How to Transfer Files from Windows 10 to Windows 11? (6 Ways) MiniTool Tips
Step 1: Run PCmover on both PCs including your Windows 10 and Windows 11 PC.
Transfer Files from Windows 10 to Windows 11 Easily (3 Ways)
You will learn 3 effective ways to transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 10 over network or without network. And this article also helps with free Windows 11 upgrade.
By Ivy / Last update December 15, 2022
The need to transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 11
You may already know that the latest version of Windows is officially released and Microsoft says you can free upgrade to Windows 11 if you are currently using Windows 10 which meets the minimum system requirements for Windows 11. Thus, some users may already upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 and want to transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
If you use the Check for update or Windows 11 installation assistant to free upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11, your files may stay as it was in Windows 10. But if your computer does not meet the Windows 11 system requirement or you choose to clean install Windows 11, you may lose all of your data during the process unless you keep a copy of your files in advance.
No matter what your situation is, you can learn 3 useful ways to transfer files from PC to PC over network or without internet.
How to Transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 11
You can easily transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 11 to prevent any data loss in the Windows installation process. And here are 3 useful methods in the following:
- Way 1: Transfer files from PC to PC using OneDrive. You will use Microsoft OneDrive to backup important folders, including Desktop, Documents, and Pictures, and transfer them to Windows 11 as long as you sign in with the same account. Then, you access all your files on your computer.
- Way 2: Use external hard drive. If your computer does not have internet, try external hard drive or USB flash drive and use it as an intermediary between the two computers. You just need to be sure it can hold all the data you want to transfer.
- Way 3: Use free file sync software. In this method, you have more choices, such as, from cloud drives like OneDrive, NAS or network drive, external disk, etc. And it helps update changes regularly.
Select one of the methods and transfer files from PC to PC with the steps in the corresponding method.
Way 1: Transfer files from PC to PC using OneDrive
If you are currently using Windows 10, you may know or already use OneDrive, cloud storage that comes preinstalled into this version of the computer. And the same is true in Windows 11. It helps to transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 11 over network.
Step 1. Search “onedrive” on your Windows 10 computer and you will be asked to set up your OneDrive if this is the first time you use it. Type your email address and then password, please remember to click “Sign in”.
Note: If you don’t have an account, click “Create account” and fill in with required info first.
Step 2. After loading the account info, you will see Your OneDrive folder window and the default location of OneDrive. Confirm it and click Next.
Note: If you want to change the location of the OneDrive folder, click “Change Location” in the lower left corner. And this is the best time to change location, since it does not contain any data.
Step 3. Then, you will be asked to get to know your OneDrive, click “Next” three times, and “later“.
Step 4. In the Your OneDrive is ready for you window, click “Open my OneDrive folder” and check if all of your files are here. Also, you can check it in cloud storage or other devices.
Step 5. Start your Windows 11 computer. Then, sign in and set up your Microsoft OneDrive account as previously. By default, it will sync Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folder automatically.
✍ How to stop syncing certain important folders
- FromManage Backup: Right-click the cloud icon and select Help & Settings > Settings > Backup > Manage Backup, then you can uncheck any of them.
- From Account: Right-click the cloud icon, select Help & Settings > Settings and go to Account this time. Click Choose folders to select which folder will be available on-demand in your “OneDrive” folder.
Way 2: Transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 11 using external hard drive
Step 1. Connect your external hard drive to Windows 10 computer. Then, open the File Explorer, click This PC at the sidebar, find your drive and double-click it to open a new window.
Step 2. Copy all the files you want to transfer into a folder. Right-click this folder and select the Copy option.
Step 3. Go back to your drive in File Explorer. Right-click the blank space and select the Paste option, then your files will get started to transfer, just wait until the process completes.
Step 4. Disconnect your drive to Windows 10 and then connect it to your Windows 11 computer. Then, open your drive in File Explorer, copy the folders you previously saved in the external drive and paste them into your current computer.
Way 3: Transfer files from PC to PC using free sync software
Whether your computer has Internet, or not, you can use free sync software for Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista to transfer files (eg: documents, videos, email, photos) from Windows 10 to Windows 11 with help of different storage devices, including OneDrive, share or NAS, network drive, external hard drive, USB flash drive, etc.
Thanks to its Schedule Sync feature, the file sync process becomes much easier than previous methods:
It will sync changes from Windows 10 to Windows 11 as long as you add files or folders in a sync task. The sync task is automatic. So you don’t need to copy and paste files after you set it up. In the advanced edition, it will allow you to automatically copy files when USB drive connected. So you just need to insert it into Windows 10 and then Windows 11, and your files will be synced automatically.
