How to Transfer App Data to a New Windows PC

Learn how to migrate your application data, settings, and local files to a new Windows 11 PC using official synchronization and manual backup methods.

1. Enable Windows Backup. On your current PC, open Settings and navigate to Accounts > Windows backup. Toggle on 'Remember my preferences' and ensure 'Sync your settings' is active to migrate browser data and system preferences to your Microsoft account.
2. Locate Application Data Folders. Press Win + R, type %appdata% and press Enter. This opens the Roaming folder where most Windows applications store configuration files and user data. Copy the folders for the applications you wish to migrate to your external drive.
3. Export Local Program Files. Open the Local folder by typing %localappdata% in the File Explorer address bar. Identify the subfolders corresponding to your installed software, specifically checking the 'LocalLow' folder for browser and security data. Copy these contents to your external storage media.
4. Install Applications on New PC. Perform a clean installation of all required applications on the new PC. This ensures that necessary registry keys, system dependencies, and service files are correctly configured by the installer.
5. Import Data to New Directories. Launch the new applications once to initialize their folder structures, then close them completely. Navigate to the corresponding %appdata% or %localappdata% directories on the new machine and paste the files copied from your external drive, overwriting existing files when prompted.
6. Validate Application State. Reopen your applications to confirm that preferences, custom dictionaries, and local history have been restored. If an application fails to launch, delete the newly pasted folder and perform a 'Repair' via the application installer or Settings > Apps > Installed apps.