Windows 10 to Windows 11: Transfer Programs, Settings and Files

Updated 4 November 2026. Originally published as an XP-to-Windows-7 migration guide; this page now covers moving from Windows 10 to Windows 11.

Your files may already be in the cloud. But what about your installed programs? If your documents are synced to OneDrive or another cloud service, you can access those synced files on the new PC. Windows Backup can also restore selected Windows preferences through your Microsoft account. Neither means that every installed desktop application and its local configuration will automatically follow you. See Microsoft’s backup guide and settings catalogue.

If your Windows 10 PC does not meet Windows 11 requirements and you replace it, the remaining challenge may be bringing the applications you rely on to the new computer. This matters especially when the original installer is missing, or recreating a supported application’s existing setup would take considerable work. Files that are not synced still need a separate backup or transfer.

This guide explains the different migration approaches and where each fits. It is published by PickMeApp. Third-party tool descriptions are based on the linked vendor documentation, not a new head-to-head performance test.

Upgrading Windows and moving to another PC are different tasks

• Upgrade the same compatible PC: a supported Windows 11 upgrade can retain your installed apps, files and settings. You do not normally need a separate application-transfer tool just for that upgrade. See Microsoft: ways to install Windows 11.
• Move to a new Windows 11 PC: reinstall applications from their original installers, or use an application-migration tool for supported programs. Copy personal files and check application settings separately.
• Clean-install Windows 11: plan for applications to be reinstalled or restored. Make backups and capture any applications you intend to transfer before erasing the old installation.

Check the old PC with Microsoft PC Health Check and the Windows 11 requirements. An unsupported processor, TPM 2.0 or firmware requirement can prevent an official upgrade. PickMeApp transfers applications; it does not upgrade Windows or bypass its hardware requirements.

How many PCs cannot upgrade to Windows 11?

Published figures show that hardware incompatibility affects a substantial number of computers, but the date and population matter:

• Dell, November 2025: Jeffrey Clarke estimated that around 500 million PCs could not run Windows 11, against a roughly 1.5-billion-PC installed base. That is about one-third, calculated from his estimates, not a measured failure rate for every PC. See the report of Dell’s earnings-call statement.
• Canalys, 2024: its earlier estimate identified 240 million PCs as ineligible for the Windows 11 upgrade. See Canalys’s announcement.
• Lansweeper, July 2026: 2.8% of Windows 10 devices in its analysed customer fleet failed Windows 11 hardware requirements. This is a customer-fleet finding, not a worldwide consumer-PC estimate. See Lansweeper’s research.

These figures are not directly comparable or additive. They do not establish one current global percentage. For an owner replacing an incompatible Windows 10 PC, the practical question remains: how can the applications they rely on be brought to the new computer?

Transfer installed programs without their original installers

PickMeApp Light: capture applications as reusable packages

PickMeApp Light captures a supported installed Windows application and its settings into a self-extracting installation package. You can copy that package to the new PC and install the application there, without finding its original setup media.

This approach is useful when you need selected applications rather than a copy of the whole old PC. Capture applications on the Windows 10 computer while the original installations are still available. Capturing applications is free; using the captured packages to install applications requires a paid license. See the product page for current licensing.

PickMeApp Pro: transfer plus application management

PickMeApp Pro combines application capture and transfer with package management, unattended installation, updating, uninstalling and command-line automation. Consider it when you also need to manage a collection of packages or repeat software-management tasks, rather than only transfer selected programs.

Compatibility still matters. A captured application must be able to run on the destination Windows version and architecture. Capture does not make incompatible software compatible with Windows 11. Some applications need additional runtimes, suite components or reactivation. Read the PickMeApp FAQ, user manual and reported transfer results; a result for one application version is not a guarantee for every version or configuration.

Broader PC-to-PC migration tools

Laplink PCmover Professional

PCmover Professional provides a broader workflow for selected applications, files, settings and user accounts. Its documentation describes network and file-based transfers and application-compatibility checks. Review exclusions, supported systems and the license for the edition you choose. Some applications still need reinstallation or reactivation. See the official PCmover Professional guide.

EaseUS Todo PCTrans

Todo PCTrans offers migration of selected applications, accounts, settings and files, with direct transfer and backup-based workflows. Free and paid editions have different limits; check the current edition before planning a migration. See the official Todo PCTrans guide.

There is no useful universal claim that one tool transfers every Windows application. Compare the exact programs you need, the source and destination computers, the transfer method and the license. Test the result before retiring the old PC.

If you only need files, settings or fresh installations

• Windows Backup: helps restore backed-up files, supported settings and an app list when setting up a Windows 11 PC with the same Microsoft account. It is not a general transfer of existing desktop-program installations: Store apps may reinstall, while other apps can require their original installers. See Microsoft’s explanation.
• Fab's AutoBackup: focuses on backing up and restoring user data and settings, including supported browser and email profiles. Treat this as a different task from capturing an installed application. See the supported-data list.
• WinGet: can export an application list and use it for batch installation of packages available from its sources. This reinstalls available software; the exported list is not a backup of the installed programs and their personal settings. See Microsoft’s WinGet export documentation.

A practical migration checklist

1. List the applications you need. Record versions, sign-in requirements and activation details. Identify which original installers are missing.
2. Make an independent backup. Protect documents, photos, project files, databases and other important data before changing either PC. An application package is not a full-computer backup.
3. Check Windows 11 compatibility. Confirm each important application and any required drivers or runtimes can work on the destination computer.
4. Choose the transfer method. Reinstall from a trusted installer when appropriate; capture supported installed applications when you need to preserve an existing installation; use a broader migration workflow if user accounts and files must move too.
5. Test before wiping the old PC. Open the transferred application, load a real project, check settings and plugins, and confirm activation. Keep the original computer and backups until the new setup has been verified.

Application migration does not remove software-license restrictions. Check whether each application permits use on the new computer and whether it needs deactivation on the old one.

Moving an app to another drive is not PC migration

If the problem is a full C: drive on the same computer, see the free PickMeApp Relocator. Relocation between drives on one PC is different from transferring an application from a Windows 10 PC to a new Windows 11 PC.

For application capture and transfer, start with PickMeApp Light. For transfer plus broader software management, see PickMeApp Pro. Download PickMeApp or contact us with your application name, version and source and destination Windows details.