Please download the free file sync software – AOMEI Backupper Standard to transfer files. For server users, try AOMEI Backupper Server!
Secure Download
Step 1. Open free sync software – AOMEI Backupper Standard. Then, navigate to “Sync” and “Basic Sync”.
Note: If you want to sync files in real-time, you need to use “Real-Time Sync” feature. It will keep track of your files immediately after you made changes to it.
Step 2. In the Basic Sync window, click “Add Folder” and select the folder containing all the files you want to transfer from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
Note: If you want to sync multiple folders, you can click “+” to continue adding folders.
Step 3. After selecting files, you need to select a way to transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
- From a local path: Click Select a local path and select external hard drive or USB flash drive. Please connect it to your computer and be sure it’s recognized.
- From a cloud drive: Click Select a cloud drive if want to sync files to OneDrive in Windows 10. Be sure you download and sign in with your account.
- From NAS or network share: Click Add Share or NAS Device if you want to sync folder to network drive or NAS. Confirm you have the read and write priority. Otherwise, you will fail to connect it.
Here take Select a cloud drive as an example.
Then, in the Select Cloud window, select OneDrive and click “OK” to confirm.
Step 4. Confirm the sync task and set schedule settings if you want to get changes. Select Daily, Weekly, or Monthly in the Schedule Sync feature and click “Start Sync” to transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
Tips:
- If you want to sync deletions automatically, you can choose to enable the “Sync the deletions in the source directory to destination” setting in the Options.
- The “USB plug in” and “Event triggers” are premium features available in the professional version or higher. Please upgrade to enjoy if necessary.
Except for OneDrive, this software also offers you a Cloud Backup to help you transfer files. It will backup Windows 10 files to AOMEI cloud and then you can restore them on Windows 11 PC. And it offers 1TB of free storage in 15 days after you sign up for an AOMEI account.
Hot topic: about Windows 11 free upgrade
Searching “transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 11” online, many users still want to know if they can upgrade to Windows 11, how to download and install Windows 11, how to downgrade from Windows 11 to Windows 10, etc. Please stay for a while and read the following content, you will get the answer.
1. How to check if I can upgrade to Windows 11
According to Microsoft, if your computer is running Windows 10, with version 2004 or later, and it meets the minimum system requirements for Windows 11, you will get the free upgrade option, no later than mid-2022, depending on device age and hardware.
To check if your computer meets these requirements:
- #1: Use PC health checker provided by Microsoft.
- #2: Use a third-party update checker, Windows 11 update checker in AOMEI Backupper Standard, for example.
2. How to download and install Windows 11
#1: From Windows Update: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and select Check for Updates. If the free upgrade option is available, click Download and Install to perform a Windows 11 in-place upgrade.
#2: Use Windows 11 installation assistant or Windows 11 ISO file. If you cannot see Windows 11 update in the previous method, you still can choose to upgrade Windows 10 to Windows 11 using Windows 11 installation assistant or Windows 11 ISO file.
3. How to downgrade Windows 11 to Windows 10 without losing data
#1: Use Previous version of Windows: Microsoft offers users a Previous version of Windows recovery option to return Windows 11 to Windows 10 and keep their files as it was. It is only available if your Windows 11 is installed within 10 days.
#2: Uninstall Update or clean install Windows 10. Try #2 if the Previous version of Windows does not work or you upgrade to Windows 11 more than 10 days. Please remember to backup files to external hard drive in Windows 11, otherwise, you may lose your data.
Final words
You may already know how to transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 11 over network or without internet. If you want the easiest way or to keep files in sync regularly, try free sync software – AOMEI Backupper Standard.
It supports all kinds of storage devices, not only OneDrive, external hard drive, but also other storage devices recognized by Windows, and provides you with a schedule sync feature to transfer files daily, weekly, or monthly sync.
Besides, it still has more advanced sync methods, such as real-time sync, mirror sync, etc. Please upgrade to the professional version to unlock these features.
How to Transfer Files from Windows 10 to Windows 11? (6 Ways) [MiniTool Tips]
How to transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 11 if you get a new Windows 11 PC? This is not an easy task but you can follow the 6 methods mentioned in this post on the MiniTool website to finish data migration from PC to PC. Go on reading to know some details.
