Congratulations! You have a new computer. If this is your work computer, your IT department has probably installed all the business applications you need. But it doesn't contain any of your files; they are still on your old computer. So you've rolled up your sleeves and are preparing to spend a lot of time and effort moving your files from your old computer to your new one. Arrest! There's a better way, at least most of the time, and it works whether your old or new PC is Windows PC, Mac, or a combination of both.
Traditional file transfer methods are complicated
These old and proven methods of transferring files from one computer to another are:- Use file transfer utilities or an external drive to copy your files to your new computer. But you have to find and buy a file transfer utility (like Windows-to-Windows Laplink PCmover) and then run it. Yes, Mac users can use the free Migration Assistant utility found in the macOS Utilities folder to transfer files from a Mac, Windows 7 PC, or Windows 10 PC, but you need to network the computers. which can be difficult on a Windows machine and you also need to install Apple software on a Windows PC to transfer files from it.
- Get an external hard drive, USB stick or SD card and copy your files. If you're switching from a Windows PC to a Mac and using an external drive, it must be formatted for Windows MS-DOS or NTFS, not Mac's APFS, so that the Mac can read it and the PC can write to it. If you are switching from a Mac to a Windows PC, you must format the drive in MS-DOS so that the PC can read it and the Mac can write to it. (Or you need to find and buy software that reads the "alien" file system for a Windows PC to work with an APFS drive.)
- Restore your backup on your new computer. (You have a backup, right?)