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We depend on our computers. Much of what we do is done "on" them. Along the way we make settings, etc, in the programs we use.
And then the day comes when we have to move from an old computer to a new one.
I offer a separate page about setting up the basics on a new computer. I would suggest you study that before spending time on this page. But please come back here in due course! There are some important general points near the top of this page.
The page you are reading has some notes on copying settings, profiles, contact lists, etc, etc, forward to a new computer. It is broken into sections, each one giving thoughts on the process as applied to a specific application.
Backup! Backup! Backup!
It is so easy to neglect backup... and so painful when you realize you need something that has gone missing during an transfer attempt.
For a few years now I've been trying to keep as much as possible in folders and sub-folders of my "Documents" folder.
And I've been using Cobian backup to do a wholesale copy of ALL of that from time to time. (I need to remember to close Thunderbird before I do that, or the backup may not be satisfactory. You may have programs with similar requirements.
The Cobian backup, configured as I have it, merely copies everything. I can go into the backup in exactly the same way as I go into my "Documents" folders.
When I have major things in place on the new machine, I will to a "last state" image of the old machine's "Documents" to an external hard drive, swap it to the new machine, and do a by-hand, careful, folder by folder transfer of the old files into the new computer.
--- A sad development: In some cases today, if you copy a file from one place to another, the datestamp on the file is changed to the current day. It doesn't always happen. I hope it doesn't happen too much to you or to me while filling our new machines with our old files.
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There is something to be said for NOT trying to move your settings, etc, for a program from your old computer to your new one.
You will, in most cases, want to do a fresh install of each program on the new computer.
After you've done that, check what version you have. It is a really, really good idea, if it is possible, and the application isn't fragile or critical to your operations, to get the instance on your old computer up to the same version before you try to tranfer settings, etc.
If it isn't going to be possible to get the version numbers in step, "re-building" the program settings, etc, by hand may be the wiser answer.
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Sometimes you will be best served by a mixed approach. For example...
I've changed a lot of the default settings in my web browser since I installed it. I've also built up a library of bookmarks.
The browser provides a way to export the bookmarks. I'd be inclined to re-do my "tweaks" on the newly installed instance, and use the "export" process to move just the bookmarks over from the old machine. Especially if the version in the old machine is significantly behind what the fresh install resulted in.
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This essay is meant to help you move from one computer to another as painlessly as possible.
After you've been using a program for a while, you will have made tweaks to settings, you may have built up a spelling dictionary, put in things like the URL for your mail server.
When you have installed a program on your new computer, the things you need to add to it are your settings and accumulated files that it uses to behave how you want it to behave. For instance, wordprocessor users often build their own libraries of styles and document templates.
These two are in addition to the collection of files you've created with the program, the "output", you might call it.
Why have I written this? It has no "answer". But I hope by drawing your attention to these things, I have helped you plan you transition between your machines.
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Moving from your old computer to a new one can be traumatic. You have a lot of settings on your old machine, and lots of documents. We'll come to settings in due course. For now, we'll look at files.
I can't give you "the answer" to this one... but I will encourage you to THINK and PLAN what you are going to do before you start. I hope you have been thinking about the day you need to make the move from the first day you were using your old computer.
The more discipline and organixsation you can bring to where you save things (i.e. create files), the happier your computing life will be... and the fewer things you will lose when hard drives fail, or upgrades become necessary.
I TRY to keep everything in my "Documents" folder. In theory, I just copy that folder to a new machine, and, presto, I "have everything". That is ALMOST true... but the details and exceptions need attention.
Let's take the very simple case of someone who only uses their computer to read things on the web, write a few spreadsheets, and make the occasional text document.
Remember: At the moment, we are only talking about moving your documents to the new Windows PC.
That simple user would have been wise to set up and use two sub-folders in his/her Documents folder: "Text" and "SSs". (Why not "Spreadsheets"? It pays to keep the names of high level folders short.)
That user now comes to move to a new computer.
First: Install the apps you want to use. Get them running. Sometimes the "clever" things explained here to move your settings, dictionaries, etc, from the old machine to the new are bad ideas. It is sometimes best to start with a "clean", fresh install of a program, absent poor choices made by you in settings.
But if you do want to copy your old settings onto your new instance of a program, you may well need to do some setup before you do that. And you may want to create new documents (files) along the way. On the new machine. But! The idea was to copy your old documents to the new machine, maintaining your system of folders and sub folders.
