*UPDATE* see Post 22 ZOWIE! - Which is the simplest way to transfer files/pics from old laptop to new?

[UTUSN]

Last edited Sun Jun 8, 2025, 05:43 PM - Edit history (1)

I bit for a mover software and after 2-3 hours with tech support, the actual transfer of just about all of the stuff got transferred (4 hours). About the only things that didn't were the main pictures place and the Windows Publisher 2007 that has been discontinued and is due to be (dead?) in Oct '26. That Publisher was so simple to use for editing pictures and saving as -.jpg

------- Microsoft says that Microsoft 365 has a Designer thing supposedly similar to Publisher, or supplemented by Word or PowerPoint. But my first look at Designer was a complicated mess. Will keep looking.

For now, am only focused here on the missing pictures. As expected, YouTube videos are fairly wonderful and all over the place. Which of these (or other) ways would be the simplest? ----- After the pictures are done, any suggests for transferring the Publisher program?- no internet download is available.

* Thumb drive USBs

* Double USB cable

* Upload to Google Drive, download on Google Drive

* Something (or something else) called "Send Anywhere" similar to Google Drive

* Other? Tia

[usonian]

1. My backup and transfer strategy.

I simply keep all my important files on an external drive. (or two or three ... they are so cheap)
You can get a terabyte SSD for $80, maybe less.

My downloads folder got pretty big, as it's the default, so I sorted things out and off they go to an external disk. (fast)
I could lose the Downloads, Pictures and Documents folders on the internal disk and not miss a thing.
I just transferred all my phone photos to an external disk in one operation. (USB cable)

This also makes backups of the computer quicker and smaller. (however you do that. I use SuperDuper! on the mac to make an image backup, and also TimeMachine to another external drive)

"One backup is never enough"

When I upgraded to a new computer, all my files came over by plugging in one external drive.

[UTUSN]

4. Thanks. Maybe for the future.

[claudette]

2. I have a

1 terabyte external drive. You can copy everything you want on to it then plug it into your new laptop or computer and download all of it. Worked for me

[UTUSN]

3. OK, this sounds same as transferring on-and-off of the thumbs/GoogleDrive etc. (not the USB).

Might be simple for higher techs than I am, but tonight would take shopping trip and how-to. Am hoping for tonight with what I've got - thumb, Google Drive, USBs. Thanks.

[LearnedHand]

5. If you have Google drive can't you just use that?

No need for thumb drive/sneakernet transfer if you can put your stuff in your cloud drive.

[UTUSN]

6. You have a point. I guess i have it, use chrome and gmail. What's sneakernet?

[LearnedHand]

7. I don't know what the size of the drive is

So the only possible wrinkle is you have more files (mb-wise, I mean) than will fit on your drive.

BTW, have you tried using PowerPoint to edit your images? It's got a decent basic photo editor.

[UTUSN]

9. Have never used powerpoint at all. Will it do what simple Publisher did for me:

Open a blank page, paste pic, edit, Save with .jpg or PDF (my only uses) or such - and address labels.

[lastlib]

18. Basically it's plugging a drive into one machine,,,

moving files onto that drive, removing it, plugging it into another machine and transferring files there.

Think "walking the files over in your shoes.".....

[UTUSN]

19. Thanks, not to prolong, but "plugging a drive" - I've heard of downloading drives, but what is a

physically portable one, the much mentioned "external drive"? Same as a thumb drive?

And the "sneaker" reference is "walking the files over in your shoes" reference, I take it. I'm not trying to be difficult, just laying out there the expanse of my low-techness.

[lastlib]

20. Any USB drive--thumb drive or external hard drive--or SSD card.....

(If you want to be really ancient, a floppy disk.) Basically, by any media that's not internal to the machines.

[UTUSN]

21. Thanks

[hunter]

8. I regularly back up my entire home folder to external hard drives.

When I build a new computer I grab all my old files from a backup drive.

I've got files going back to the 'seventies and emulators for all the computers I've commonly used since then such as my Atari 8 bits and my MSDOS machines.

I'm a Linux guy who hasn't used Windows much since the beginning of the covid pandemic so I'm not going to recommend any Windows backup software. But I highly recommend making regular backups to external drives. These backups are useful in all sorts of ways beyond computer failures or losses.

[UTUSN]

10. Thanks but way beyond me.

[Eko]

11. Thumb drives sound the easiest for you. Cloud works well aslo but usually have a limit like 750GB

You can get a 2 terabyte drive for like $25 and google drive has a limit of like 750GB. That said 750GB is pretty big for photos. Transferring programs is really hard. I would look at a different one instead of even trying that.

[UTUSN]

12. Thanks. Had been convinced about google, now swayed by you to thumb.

But still sort of thinking on the google, as for the limits i think my pics are small total.

Seems like most advisors think in terms of maximums and vast knowledge no matter how much i emphasize how low tech i am and how small my needs are. Thanks for kindly understanding my level.

Yah, the old Publisher is on a disc and the new machine doesn't have a disc tray.

[Eko]

13. You can get a usb disk drive cheap also.

Prob about the same amount as a thumb drive.

[UTUSN]

14. Is it a piece of machinery? Connects by usb or how?

[Eko]

15. usb cable, its a usb cd drive to be clear

[UTUSN]

16. Wow thanks for everything! That ought to do the program part.

[Eko]

17. No prob.

Glad to help.

[UTUSN]

22. *ZOWIE*! - got/connected/installed an LG jobber and DOWNLOADED the Publisher 2007!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So the hardest part/program is DONE. The pictures for another day, by thumb or whatever.

