You have a new machine, Windows has offered to bring everything over from the old one, and you assumed everything means everything.
It does not. Microsoft publishes the list of what gets left behind, and four things on it are the four things people most expect to arrive.
I checked what this machine has for moving files before writing, and one of the tools people rely on turns out to be switched off here by default.
What Microsoft's transfer actually moves
Two lines, quoted rather than paraphrased.
⭐ Microsoft states it on its transfer page: "All files: Your documents, photos, videos, and other files saved across folders or drives are transferred".
⚡ And the second half: "Settings and preferences: This includes your wallpaper, themes, and other personalization settings".
⚠️ Files and the look of the desktop. That is the whole of it.
⛔ Everything else is a separate job, and the next section is the one to read twice.
The four things that stay behind
This is the whole reason this page exists.
⭐ Microsoft names applications directly: "Applications installed on your previous PC" are not transferred.
⚡ And your logins: "Saved Passwords and sign-in credentials" do not come across either.
⚠️ OneDrive files are excluded, in Microsoft's words: "OneDrive files won't be transferred". They are already in the cloud, so they arrive when you sign in.
⛔ And "Drives encrypted with BitLocker" are skipped. ⚠️ If your data drive is encrypted, plan for that before you start rather than after.
What both machines need before it will run
Four conditions, and the second one catches people out.
⚡ Microsoft's version rule: "The previous PC can run Windows 10 or Windows 11" but "the new PC must run Windows 11, version 2024 or later".
⭐ Both have to be on the same network: "connected to the same Wi-Fi or LAN network".
⚠️ Microsoft says to plug both in: "Plug in both the PCs to a power source throughout the transfer process to avoid interruptions".
⛔ You need a Microsoft account with no existing backup on it, and enough space on the new machine for what you picked.
How the pairing works, so nothing surprises you
Quick to read, and it stops the worry mid-transfer.
⭐ The new PC shows a one-time code. Microsoft describes it as a code "which must be entered in the Windows Backup app on your previous PC".
⚡ The old machine shows the new machine's name, which is how you check you are talking to the right computer.
⚠️ That is also the moment your PC's name earns its keep. A default name tells you nothing at all.
⛔ After that they are paired and it runs. No cable, no account switching.
What this machine has for moving files
Read rather than assumed, and one of them was off. I checked all three here.
⚡ Nearby Sharing is the small route, for one file or a folder rather than a whole machine.
⭐ Its policy value reads 0 on this laptop, which is the untouched state. Turn it on in Settings, System, Nearby sharing before you expect it to find anything.
⚠️ I found Quick Assist and Phone Link both installed here. Neither is a file transfer tool for a new PC.
⛔ File sharing is on at the network level: this machine reports four shares, three of them the hidden administrative ones Windows creates and one made by somebody. ⛔ No share name is published.
The routes Microsoft offers when the direct transfer will not do
Three of them, in the order that costs least. I would take them in exactly that order.
⭐ OneDrive, which Microsoft recommends first. Sign in on the new machine and your files follow you.
⚡ An external drive, which Microsoft covers on its own page. Slow, dull, and it works with no network at all.
⚠️ A network share between the two machines, which is what the four shares above are for. Fastest for a big pile of files.
⛔ And the one nobody plans for: your programs. Downloading them again is the actual afternoon.
What to do before you start, in order
Five, and skipping the second one is what people regret.
⚡ Write down which programs you actually use. Not all of them, the ones you opened this month.
⭐ Find your passwords now, while the old machine still starts. They are readable on the machine that saved them.
⚠️ Check whether any drive is encrypted, because that is the silent exclusion.
⛔ Then plug both in, put both on the same network, and leave them alone. ⚠️ And keep the old machine intact until the new one has been used for a week, not a day.
Status: transfer tooling and sharing state read here 29 August 2026 on a Windows 11 Home laptop running 25H2, against Microsoft's own transfer page. ⛔ No transfer was started, no file was moved or copied, no setting was written, and no share name, file name or account name is published.
Does Windows transfer my programs to a new PC?
No. Microsoft lists "Applications installed on your previous PC" as excluded. Files and personalization settings come across, programs do not. Make a list of the ones you actually use before you start, because reinstalling them is the real work.
Do saved passwords transfer to a new PC?
Not through the PC-to-PC transfer. Microsoft excludes "Saved Passwords and sign-in credentials" explicitly. Passwords saved in a browser signed into an account will follow that account, but anything saved only in Windows on the old machine will not.
What are the requirements for Windows PC-to-PC transfer?
The old PC can run Windows 10 or 11, the new one must run Windows 11 version 2024 or later, both must be on the same Wi-Fi or LAN network, and Microsoft says to plug both into power for the whole transfer. You also need a Microsoft account with no existing backup on it.
Why will my BitLocker drive not transfer?
Microsoft excludes drives encrypted with BitLocker from the transfer. Copy anything on an encrypted drive yourself, to an external drive or a share, while the old machine is still running and unlocked.
The Short Version
- Microsoft transfers files and personalization settings, and that is the list.
- Applications do not come across. Neither do saved passwords.
- OneDrive files are excluded because they arrive when you sign in.
- BitLocker-encrypted drives are skipped entirely.
- The new PC must run Windows 11 version 2024 or later. The old one can be Windows 10.
- Both machines need the same network and mains power throughout.
- The new PC shows a one-time code that you type on the old one.
- The Nearby Sharing value on this laptop is still the untouched one, so check yours.
Where to Next
Read Microsoft's exclusion list before you plan anything, because it is shorter than you expect.
Write down the programs you actually use this month, not everything you have ever installed.
Get your saved passwords off the old machine while it still starts.
Check whether any drive is encrypted, since that is the one exclusion nobody notices in time.
And if a transfer of yours left something behind that Microsoft's list does not mention, say what in the comments. That gap is worth collecting.
Isaac Smith is the founder and editor of PC Glance, a website that covers computers, laptops, and technology. He is a tech enthusiast and a computer geek who loves to share his insights and help his readers make smart choices when buying tech gadgets or laptops. He is always curious and updated about the latest tech trends.