How to Migrate a Windows User to Different Windows 10 PC

There are many reasons a user may want to migrate to a different Windows 10 PC. Sometimes the user profile gets corrupt or the user may be upgrading their device. Recently, the security support for Windows 7 ended as well and many people had to shift to Windows 10.

When migrating to Windows 10, the user usually has to re-create the user profiles and set his computer configurations from scratch. This becomes a hassle later on when every minute settings have to be changed manually again.

However, despite very little documentation and mention, there still are several ways through which you can easily migrate your entire PC to Windows 10 with minimal effort. Some of them are listed below:

Copy User Data Files from Previous Windows Installation

It is possible to copy user files from a previous Windows installation to a new computer. However, it is not recommended as it has to be done somewhat manually and is very tedious work. There is always the issue of corrupt files also being copied over. This solution is for people migrating from Windows 7 to Windows 10.

1. First, make sure that Show Hidden Files is selected.
2. To enable Show Hidden Files, press Windows key and type Control Panel.

   

3. Then, go to Appearance and Personalization.

   

4. Then, navigate to Show hidden files and folders.

   

5. Make sure that Show hidden files, folders, and drives is selected.

   

6. Locate the F:\Users\Username folder, where F is the drive that Windows is installed on, and Username is the name of the profile you want to copy files from.
7. Select all of the files and folders in this folder, except the following files:
   

• Ntuser.dat
• Ntuser.dat.log
• Ntuser.ini
  

7. Copy and paste on a USB flash drive.
8. If file sharing is enabled over the network and both the computers are connected, the files can be dragged and dropped.

Use Transwiz

Transwiz is a software used for migrating user profiles. Furthermore, the software can also be used to transfer user data as well as settings. Moreover, the software automatically converts Windows 7 profiles to Windows 10 profiles. Transwiz packs all settings and data in a single zip archive so you don’t have to manage too many files and folders.

1. Download Transwiz from this link.
2. Start the application and choose the option that suits your working, which in this case would be, I want to transfer data to another computer.

   

3. This option allows you to save the zip archive at a location of your choosing.
4. When restoring data choose the option of, I have data that I want to transfer to this computer.

   

5. Browse to the location you have saved the zip archive to. The location can be on any external storage device such as a USB flash drive or an external hard drive.
6. For further information check out the Official Documentation of Transwiz.

[Advanced Users] Use Windows User State Migration Tool (USMT) 

USMT is a command-line utility for people who are comfortable in performing tasks using a scripting language. USMT contains two components, ScanState and LoadState.

ScanState component is the one used for backup. Whereas, LoadState component is the one used for loading from a backup. There are GUIs available for USMT for example this one, for people who do not feel comfortable using command-line scripting. Since USMT is a tool developed by Microsoft, the risk of data corruption is also reduced.

Download USMT Windows ADK from here and check out User State Migration Tool 4.0 User’s Guide official documentation by Microsoft.