What if there's a file called "MyAddresses" on the old machine, and you need to start a new "MyAddresses" on the new machine before you do the "copy everything" process? If you aren't careful, the old "MyAddresses" will try to over-write the new one. Sigh.
There's a simple answer: In the root of Documents on the new machine, make a folder called "0aMoveToFinalHomes". (Or some variant, if you already have one with your version of that on your old machine.)
Do what you like within that, and then move everything out of it their proper homes after you've done the wholesale copy/paste of your old machine's "Documents" folder to the new machine.
Simple, in theory! Sadly, some programs use the Documents folder. You'll have to be careful with these.
I started this section with consideration of the needs of a simple user. The process really isn't very different for the ordinary user... you just need to be careful about some of your folders... the ones in your "Documents" folder that your programs use "behind your back".
Which are they? That's why I said I can't give you "the answer". Just keep an eye on your Documents folder as you install the programs you want to use.
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In many of the instructions below, you will be invited to change files or folders outside of your user's "Documents" folder.
This is heavy duty geek, and has risks. Be careful.
Sometimes when you try to change a file or folder, you'll be told "This file is in used and cannot be changed." or "You need administrator permission."
This can happen even when the file is NOT in use, and when you ARE the administrator. (I never encountered this in Windows before Windows 11. Sigh.)
Leo, the AI at search.brave.com found the answer for me...
-Start the Task Manager. (Right-click on Windows logo, select it from there.)
-In "Processes, find "Windows Explorer", right-click, choose "restart".
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If you just want a simple case local printer, on Windows, that should pose no significant issues. Good luck. I would recommend starting by installing your printer as a local device, even if eventually you move to printing across your LAN. Even if you do, having the printer drivers on your new machine will be helpful. (The new machine will send "prepared" files across the LAN. The host on the LAN for the printer won't have much to do, i.e. won't have a large chance of wrecking a print job.
If you want to print across your LAN, look at the next advice first. ("Permissions" will be important to printing as well as to seeing or saving files.)
(Note to myself: 27 Sep 25, I had to go to Brother site for DCP1612W's divers, etc.)
I've written more extensively about setting up printers on my general guide to getting started with a new computer.
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I have covered the issue of having folders on PCs on a LAN which other PCs on the LAN can access in a different page. Use this link to go to my discussion of safe sharing of folders across a LAN.
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Leo, the AI for search.brave.com, gave me the following (21 Sep 25) in response to "How do I copy windows firefox setting to new computer?" (I've tweaked it only very slightly.)
Don't get too excited... I spent hours attempting this approach only to find a long way into it that I couldn't finish it. I added a lot of junk to my new machine along the way. I only leave it here in case you want to try it, have better luck. I think it should work. I suspect something weird has found its way into the permissions in my machine.
I ended up just installing a fresh "Firefox" (it isn't actually "fresh", but maybe I shed some baggage), and doing an "export bookmarks" on the old machine, and an import bookmarks on the new. Extensions, etc? I don't use many, exactly because migrating a setup is so uncertain. I'll just have to "re-build" "my" Firefox as best I can as I go along. Search engines, etc. Sigh.
I like the following, have had them in my Firefox for years... Brave Search, Easy Youtube Downloader Express, GoogleMaps-IT, Grammarly: AI Writing and Grammar Check App
General, Tabs: Open links in tabs instead of new windows
When you open a link (etc) switch to it immediately
Show an image preview when you hover on a tab
Privacy/ Security: Tell websites not to share my data
Cookies, site data, and cache Do NOT tell Firefox to clear thes when closed. This is not "the right" choice, but the state I prefer for some reasons.
Passwords: I choose NOT to have Firefox store passwords for me, or even to ask it it should.
Save and fill addresses: Yes
Save and fill payment methods: No
Privacy/ Security: Tell websites not to share my data
DNS over HTTPS: My old machine had it, provided by Cloudflare. Not sure at first how to get it for the new machine, but it appeared when I asked for "Increased protection". (9/25, va25aug)
That's about all I can say about transfering your Firefox setup. Sorry.
What follows is a write up of something I spent hours on before finding that it wasn't going to work, for me.You can return to the Table of Contents) at this point, if you wish.