It’s Important to Move Data from Windows 10 to Windows 11
After Windows 11 is released to the public, many users choose to upgrade Windows 10 to this new operating system to enjoy its brand new settings, taskbar, start menu, and user interface, and new & improved features. Before the update, you need to run a compatibility test to check if the PC is compatible with Windows 11 with the PC Health Check app.
If your computer cannot meet the minimum system requirements of Windows 11 and the PC is too old, you may choose to purchase a new PC that is compatible with the new OS. Most of the familiar files are on the old PC and you are unwilling to take a start from the head. You may wish to take all your files to the new PC.
This is possible for data migration from PC to PC. And it is the topic that we will talk about today. Let’s see how to transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 11.
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How to Transfer Data from Windows 10 to Windows 11
The ways to transfer Windows 10 files to Windows 11 are various, including using OneDrive, an external hard drive (copy & paste, file sync), PC to PC file transfer software, LAN cable, and USB cable. Now, let’s go to see the detailed operations.
How to Move Files via OneDrive
In Windows 10 and Windows 11, the system offers you OneDrive that can be used to transfer data from PC to PC.
With OneDrive, you can back up the important folders on the current computer including Desktop, Documents, and Pictures online. If you use the same account to sign in OneDrive, you can transfer the data to all the devices.
That is, you can back up important files in Windows 10 and sign in to the same account on the Windows 11 PC, then all the files can be synced to Windows 11. Note that OneDrive only supports 5GB of free space. To get more space, you need to pay some money.
Here is how to transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 11 via OneDrive:
Step 1: In Windows 10, search for OneDrive via the search bar. If you use it for the first time, you need to set up OneDrive using an email address and password.
Step 2: By default, OneDrive can automatically sync Desktop, Documents, and Pictures folder. If you want to transfer files outside of these folders, launch File Explorer and drag the files you want to sync to OneDrive.
Step 3: Open your Windows 11 PC, set up OneDrive, and sign in it with the same account. Then, you can access the OneDrive folder and view the files you have synced.
Windows 11 OneDrive Back up/Sync Files to Cloud with Limits
What’s Windows 11 OneDrive? Is it different from Windows 10 OneDrive? How to use OneDrive in Win11? What are the limitations of OneDrive for Win11?
Tip: In addition to OneDrive, you can sync data to the cloud with other cloud storage, for example, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. In this post – 10 Best Free Cloud Storage Services to Back up Photos/Videos, you can find some.
OneDrive is a useful way to transfer data from Windows 10 to Windows 11 but the limit is that you can only free sync 5GB of data.
Copy & Paste via an External Hard Drive or USB Drive
Using OneDrive for data transfer requires internet and if you don’t have internet but have an external hard drive or a big USB flash drive, you can still transfer files from PC to PC. And the way is to use the copy & paste feature.
Tip: Make sure the external drive or USB drive is big enough to hold all the data you want to transfer.
Step 1: Connect your USB or external drive to the Windows 10 PC.
Step 2: In File Explorer, open a drive, and copy the items you want to transfer to Windows 11.
Step 3: Open your USB drive or external hard disk and paste the files you have copied.
Step 4: Disconnect the device from your Windows 10 PC and connect it to your Windows 11 PC.
Step 5: Go to File Explorer, open the external drive or USB drive, and copy & paste the data to the current computer.
This is an easy way to transfer data from Windows 10 to Windows 11. But, you need to transfer files twice, which is time-consuming and boring. If there are big files, the speed may be slow and the time is longer.
Move Files from Windows 10 to Windows 11 via File Sync
Besides copy & paste, you can perform data migration via file sync with MiniTool ShadowMaker. This file sync software is compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7 and supports multiple devices including a USB drive, external hard drive, NAS, and more. Its sync feature allows you to sync files and folders to the supported device.
To transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 11, you can sync files to the external hard drive in Windows 10 and then go to the Windows 11 PC to locate the folder to access data.
Step 1: Download MiniTool ShadowMaker by clicking the following button.
Step 2: Launch this sync software in Windows 10 and go to the Sync interface.
Step 3: Click Source to choose items that you want to transfer and click OK.
Step 4: Click Destination to choose your external hard drive or USB drive as the target path.
Step 5: Click Sync Now to start synchronization. This will take a few minutes.
After that, disconnect the drive from the Windows 10 PC and open your Windows 11 PC. Open the drive in File Explorer to locate the synced data and you can move them to the current PC.
Tip: In addition, you can choose to clone the data partition to your external hard drive and then clone the partition on the external drive to the Windows 11 PC with another MiniTool software – MiniTool Partition Wizard. To know more information, refer to the help document – Copy Partition Wizard | MiniTool Partition Wizard Tutorial.
