How to Use the Windows Backup App to Move to a New PC

Setting up a new Windows computer used to mean manually copying files and reinstalling every program one at a time. The Windows Backup app, built into Windows 11, makes this much easier by saving your files, a list of your installed apps, and many of your settings to your Microsoft account (using OneDrive). So you can bring them over to a new PC automatically during setup.

Windows Backup saves your desktop, documents, pictures, and other personal folders to OneDrive, remembers your Wi-Fi network settings, and keeps a list of apps you had installed so Windows can offer to reinstall them for you on the new computer (from the Microsoft Store or, where available, other sources). It does not duplicate everything on your old hard drive. It focuses on your personal files and setup preferences rather than creating a full copy of the entire hard drive.

Because backed-up files go to OneDrive, you'll want to check how much free OneDrive storage you have before starting, since a free Microsoft account includes a limited amount (5 GB as of this writing) and larger backups may require a paid Microsoft 365 subscription for more storage. Source: support.microsoft.com/windows (Back up your Windows PC).