In the search.brave.com Leo answer (below), there is mention of a FOLDER called "...Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\" and, within it, a "folder that ends with .default (e.g., abc123.default)" which Leo calls "your profile folder". Stay alert to the danger of confusing "...Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\", which is a folder to hold profile folders, and the "profile folder" (or folders) within that.
Note 1: When I went to \Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ on my old machine, I found two folders: 2m6584wk.default-release and 3irtryto.default.
Note 2: Not only did my old computer have the two folders mentioned in Note 1, but the new, hardly used, computer did too. A xxx.default-release folder and a yyy.default folder. (xxx and yyy different strings of gibberish.)
I decided against deleting them. Who knows when you may need to backtrack! I created a folder within the %AppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ called "From Fresh Install", and tried to drag the two folders into that, in lieu of deleting them prior to supplying the ones taken from the old machine.
yyy.default dragged without complaint. The system refused to allow me to drag the xxx.default-release folder, saying it was "open in another program". Well, I didn't have other programs open. But I restarted the system, hoping that would clear the lock. Nope. Went into the folder's properties. Ah! Some files in the folder were Read-Only. Tried to clear that. Had some success, but was told I needed admin priviledges. I thought the user I was using an admin user. Sigh. Tried to drag it again, just in case... Same problem as before.
Struggled with the permissions on the folder. Tried to delete, to reinstall... "refresh"... (Press "Next" during the Settings/Apps/Uninstall to get past the "do you want to refresh instead") (Uninstall did not remove or empty %AppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ it added something with an even weirder name... zzz.default-release1758474174890... and I couldn't delete it "by hand", either. More consequences of the permissions trouble on my machine, I think.
I could not delete the Profiles folder. Same problem as before.
Leo also gave another option...
"Use the built-in Firefox Sync feature to transfer your data, which is often simpler and ensures your data is backed up in the cloud. To use Sync, sign in to your Firefox account on the new computer after installation."
I didn't try this approach. I don't need Sync, and it seems to introduce something extra to go wrong in my already overcomplicated machine's software. And another opportunity for data theft.
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A keyboard macros utility which gives you one set of shortcuts which work across (almost) all of the apps you use
This is a great utility! If I type qtk on my Shortkeys powered machine, that instantly changes to my email address. Quickly. Without the typos I would put in of typing it by hand. But it is capable of much more. If I type qds, I get the current date, in the format of my pre-set choice. The replacement text can include line feeds, backspaces, etc, etc. (All my shortkey codes begin with a q not followed by a u, and so if I type, say, qds, I will indeed be involking one of my Shortkeys. The "q trick" eliminates false positives.)
There's a free-to-use-forever "Lite" version. I suspect that most readers will not have tried Shortkeys before, and if this is the case for you, start there. Upgrading later is well worthwhile, but not necessary, unless you want more than 15 shortcuts. For those who are prepared to buy the full version, there is "Tools/Export Configuration" to help you. I'd been having mixed results under Windows 11, so, 9/25, went the "install a fresh copy/ configure by hand" route.
Forgive me a little more advertising for Shortkeys?...
I've used it for many years, and is one of two programs making difficult for me to leave Windows. It does seem to be a bit tempermental under Windows 11. Sigh. Weep.
Fetch Shortkeys LITE, install.
It can be set up to work various ways. My way lets me type qda and get in return the day's date, formatted as I like it.
It created a folder called "Insight Software Solutions" in Documents. I had not yet done the "copy everything" transfer from the old machine. This will need care when that happens!
To set it up for that you do the following. Click the "Apply" button just before you move to the next tab each time.
Go into "Options/ Preferences"
Activation tab: Tick all.
-"Activation key": None
-Hot key to suspend: None
"Appearance": To your taste
"File System"
-First tab ("File System" again):
---Images folder: A long story... we'll come to it. Use default for now. (See Note 1 when ready for long story.)
--- Logs: AppData (default) is good
--- Crash Reports:: AppData (default) is good
--- File Options: "Close open macro..." (I don't understand this one, and have it UN-ticked.
"File System, "Network" tab: I left with defaults. (2 ticks, 10 minutes)
"File System, "Backup" tab: To your taste. In respect of "Backup Location, again see Note 1.)
"General"
-First tab ("Dialogs"): I tick all that I can, adding more ticks when I upgrade to the full version.
