trapper1 Loc: Southside Virginia

My ancient Dell desktop has had it and I am going to buy a new Dell desktop. Looking for advice on how to transfer everything but do not want a method that requires an advanced degree in computer expertese. I do not have vast amounts of images or data to transfer but I don't want to lose any of it.. I am wondering if I could use flash drives to transfer the images and data. Also, it appears Dell no longer includes optical drives in their desktops so, as I use that drive a lot, I need one and am open to suggestions as to which make to buy. Any advice based on personal experience will be most welcome.

Trapper1

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

If you can make a cake using cake mix, you can build a up to date computer every thing is color coded and the cables will not fit in the wrong spot.

Pre-built like Dell are always a compromise... the must use parts to keep prices low. The virtue of DIY is that you can up grade as time goes by. My computer is built using the previous years gaming parts discounted to make room for the newer faster. Photo editing does not need newer-faster... Link for different budgets:
https://turbofuture.com/computers/Build-Photo-Editing-PC

You can backup your old hard drive and use it for your new one... There are USB cases for HDs and many free programs for cloning... if needed, a nerd teen will help for a few $. The local school Computer Teacher can suggest one. Clean off your photos and docs from the one in your present dell and sell or contribute it.

Buy a case with several Optical bays... I use one for CD/DVD [old stuff on disk] and one bay for hot swap of small solid state drives used for back up to be safe.

PS: of course, colored light cooling fans are a must...

Red6

I am assuming that you are transferring data, documents, and images only, not application or software programs such as Adobe or other editing software. Those are usually reloaded from their original media or from the website you purchased them from. Most have provisions for reloading their software when changing computers.

For data and images, a flash drive would work but unless you get a large one it could take some time, transferring back and forth several times. Optical drives can sometimes be difficult to work with and often require software programs when used to copy. I would avoid them.

My suggestion would be to go to Amazon or even Best Buy and purchase a 1-2 TB external SSD. They usually cost no more than around $125. This would allow you to copy ALL your images, documents, and other data and transfer them to your new computer at your leisure. These drives, once plugged into your computer through USB, just show up as an additional drive. Just move the files you want to keep to this new drive and then move the drive over to the new computer and transfer them to new files and directories on your new computer. You should be able to make your new computer look and feel just like your old one.

An added benefit will be that after you finish you now have an external BACK UP drive for your data. Just organize it and keep it updated as you add new items to your computer that require backup.

pithydoug Loc: Catskill Mountains, NY

I bought my new computer from my local computer store. He moved all my data for me less the Program products that had to be reinstalled. My biggest challenge was the change from win 10 to 11. :) Sure I paid a few more bucks for the laptop but it came with a bow and ready to rock. Ask where you are buying it, do they offer that service and reduce your anxiety.

BebuLamar

I would take the HDD or SSD out of the old computer. Mount it on the new computer (connect the cables you don't need to mount the drive in the frame as it's not permanent) then do the copy. It's the fastest way because you don't have to copy to an intermediate form of storage. Also the SATA interface is generally faster than USB.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Depending on how tech savvy one is, one could get a cross-over Ethernet cable (it swaps the transmit and receive lines) and connect the two computers, copy the files from one to the other over the Ethernet cable, very quick. But one has to turn off WIFI (at least on the destination computer) so the cable is used. WIFI with encryption is SO SLOW.
Software usually has to be <re>installed on the new computer. It cannot simply be "copied".

Simplest for many people is to have a tech group do it.

Then there is always the option of copying all the data directories to an external hard drive and then plugging that drive into the new computer to copy to the new location, and one has a backup of the data. (A month or so ago I got a new desktop and used this method.)

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

How about removing the HD and putting it in a case , making it an external, I always remove HD's when recycling a computer any way. THat way you will have everything from your old computer easily accessible.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Yes, depending on one's technical ability.
That's what I basically did with my new desktop computer. There was an extra bay in the new computer for another HD and I put the old computer HD into it.
(I keep my old HDs also, for use in an external drive dock for backups.)

JBRIII

There is a program which will transfer programs from one computer to another along with settings, data, etc. It works quite well and is straight forward. Can't remember the name, but maybe someone here can. Cost $100?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Often wondered how well they work, with all the details of installed software information, like in the registry.
I haven't used one of those yet. I just re-install the software on the new machine.

photoman43

The easiest way is to pay a tech company to do it for you.

A lot also depends on the volume of files needing to be transferred--1 or 2 TB or 12-18TB.

All needed operating programs need to be freshly installed.

If you are doing it yourself, it can be easy to:
1. Save all image and document files (not operating programs) onto an external (or internal) drive.
2. When you get your new computer, copy the files from the external drive to one of the internal drives. This assumes that you have a dedicated drive for such files or that your C: drive is large enough to hold these files and the operating program files. If you have saved them to a dedicated internal drive, just have that drive reinstalled in your new computer.

If you live near a MicroCenter store, consider having your new desktop custom made for you. This way they can install what you need, not what Dell or someone else thinks you need. In my desktop I always have it set up for one, two or three spinning internal HDD drives. The internal drives are the same size as my external drives in enclosure cases. If needed, I just swap the drives once I open the desktop.

If you want to buy a Dell or another brand, MicroCenter can sell it to you and do all of the transfer work for you. The same may be true for Best Buy thru the Geek Squad service.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

That's what I prefer to do in all cases.
Installation can depend on the OS, drivers, and computer hardware involved.
An install can be based on what graphics device, etc. on the old computer. Might not work the same on the new computer with a different graphics (or other) device. Many installs tailor themselves to the structure and guts of the computer it is being installed.

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

Well written and helpful!! I was about to write a similar suggestion.
Mark

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

I own a “not dead yet” Dell XPS 8700 that I wanted install a SSD as the boot drive. The SSD I purchased, a Crucial, came with cloning software and a cable. It was as simple as connecting the SSD to the Dell and running the intuitive cloning program. After the transfer, I installed the SSD into the computer where the old boot drive was located, tested it, and then installed the old HDD in the spare drive bay, formatted it and it my data drive. Today, the only thing on the SSD is the OS and programs. All content folders are in the former boot drive. I also have a 2Tb external HDD plugged in for auto backups from the SSD. Every couple weeks, I use the old Microsoft SYNC Toy program to back up the data drive to another HDD. It may not be the most efficient or best method, but it works for me. Ditto for still using SYNC Toy, which has been around for ages. My advice is think about what you’d like to do and then investigate what you have to do to make it happen, keeping in mind your comfort zone. Good luck!

markngolf Loc: Bridgewater, NJ

I back up all my internal drives, (2 MVMe, 2 SSD and 2 HDD)) to multiple external drives. I use Acronis software. It is very easy to recover and install a new drive.
Mark