PC to PC File Transfer

I Got A New Computer, but How Do I Get All My Programs, Files, and Settings from My Old Computer to My New Computer?

With all the new computer applications and broadband internet applications for music, pictures, video, and gaming, many people are replacing their old computers with new computers. New computers are cheap and fast, but how do you get the stuff (program executables, documents, spreadsheets, pictures, videos, games, music, computer setting, e-mail settings, registry settings, bookmarks, address books, etc.) over to your new computer? 

The Options For Computer To Computer File Transfer

There are several options for PC to PC file transfer to include CDs, portable drives, and file transfer software using a cable or network.

CD PC To PC File Transfer. Recordable CDs are a good option if you only have a small amount of files to transfer. Recordable CD usually cost under $1 dollar and hold about 600 megabytes of data (music MP3 file could be as must as 5 megabytes). This is a cheap option, but can be manually intensive selecting and burning files to multiple recordable CDs and then uploading the files to the new computer. This method does not work well if you are transferring computer applications.

Portable Hard Drives For PC To PC File Transfer. Portable hard drives are more convenient than recordable CDs and some portable hard drives come with their own "moving kit". With a portable hard drive you can either transfer selected files or you can use PC to PC file transfer software to automatically transfer files and applications. 

Linked PC To PC File Transfer. You can also transfer your files between a cable or network by using PC to PC file transfer software. Here you load the software on the old PC and the new PC. Then you can either load selected files or transfer all you files, computer settings, and computer applications automatically to the new computer. This is the preferred method to quickly and easily personalize your new computer's configuration and transfer all your old stuff to your new computer. 

How To Do Painless PC To PC File Transfer For A New Computer

Here are some tips to remember when doing computer to computer file transfer. 

- Old Files. You may want to clean up you old computer files if you are going to transfer the data automatically. You probably do not want to transfer files to your new computer that you have not used in years.

- Verify Computer Application Compatibility. If your old PC has a Windows ME operating system and your new computer system has Windows XP operating system you may need to upgrade some of your computer applications to be compatible with the new computer's operating system.

- Do Not Overwrite Pre-loaded Computer Applications On The New Computer. When you are moving computer applications from one computer to another you do not want to overwrite newer programs with older programs. For example, you do not want to move your old internet browser over to the new computer as most new computers already have the latest internet browser pre-loaded.

- Make A List or Print Your User Names and Passwords. Even if you are doing an automatic pc to pc file transfer, your file transfer software may not move all of your user names and passwords. 

Choosing The Right PC To PC File Transfer Method For You

Here are some things to consider when choosing how to transfer data from one computer to another.

- Choose a PC to PC File Transfer Program If You Want A Quick Way To Move and Setup Your New Computer Like Your Old Computer. PC to PC file transfer programs are fairly cheap and they are the easy way to migrate your stuff from one computer to another. There are many reputable software providers (see our featured PC To PC File Transfer Application Providers). Review multiple software packages and pick the one that has the right features for you at the best price.

- How Will The Data Be Physically Transferred From The Old PC To The New One?  More and more people are transferring data over a cable network or a wireless network. This is the preferred option. You can also use an USB cable which is slower than a network connection, but faster than a parallel cable. Many years ago a parallel cable was the only way to transfer data between PCs,

~ A Portable Drive Can Be Used For Other Functions Versus A PC To PC File Transfer Program Will Be Seldom Used. Consider using a portable hard drive for migrating your data from your old computer to a new computer, if you have other uses for a portable hard disk or just need more hard disk space. A portable hard disk can be used as a backup solution for your critical data in the event of a hard disk crash. You can also use a portable hard disk to share data such as music, pictures, and videos. 

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