-Other tab ("Misc"): I leave most things in default state, but reduce the limit-before-warning of the macro file to 1kb.
"Playback"
-First tab ("General"): I tick the "Use Prefix Keys" choice... and make the "Prefix keys" box EMPTY. Default valuyes for others is okay.
-Case sensitivity: None
-Playback: Use keyboard
-Other: Treat caps lock as off
-Second tab ("Hint"): I don't use suffix keys, so I just leave these settings in default state
-Last tab ("Delays"): Some tweaking here may be beneficial, but I use the defaults.
"Startup"
I untick "Show editor on startup"
I tell it to run when Windows starts... but after a 2 second delay.
Shortkeys Note 1: (xTO BE EXPANDED: I like to have SOME of my Shortkey files in a folder I create for them in my user's "Documents\PrgmMgd\Shortkeys-Insight\"
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When I go to Linux, I won't need a new mail client! (Just saying!)
I started by doing fresh install of Thunderbird on the new machine... Accepted suggested "Standard" install and suggested folder.
Left "start now" ticked in final install dialog, clicked "finish".
Gave wrong but simple answers to name/ eddress/ pw as I expect to over-write these things with a profile transfer soon. But made note of what I said in case I need them! (xxx, xxx@myweb25sept.com/pw123). (Don't use "myweb.com"... there is one,and Thunderbird tries to get setup info from them!.. and then had to cancel out of setup. There was a path.) Told it DO NOT remember password.
That "start" remained the basis of my solution.
I use Thunderbird as a client to a server offering SMTP/POP email protocols. This means my old emails, sent and received, are HERE, on my machine. And that I can back all of that up. And restore it, if necessary.
I wanted a way to move all my old emails, etc, settings, etc, to the new
Because I didn't know what I was doing during the install to the new machine, I went down many irrelevant paths. But I got to where I wanted to be in the end.
I say "think I did" because I had to do this write up after the fact, leaving out many excursions down dead ends.
HELPFUL... even if I didn't use exactly this path: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/moving-thunderbird-data-to-a-new-computer
After starting, as above, I shut down the instance of Thunderbird then open.
Versions...
When trying to transfer profiles, it is always best to have both machines using the same version of any app.
By bad luck, when I came try to tranfer my Thunderbird profile from one machine to another, it was in the midst of changes of Thunderbird update policy. My old machine was on the old "esr" update schedule... but Thunderbird when I was doing this (22 Sep 25) had decided to do away with that option. Old machine was on version 115. New machine had been given version 143 when I did the standard "new install".
Happily, and I've only just done this, as I write, and I haven't soak tested my recently "kicked" old installation, but it seems to be working... Happily, all I had to do to the old machine is...
SHUT Thunderbird down.
Back up my Thunderbird profile. In case!
Do a "new install" of Thunderbird, as if I didn't already have it on the system. The installer happily recognized that I wasn't really doing a fresh install, I was doing a major upgrade. Whew!
Fingers crossed no problems emerge!
Do update your old machine to the version you've just installed on the new machine if they don't match. Scary, I know... but there are warnings on the web that shirking that can lead to a Bad Result.
The LEO AI at search.brave.com saved my sanity. Many hours into the project I came across...
Brave Leo answer....
To change Thunderbird so it uses a different profile, you need to use the Profile Manager. First, close Thunderbird completely. Then, open the Run dialog by pressing Windows key + R, type thunderbird.exe -p, and press Enter.
Using the dialog given to you by the above, "create" a new profile, of the name that you were using for the profile on the old machine, and then click "Start Thunderbird" from the "choose user profile" dialog, with things set to say "use the new profile without asking at start up".
Remember to "attach" it to the folder you made for it. You did see the "Before you do that...", I trust? (^_^)
It will open with a "Set up your existing email address" again. Give it a fresh set of frivolous values, again just to get past this page. (yy/yy@myweb25sept.com/pw123). (Don't use "myweb.com"... there is one,and Tunberbird tries to get setup info from them!.. and then had to cancel out of setup. There was a path.) Told it DO NOT remember password.
Click "Continue", to make a start on a profile under the name you wanted. And on the next page click "Exit setup".
Close Thunderbird.
Let's say your profile is called TBirdMailProfile.
