It may seem like a Herculean task. You may cast a wary eye over the thousands of files you have on your old PC. It’s easy to wonder how long it will take. Thanks to our sponsor, IDrive, we’ve got a super simple way to get the job done. More on that later. For now, follow these steps to transfer all your old data to a new PC in minutes.
1. Backup your data
To make sure your data is safe and secure, always practice the 3-2-1 backup rule. This means you should keep three copies of your most important files. Leave two copies on separate storage media and one in an off-site location, like a safe deposit box. This rule ensures you can recover your information, even if one or two backups are ruined.
2. Transfer the data from your old machine
Moving all of your old files to your new computer can be a breeze. Thanks to modern file transfer methods, you just need a USB flash drive or an external hard drive on standby. It doesn’t matter whether you have a PC or Mac. If you decide to go the hardware route, you’ll use hard drives and wait around for files to migrate from one computer to another. If you’ve got a ton of bulky files, it’s best to use a hard drive. Then again, you could also use a transfer cable when moving data from PC to PC. You should also use this cable for PC to Mac transfers. Be prepared, though: If you’re moving from a desktop to a MacBook, you may need to buy a USB adapter or docking station for a Mac laptop. Migrating can be a little difficult since newer models don’t have USB ports. Or you can look into cloud storage. This is another great option that can save you a ton of time in the long run.
3. Use cloud storage to move your stuff in a snap
You could move any files that need to be transported to your new computer via storage services such as Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox or Google Drive. It’s a quick and easy solution. If you prefer to transfer your data using a cloud service, which tends to be faster and simpler, consider using Kim’s trusted cloud storage company: IDrive. Save 50% on 5 TB of cloud backup now! That’s less than $40 for the first year.