Use PC to PC File Transfer Software for Data Migration
On the market, there are some PC to PC transfer software that can be used for Windows 11 easy transfer. Before Windows 10, the Windows Easy Transfer app developed by Microsoft can be used to transfer personal files and settings from a computer to another computer. But in Windows 10, this program is not available but Microsoft has partnered with Laplink to bring you PCmover.
PCmover is compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7 and you can use it to transfer settings, user profiles, files, and applications from an old PC to a new one at a fast transfer speed. And you are required to install PCmover and then follow the simple setup to begin transferring everything you select. Note that this software is paid and you need to go to Laplink to buy one.
The following are simple instructions about how to transfer data from Windows 10 to Windows 11 via PCmover. To know much information, refer to the PDF document.
Step 1: Run PCmover on both PCs including your Windows 10 and Windows 11 PC.
Step 2: Choose a proper way to connect your old and new PCs, for example, via a Wi-Fi or wired network.
Step 3: Go to the new PC to finish setting up the transfer and choose what to transfer.
Step 4: Start transfer. The transfer time may vary depending on the speed of hardware configuration, your connection, and other factors.
Transfer Files from PC to PC over Network (LAN)
If your PCs are in the same network, you can transfer Windows 10 files to Windows 11 via a LAN cable and a big shared folder. The operations are not easy and you should follow the steps below for data transfer.
Step 1: Use a LAN cable or Ethernet crossover cable to connect your two PCs.
Step 2: Enable Network Sharing on Both PCs for Data Transmission.
1. Go to search for control panel to open this app.
2. View the items by Category and click Network and Internet.
3. Click Network and Sharing Center.
4. Choose Change advanced sharing settings.
5. Expand All Networks, turn on public folder sharing and turn off password protected sharing.
Step 3: Set a Static IP Address
After enabling network sharing, it’s time to bring two computers onto the same network by setting a static IP address of the same class.
1. In the Network and Sharing Center interface, click the Ethernet link.
2. Click Properties in the new dialogue.
3. Choose Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
5. Configure the two PCs with different IP settings.
On PC 1, set the following values:
IP Address: 192.168.1.1
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Default gateway: 192.168.1.2
On PC 2, set the following values:
IP address: 192.168.1.2
Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
Default gateway: 192.168.1.1
After setting up everything, you can go to File Explorer and click Network, two PCs can be listed here.
Step 4: Share a Folder
1. Create a folder on the desktop and move all the files you want to transfer to Windows 11 to that folder.
2. Right-click on that folder and choose Give access to > Specific people.
3. Choose Everyone from the drop-down menu and click Add > Share.
After all the operations, you can go to your Windows 11 PC and open Network in File Explorer. Then, click another computer to see the folder you have shared.
How to Transfer Files from PC to PC Using USB Cable
In addition, there is another way for you to move data from Windows 10 to Windows 11 and that is to use a USB cable. It can save much time since you don’t need to use an external device to upload the data. And here are the detailed operations:
Step 1: Download and install the drivers offered by the manufacturer of the USB bridge cable on both PCs.
Step 2: Connect the USB cable to each USB port of the two PCs.
Step 3: Turn on your 2 PCs and let them recognize the USB cable. This can start an installation wizard.
Step 4: Choose USB Super link adapter for the installation.
Step 5: Select High-Speed Data Bridge.
Step 6: Open Device Manager, expand System devices and make sure the USB cable is listed as High-Speed USB Bridge Cable. The name of the cable may be different based on the vendors.
Step 7: Insert the installation disk that was provided with the package of the USB cable into your CD/DVD-ROM drive. Then, install the data transfer software. Do the same thing for the second PC.
Step 8: Launch this program on your two PCs and you can see a window – your computer will be shown on the left side and the new computer where you want to transfer the data will be shown on the right side.
Step 9: Open a drive and drag the folders & files you want to move and drop them to the desired location.
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Bottom Line
These are all the common ways to transfer files from Windows 10 to Windows 11. Just try one for data transmission when there is a need. Of course, if you have any other ideas, you can tell us by leaving a comment in the following section.
About The Author
Vera is an editor of the MiniTool Team since 2016 who has more than 5 years’ writing experiences in the field of technical articles. Her articles mainly focus on disk & partition management, PC data recovery, video conversion, as well as PC backup & restore, helping users to solve some errors and issues when using their computers. In her spare times, she likes shopping, playing games and reading some articles.
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