You should see a folder of that name at %AppData%/Thunderbird/Profiles. (aka "C:\Users\MY-USER-ID\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird")
Copy the folder of that name from the old computer over the folder of that name on the new computer. I use the free Cobian backup... trying to copy big, complex folders with the Windows File Explorer does not always go well. I hope you have Cobian or a similar big backup program. Or that File Explorer will work for your profile. (I have no objection to Cobian Reflector... but Backup was already "the devil I knew" before Reflector came along.)
(When I went to the profiles folder on the new machine, I found two profile folders already in it. I created a "FromNewInstall" folder (with a date code in the name, too, and moved them to it. That hasn't come back to haunt me yet, and if it doesn't, I will delete them eventually.)
Say a little prayer.
Restart Thunderbird on the new computer... It should fire up with all your old emails, with you email accounts set up, etc, etc.tbirdmprtpLa;
Once you have things working well, CLOSE Thunderbird, and use Windows + R and thunderbird.exe -p to delete the superfluous profiles.
You may not be able to move your email quickly, even with the above guide, but 22 an 23 September 25 I spent house on the job, with all my mistakes and false starts... and with the writing up of this.
One of the reasons I stick with mainstream applications is that I hope that the next time I have to move to a new computer the process will be more or less the same, and I can use this guide myself, next time!
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I am writing this webpage with Textpad. Most of my work on my Windows PC is done with Textpad. There are scores of text editing programs, of course, but Textpad is Just So User Friendly. It Does Things Right!
Sorry. Onward.
At the time I was writing this section of this guide (9/25), my old machine was on Textpad vers 8, and my fresh install on the old machine was Textpad vers 9.
Ordinarily, I would have upgraded the program on the old machine to match the version I was going to, and I suspect that with the excellent Textpad that would have worked fine.
But Textpad is too important to me to take ANY chances.
So I won't try to upgrade the old machine, and I won't do all that I might have with the new installation to bring it in line with my preferences. (I will need to move my clip libraries and toolbar specs carefully! But I've done it before. This will happen after the wholesale transfer of the "Documents" folder as it was on the old machine.)
One of the reasons I rate Textpad outstanding is their forum. If my old machine had been on version 9, I would have had no hesitation in following this guide to moving a Textpad installation between machines. It seemed reasonable and do-able. And I wouldn't have to type anything out here!
So... Textpad the hard way...
Starting with Vers 8 on old machine, and fresh install of Vers 9 on new machine...
Go through everything in "Configure/ Preferences", get the machines in step.
Spelling was a shock. Very different menu. No US English (I installed in the UK. Got UK English.) I've left this challenge for later.
Added a Pascal Document Class with no hassles.
Toolbars and clip libraries... to be worked on later.
You can set properties like font, hardcopy headers, etc, for any document with a menu available by a right-click/Properties on the document. I can't recall how to set my preferred options for a given document class. Does it use whatever you last specified for that class? I think so.
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Alas, in September 2025, when I wrote this in the course of one of my moves between machines the version of Libre Office I was using on my old computer was 7.6, and the fresh install was version 25.2
No, I hadn't failed to do any updates for 10 years. I just happened to be moving to a new computer at the same time as LibreOffice's stable releases were in a time of transition.
One option was to do an install of the "25" on my old computer, "alongside" the old "7" version. Apparently this was possible, and I could open old documents with either.
This seemed too uncertain for me, so for this transfer of my office suite to a new machine, I will do it the hard way- by hand, without trying to bring my settings across the event by anything "clever".
I have some templates. I have them in a folder dedicated to their storage. I'm hoping that I will be able to "re-populate" the new installation with these simply by copying to the relevant folder on the new machine in due course.
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Search across all my sites with the Google search button at the top of the page the link will take you to.
Or...
Use this to search THIS site.... (Go to my other sites, below, and use their search buttons if you want to search them.)
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The search engine merely looks for the words you type, so....
Please also note that I have other sites; this search will not include things from them. Each site has its own search button.
My SheepdogGuides site.There's also my oldest-still-running site: https://www.arunet.co.uk/tkboyd/ Have a laugh at some dated material! It may be dated in styling, but not all of the content is obsolete. Some of what was there is now at https://skywoof.com/aru/index2.htm
(My Compuserve site is, alas, history.)
To email this page's editor, Tom Boyd.... Editor's email address. Suggestions welcomed! Please cite "hh9xprof.htm".
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