Moving your information onto a new PC is only one a part of the puzzle. Sure, you’ll want a backup program or a cloud sync device like Microsoft OneDrive to maneuver information onto a brand new PC, however you’ll additionally want to put in all your favourite packages–and file backup instruments gained’t assist with that.
Windows comes with a hidden device generally known as Winget that lets you set up your favourite functions in a snap. Spend a minute or two figuring it out and also you’ll have the ability to rapidly rise up and working on any new PC with out all the tedious web-searching, downloading, and putting in functions. And, for those who’d prefer to additionally transfer massive recreation downloads over rapidly so that you don’t should obtain terabytes of recreation knowledge once more, Steam presents a straightforward approach to transfer your Steam set up to a brand new PC. Here’s how one can do it.
Install your favourite apps in a single command (or just a few clicks)
The secret weapon right here is Winget, the Windows Package Manager. You could make a single command that installs your favourite functions and save that command someplace. Copy-paste that command into the Command Prompt (or Windows Terminal) on a brand new PC and Windows will do all of the work, downloading the packages from the online and putting in them for you. It’s like Chocolatey or Ninite, which you’ll bear in mind, but it surely’s constructed into Windows.
Not a fan of the command line? Try utilizing WingetUI as a substitute — this handy program is the like having a greater, extra succesful various to the Microsoft Store on a Windows 11 or Windows 10 PC.
But, after a bit of little bit of setup, you’ll admire the command-line technique. For instance, let’s say I actually need to Install Google Chrome, Microsoft PowerToys, Spotify, and VLC on every PC I take advantage of. I’d simply use the next command:
winget set up Google.Chrome Microsoft.EnergyToys Spotify.Spotify VideoLAN.VLC
Copy-paste that command into Windows Terminal and away Windows will go, doing all of the downloading and set up give you the results you want. Windows will obtain the applying installer from this system’s official web site. You can add as many IDs as you need after the “install,” separating every with an area.
Chris Hoffman/IDG
Chris Hoffman/IDG
Chris Hoffman/IDG
So, how do you discover them? Just open a Windows Terminal window and use this command:
winget search program
Replace “program” with the identify of this system you need to seek for. You’ll see search outcomes, and the ID of this system you want can be displayed below the “ID” column. (The first time you utilize winget, you could have to kind “y” to conform to the phrases and proceed.)
Chris Hoffman/IDG
Chris Hoffman/IDG
Chris Hoffman/IDG
You might not contact the command line a lot, however that is only a one-time setup course of that ought to take a couple of minutes — and then you definitely’ll have a one-step set up command on your new PCs.
Don’t need to trouble? Again, I actually like WingetUI — you may seek for functions and put collectively program lists in just some clicks in a graphical interface.
Of course, you might all the time simply obtain your favourite program’s installers in EXE or MSI type, save them to a USB drive (or even perhaps your OneDrive cloud storage, in the event that they’re small), and set up them that approach. But you’d should do lots of clicking, and the packages must do lots of updating after that.
Copy your Steam folder to a brand new PC
Most functions obtain rapidly on a contemporary web connection. But recreation folders are sometimes big — your Steam folder alone may even maintain a terabyte or extra of video games. That’s lots of obtain time, and it’s lots of obtain bandwidth, particularly when you’ve got an web reference to a data cap.
The excellent news is that Steam permits you to copy-paste your Steam folder between PCs, for those who do it the suitable approach.
First, you’ll need a good massive external hard drive, large enough to carry all these recreation information.
Then, simply observe Valve’s official steering on this course of. Here’s what Valve recommends. It’s a course of I’ve used efficiently, myself:
- Exit Steam in your PC. To accomplish that, click on Steam > Exit. You don’t need Steam working in your system tray whilst you do that.
- Open File Explorer and navigate to your Steam folder. The default location is C:Program Files (x86)Steam.
- Select and duplicate solely the “steamapps” folder, the “userdata” folder, and the “steam.exe” utility file.
- Paste these three gadgets right into a “Steam” folder in your exterior exhausting drive.
You ought to find yourself with a “Steam” folder containing three gadgets: A steamapps folder, a userdata folder, and the steam.exe utility file.
Chris Hoffman/IDG
Chris Hoffman/IDG
Chris Hoffman/IDG
Once that’s accomplished, you’re good to go. You can then copy-paste the Steam folder out of your exterior exhausting drive to a brand new pc. Double-click the steam.exe file on that new pc and Steam will restore itself.
If a recreation helps Steam Cloud, Steam will re-download its save video games in your new pc routinely. Nice and simple. Valve has official Steam-folder-moving documentation with further troubleshooting directions and ideas for video games that don’t help Steam Cloud saves.
Here’s a bonus, although: Steam can now download games from other PCs on your local network, if Steam is open on them. This might prevent obtain time and web bandwidth, as your new PC can be downloading the sport out of your previous PC, not from Valve’s servers.
Other video games and launchers might or might not make this really easy. You could possibly copy a recreation’s folder to a brand new PC and launch it or you could have to leap by means of some hoops. For instance, the Epic Games Launcher has a rather annoying process for this. You’d have to repeat a person recreation’s folder to your exterior drive, set up the Epic Games Launcher on the brand new PC usually, begin putting in that specific recreation, cancel the set up partway by means of, copy the sport information over, and resume the set up course of. That’s a reasonably convoluted course of — we’re making an attempt to save lots of time right here! You could also be higher off utilizing winget to rapidly set up your recreation launcher of alternative after which downloading the sport usually.
Restore your information, too
Your packages are solely a part of the puzzle. They’re usually extra time-consuming to revive, however the above tips ought to assist you rise up and working on a brand new PC way more rapidly.
Then, you simply have to get your information in your new PC. Luckily, you may restore out of your backups. You ought to all the time have up-to-date backups. You can re-download packages, however for those who lose your necessary information, they’re gone eternally. I like to recommend choosing online backup software or local backup software and sticking to it. The finest backup program Is the one you’ll truly use,
Windows now makes this way more handy for those who register with a Microsoft account nowadays. Your Documents, Pictures, Desktop, Music, and Videos folders are synced to OneDrive by default, and the information in them will routinely observe you to a brand new PC. Still, it’s a good suggestion to consider utilizing one other backup program, simply in case, reasonably than solely counting on OneDrive or one other cloud-file-syncing program.
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