2 Easy Ways to Transfer Files from One Computer to Another

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Easily move files from an old PC to a new PC

Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Rain Kengly

Last Updated: August 19, 2026 Fact Checked

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Transferring Files with a Removable Drive

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Transferring Files Via Network

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Tips

Do you need to move files from an old computer to a new one? If you need to move a few GBs of files, you can use a USB drive and drag-and-drop the files you need. If you need to share a lot of data, you can send files by opening your network settings on both devices. Here's how to transfer files from PC to PC on your Windows device.

Transferring PC Files with USB: Quick Steps

Get a removable hard drive that’s compatible with both PCs.
Connect the drive to your first PC.
Navigate to where the files are located.
Open the drive window and file folder window side-by-side.
Drag and drop the file or folder to the removable drive window.
Eject the drive, plug it into the new PC, and drag the files onto the desktop.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Transferring Files with a Removable Drive

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1
Find or buy a removable hard drive that is compatible with your PC. Small hard drives up to 1 terabyte are available online and in most electronics departments at large box stores.
- It is best to keep a removable hard drive for backing up files, if you don’t have a cloud storage provider.
- Refrain from using the same backup drive as a way to occasionally transfer files from computer to computer.
- If you use cloud backup, check to see if you can download your files onto another computer by signing into a new computer. Some programs may not have this capability, while others may require verification of computers for security purposes.
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Use a small USB flash drive to transfer under 64 GB of data to a different computer. This is ideal if your PCs are located far from each other.
- Flash drives are available at office supply stores, box stores and online for $5 to $50, depending on the size.
- In place of a USB drive, you can opt to burn the files onto a CD or DVD; however, unless you buy expensive rewritable discs, burning a disc filled with files will write the disc permanently. With removable hard drives and flash drives, you can delete and reuse the drive.
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When your device detects the drive, you'll see a pop-up notification. Click the notification to open the drive folder directly, or find it under This PC in the File Explorer.
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Locate the files you want to transfer. If your files are in a folder, open the folder in a separate File Explorer window for easier transfer.
- If your files are haphazardly organized, now is a good time to organize them into files of similar genre and file type. It is easier to transfer folders than individual files.
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Reposition the drive folder and file folder side-by-side. This will allow you to click and drag the files from the computer to your drive.
- You can resize a window by clicking and dragging the corner edge inwards or outwards.
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Click, drag, and drop the files you want to transfer. Drag the files or folders from your computer into the drive folder to transfer them.
- A small dialog box may pop up to tell you that files are being transferred. For large files, it will tell you how long it will take to copy files.
- Repeat until you have copied all the files you need.
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Eject the removable drive. Click the down-arrow on the taskbar, and then click Eject [drive name] in the pop-up menu.
- Failure to eject the drive before removing it from the computer can result in the loss of some files.
When your device detects it, a pop-up window will open. Double-click it to open the drive window, or find it under This PC in the File Explorer.
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Drag the files onto your desktop or into a folder. Arrange the folders side by side, just as you did before, to drag them onto your computer and into the correct location.
- If you choose to drag them onto your desktop, you can reorganize them into other folders later.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Transferring Files Via Network

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1
Verify that your 2 PCs are on the same network. If you are using a wireless network, it must have very high speeds to make this an effective process.
- This option is best if you want to transfer files regularly between PCs, but not necessarily at the same time.^{[1]
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Use File Explorer to find it; it will be under This PC or My Computer on older devices.
A pop-up window will open.
The Sharing tab can be found at the top of the window.
On other devices, you may see "Change Advanced Sharing Settings" instead.
This will apply your changes.
Do this by opening the File Explorer; you should see the Network tab on the left side.
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Select your first PC in the list of options. This will be underneath the Network tab. You may need to click the down-arrow to show the options.
- If prompted, enter the password used to log into your first PC.
Use the File Explorer window to locate the shared files from your first PC. You can drag and drop the files onto your desktop, or you can drag and drop them directly into another folder or location.

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Does using a local area network (LAN) to transfer files via Windows Easy Transfer mean that all the files are wiped from the old computer and re-written on the new computer?

George Chour Chi Pang

Community Answer

Files transfer usually just copies the original files to the chosen destination. The originals will still be on the old computer.

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How can I transfer my music videos from my old laptop to my new laptop?

Jarod Smith

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You can use cloud storage, flash drives, or external hard drives. All of these options would work.

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How do I transfer games with a USB flash drive?

Community Answer

Just move the game files onto the USB flash drive and then move them over to the new PC. Be sure to move all of the files. If you miss one, the game might not work!

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Tips

For small files of 2 GB or less, you can use Dropbox or Google Drive programs to share files easily between most computers. You will need to sign up for a free Dropbox or Google Drive account. Then, you can upload PDF, Word, Excel or similar files onto the online account. Later, you can download the files by signing onto the account from your Internet browser on your other PC.

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