Short answer
Files and photos move easily. Programs don't — they have to be installed again. The things people lose are the ones they forget to look for: desktop email, browser passwords, scanned records and anything saved in an unusual place.
What moves and what doesn't
| Item | Moves across? |
|---|---|
| Documents, photos, videos, downloads | Yes — straightforward copy |
| Web email (Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo) | Yes — it's in your account, just sign in |
| Desktop email stored on the machine | Yes, but it has to be exported deliberately |
| Browser bookmarks and passwords | Yes, by signing in to the browser or exporting them |
| Installed programs | No — they must be installed again |
| Program licence keys and logins | Only if you have them written down |
| Printer setup | No — the printer gets added on the new machine |
| Windows itself and its settings | No |
The order to do it in
- 1
Make a list before you start
Programs you actually use, email addresses, your printer model. Ten minutes now saves an evening later.
- 2
Copy everything from the old computer to an external drive
Documents, Pictures, Desktop, Downloads, Videos, and anywhere else you've saved things.
- 3
Export desktop email if you use it
Outlook and similar programs keep mail in a data file that has to be exported. Do this before the old machine is wiped or given away.
- 4
Sign in to your browser on the new computer
Bookmarks and saved passwords come across automatically if you were signed in on the old one.
- 5
Copy your files onto the new computer
Then open a few of them to be sure they arrived intact.
- 6
Install your programs and add the printer
One at a time, using the list you made.
- 7
Keep the old computer for a few weeks
Don't wipe or recycle it until you're certain nothing was missed. This is the single best piece of advice on this page.
What not to do
- Don't sell, donate or recycle the old machine the same week. Wait until you're sure.
- Don't assume photos are in the cloud without checking — verify by signing in and looking.
- Don't rely on a single copy during the move. Keep the files on the external drive until they're confirmed on the new machine.
- Don't hand the old computer to anyone with the drive still in it and your data on it.
What to do with the old computer
Once you're certain everything is across, the old machine still holds your data until it's properly erased. Deleting files and emptying the recycle bin is not enough. We erase drives properly, and we destroy drives free of charge for anything being recycled — see our recycling page for how drop-off works.
If the old computer still runs well, it may be worth keeping as a spare, or it may be worth an SSD and a bit of memory to give to someone else. We'll tell you honestly which category it falls into.
If you'd rather we did it
Bring both computers to Affordable Computer Repair in Bellevue and we'll move everything across, set up email and the printer, and go through it with you so the new machine feels like the old one. You don't have to work out what needs moving — that's our job.
Common questions
- Can programs be moved to a new computer?
- No. Programs have to be installed again on the new machine. What moves is the data they created, plus your licences and logins.
- Will my email come across?
- Web-based email comes back as soon as you sign in. Email stored inside a desktop program has to be exported from the old computer first, so don't wipe it until that's done.
- How long should I keep the old computer?
- At least a few weeks after the move. That's usually how long it takes to notice something you forgot.
- Can you transfer everything if the old computer won't start?
- Usually yes — the drive is normally still readable. That's a data recovery job, and it's one we do regularly.
- How do I make sure my old computer is safe to give away?
- The drive needs proper erasure or destruction. We handle both, and drive destruction is free with recycling.
- Do you set up printers and email on the new computer too?
- Yes. That's usually the part people find most frustrating, and it's included in the kind of setup work we do every week.
The service that covers this
Computer Upgrades
SSD and memory upgrades, graphics cards and storage — a computer upgrade instead of buying a new machine.
Computer Upgrades in Bellevue →Optional next step
After we clean it up, keep it protected.
Ask us about Home-IT for ongoing protection, monitoring and remote support — an optional extra layer of help when something looks wrong.
Learn About Home-IT →Related guides
- The Computer Won't Start And My Files Are On ItA computer that won't start doesn't usually mean your photos and documents are gone. Here's what decides whether they can be recovered and what to avoid doing first.
- Is an SSD Upgrade Worth It?Moving from a mechanical hard drive to an SSD is the single biggest improvement most older computers can get — but only when the hard drive is genuinely what's holding it back.
- Will Reinstalling Windows Delete My Files?Sometimes yes, sometimes no — it depends which option is chosen and whether your files are backed up first. Here's what each option actually does and what to ask before anyone starts.
- Accidentally Deleted Important Files: What To Do FirstDeleted something you needed? What you do in the next few minutes matters. Check the obvious places first, and stop writing new data to the drive the files were on.