Move Data from Windows 7 to Windows 10 | 5 Ways

The Case: Windows 7 to Windows 10 Migration

“I bought a new computer, installed with Windows 10. My old computer is Windows 7,but I don’t want to abandon my important files, programs, data on the old PC. Backup them manually will spend too much time. It makes me very confused. Please tell me what to do, thanks. ”

This is a common situation that you may encounter when changing your old computer with the new one, and still want to use original files, programs, etc. Don’t worry if you got this issue, let me tell you how to move data from Windows 7 to Windows 10.

Why Move Data from Windows 7 to Windows 10 Computer?

Windows 7 End of Support could be the main reason to migrate Windows 7 PC to Windows 10 PC. Windows 7 support ended on January 14, 2020, which means Microsoft will no longer provide technical assistance, security updates and software updates, etc. And your Windows 7 computer will face more risks without this support.

You may ask “Can i still use Windows 7 after 2020”? Yes, but limited. You have to pay for Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESU) that only available for Windows 7 Professional and Enterprise to get another maximum of 3 years until January 10, 2023. Therefore, it’s better to get a Windows 10 computer and move data from Windows 7 to Windows 10.

Or other reasons that you would like to move data from the old one to the new one. Now, let’s start to move data from Windows 7 to Windows 10.

How to Transfer Data from Windows 7 to Windows 10?

There are multiple ways to transfer files from Windows 7 to Windows 10. find a suitable way to do this migration. Now, let's have a glance at these solutions:

✍Move Data to OneDrive

✍Copy and Paste to External Hard Drive

✍Migrate Windows 7 to Windows 10 with Windows Backup and Restore

✍Windows Easy Transfer Windows 7 to Windows 10

✍Best Free Windows 7 to Windows 10 Migration Tool (easiest way to move volume data)

Solution 1: Move Data to OneDrive

If you have OneDrive account and could hold your personal files and folders, you could transfer files from Windows 7 to Windows 10 over network: move your data to OneDrive, and download it to your new Windows 10 PC, and then deploy them as you want.

Solution 2: Copy and Paste to External Hard Drive

It’s better to transfer data from Windows 7 to Windows 10 if you own an external storage device, USB flash drive, SSD, SD card, external hard disk, etc. You could try to copy and paste these data to external storage device, and connect it to Windows 10 computer, and move data directly. However, it’s kind of time-consuming if there are a large amount of data to transfer.

Solution 3: Migrate Windows 7 to Windows 10 with Windows Backup and Restore

Microsoft Windows operating system built-in free backup software - Windows Backup and Restore could help you. With this tool, you have to backup all your files and folders, then use the backup image file to restore data to Windows 10.

There is something you may need to prepare: external storage device, USB flash drive, or external hard disk, etc.

Backup your files in Windows 7 computer:

Connect the external USB flash drive or hard disk to your Windows 7 computer, and make it could be detected.

1. Input Backup and Restore in Windows Search box, select Backup and Restore and hit enter.

2. Click Set up backup or Change settings to create a new backup task.

3. Select the external storage device to save the Windows 7 files, and hit Next.

4. Tap Let me choose option, and click Next.

5. Choose the data files you would like to backup, uncheck Include a system image of drives: (C: ), and then click Next.

6. Click Change schedule -> Uncheck the Run backup on a schedule (recommended) option, and press OK.

7. Click Save settings and run backup button.

Restore data to Windows 10 computer:

Connect the external storage device to your new Windows 10.

1. Open Backup and Restore (Windows 7).

2. Tap Select another backup to restore files from.

3. Choose the backup image from the external storage device, and hit Next.

4. Check Select all files from this backup option, and click Next.

5. Tick In the following location, click Browse to select a destination to save these files.

6. Select Restore to move data from Windows 7 to Windows 10 computer.

Now, you could use your new Windows 10 PC as normal. However, this way is quite complex.

Solution 4: Windows Easy Transfer Windows 7 to Windows 10

Windows Easy Transfer is a built-in file transfer software for Windows XP (SP2 and higher), Vista (SP1 and higher), Windows 7, and it allows you to copy files, photos, music, email, programs, settings, and more personal files from old computer to new computer just a few clicks. However, It does not allow you to migrate Windows 7 to Windows 10.

Fortunately, you could copy the migwiz folder (Windows Easy Transfer Wizard, located in C:Windows\System32\) from Windows 7 to Windows 10, and then double click the migwiz.exe in migwiz folder to open Windows Easy Transfer in Windows 10, and then move data easily.

And I have tested this migration from Windows 7 x64 to Windows 10 Enterprise x64, and it’s worked.

Note: A Windows Easy Transfer's migwiz folder taken from a 32-Bit PC will not run on a 64-Bit PC and vice versa.

Solution 5: Best Free Windows 7 to Windows 10 Migration Tool

There is another way to migrate Windows 7 to Windows 10 new computer. It’s highly recommended to use the best free Windows 7 to Windows 10 migration tool - AOMEI Backupper Standard, which transfer files, folders, partitions, even entire hard disk more easier in Windows XP/Vista/7/8/8.1/10 (all editions, 32-bit & 64-bit). First of all, you may need to download AOMEI Backupper Standard to the new Windows 10 computer and install it now to have it a try.

Before Windows 7 to Windows 10 migration, prepare the following things to make it easier:

1. Screwdrivers: to take out the HDD/SSD on your old Windows 7 computer carefully.

2. SATA cable: to connect the old Windows 7 HDD/SSD to the new Windows 10.

3. Power cable on the Windows 10 machine, and connect it to your old HDD/SSD. Like this:

By the way, the SATA cable should be connected to here:

After that, power on the new Windows 10 computer and move data from Windows 7 to Windows 10 like the below steps. Typically, the data partition is separated with Windows system partition, to transfer all files from Windows 7 to Windows 10 with Partition Clone to clone all data partitions one by one, just refer to the following steps:

1. Click Clone -> Partition Clone on the main interface.

2. Select a Windows 7 source data partition to clone, and click Next.

3. Choose a Windows 10 partition to save the data from Windows 7, and then press Next>>.

Tip: Click OK if prompted for the deletion of the destination partition.

4. Press Start Clone to move data from Windows 7 partition to Windows 10 partition.

Tips:
☝If the destination partition is located on an SSD, please tick SSD Alignment.
☝Click Sector by sector clone to clone all the sector on Windows 7 partition, no matter whether it is in use or not. Please DO NOT tick this option while cloning a larger partition to smaller partition.

After that, you could get an exact copy of Windows 7 data files. If you are cloning a smaller partition to larger one, and you will get an unallocated space on the hard disk, you could merge unallocated space to other partitions.

Moreover, you could backup multiple partitions to external hard disk in Windows 7, and then restore it to Windows 10. and you are allowed to perform Disk Clone to clone all the data on source disk, including Windows operating system, installed programs, settings, drivers, and all your critical files.

Conclusion

It’s easy to move data from Windows 7 to Windows 10 with a suitable data migration tool. The best free Windows data migration tool - AOMEI Backupper Standard could be your best choice. In addition to the clone feature, it offers you the backup feature. You can backup files to AOMEI Cloud if you have an AOMEI account. 

Please upgrade to AOMEI Backupper Server if you are running Windows 2003/2008/2012/2016/2019 (including R2) on your computer.