THANK YOU TY TY TY TY TY TY TY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Eko]

23. Nice!

[LPBBEAR]

24. Transfering data files

I frequently used to have to backup customers data files prior to performing a complete reload of their Windows systems. I found the most dependable hassle free method to do this was using a run from cd/dvd/usb version of Linux and copying the files to an USB external drive or via a network connection to a storage system on my network.
I found this was the most hassle free method to use. Any time I tried performing this task through a Windows based method it always required tedious time wasting baby sitting of the process as Windows or software running in Windows would inevitably interfere in some way and require my interaction. With the Linux method I could start the process and generally count on it to continue the transfer fie process without me having to waste time monitoring the file copy or stepping in to bypass some ridiculous Windows popup that had stopped the file copy process. With Linux I could start the process and walk away to focus on other important issues knowing that the Linux based solution could be depended upon to continue working to completion without me needing to monitor the process.
Linux can run from a CD, DVD, or USB drive. It will read Windows file systems without forcing you to login into Windows, Over the years that I worked as a computer tech I saved the data of probably hundreds of customers using this method. It works, costs nothing, and is way less hassle than trying to do this with Windows or Windows software based solutions.

[UTUSN]

25. Thanks, but my hassle free method would be to hire you and pick up the thing when you were done!

[usonian]

26. Friends!

My preferred way of helping friends is to drop by personally and get it done.

All the "thumb drive" and external disk drive options are basically the same. Rotating disks are cheaper than thumbs or SSD's(1) per megabyte.

Old timers will tell you that compared to not so long ago, DISKS ARE FREE. and stores deliver.


I looked up some hypercard material yesterday, and since I transfer stuff from old disks to newer , way larger, ones (recommended!) there were files that used to be on floppy disks, syquests, zip drives, you name it. I can still read and write 3 inch floppies and Zip drives via USB adapters. Pretty cool.

(1) Solid State Disk. Essentially a thumb drive or SD card in a small box. I mean credit card size (almost). Amazing.

[UTUSN]

28. So you are your friends' thumb/disc/cloud object. I mis-read your headline "Friends!"

I thought that it meant you and I were Friends because of sharing the same method for hiring somebody!1

[usonian]

30. I was once asked to bring a "zip drive" to a menorial service.

Well, the requester meant thumb drive.

Despite the confusion in terminology, the director had some experience with memorial presentations and it all worked out ok.

Nearby friends can be a great resource. I always lived in suburbs, but like Thoreau, I have been living in the woods for a while. Just finished a marathon wildfire mitigation campaign (Whew!) so finding nearby help or even offering it, is tough. Two DU'ers moved away, but one remains sorta nearby, and I advised on a camera upgrade.

Felt good.

Remote help is very difficult. I often diagnose problems by running rapidly through menus, or (GASP) hitting the command line with lots of commands. Best done on site, rapidly, to get to the heart of the problem ( and maybe fiddle with wires)

Seriously, I was testing out an amplifier that had very low output volume. The problem was an old audio cable that was feeding it signal ... reluctantly.

[UTUSN]

31. "confusion in terminology" speaks to me. A peeve in my old age has been communicating,

not only with Techies, but even in DIY stores where the staff ramble on in specialized jargon, or even in the store's procedures, like an outsider/me is assumed to know how things are done.

But congrats to you, sincerely, for the amusement and entertainment (separate from admiration for your expertise and generosity) that your post provided: While you were being very relatable in communicating at my level, your post was chock full of specialized terms completely natural to you! Here's a list:

* memorial presentations

* wildfire mitigation campaign (Whew!)

* camera upgrade

* menus, or (GASP) hitting the command line with lots of commands

* fiddle with wires)

* amplifier that had very low output volume.

* old audio cable that was feeding it signal ... reluctantly.


***********HAH haha!!

[usonian]

33. I'm probably older than you.

I enlisted in the USCG in 1971, with a physics degree in hand. Not a career person, just wanted to do my time and then go into aerospace, which I did, but ventured into education, computers, a sales team at Sun Microsytems, finance, and some others I forgot.

A wild ride.

I just don't know everyone's level of tech understanding.

Cheers!

[LPBBEAR]

32. That would be great...

unfortunately I doubt you live anywhere near me. (and I am somewhat retired)

I got into Linux many years ago because I got fed up with the constant glitches and headaches in Windows. In your situation Linux would have been a fairly easy method to accomplish what you needed to do.
Even if a person wants to stick with Windows as their main operating system it doesn't hurt to learn some basic about Linux for situations like yours.
Microsoft goes out of its way to make Linux appear to be difficult with UEFI and Trusted Computing and all the other pseudo so called "security" solutions they've foisted on Windows users. Linux is still the superior option. It just takes a little gumption to finally want to rid ones self of Windows.

[Basso8vb]

27. I've used cloud backup for this for years.

[UTUSN]

29. ********FINAL UPDATE******** - have now Saved the missing folder onto thumb & opened it on new laptop

Have now figured out that what did and what did not get transferred by the Mover software from the old to the new was because of Microsoft's OneDrive, which someday I will try to rid myself of.

Iow, a folder of Pictures that *did* get transferred was not really transferred, it was in OneDrive and therefore available on the new.

The folder of Pictures that did NOT get transferred by the Mover software was in my This PC. For the amusement and looking-down-the-nose of all the High Techs, it was easy as pie just now to Save the entire missing folder onto a thumb and open it on the new machine. I won't download it until I'm sure that it won't go into OneDrive.

I've seen a few YouTubes about how to use OneDrive, take it off Default from Microsoft, and sort of get around it, but am nowhere ready to wade into all that for now.

Thanks to all who shared their expertise and advice! You might not realize it, but at my LowTech level this stress is literally toe-curling for me.