cable
i got one for like $1

Answer 9

I would go to Walmart and buy a data transfer cable, it plugs into your USB ports.

Answer 10

Swap the hard drives.