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Migrating from on Win11 PC to another

Van Nam Nguyen 0 Reputation points
2025-08-09T02:52:28.14+00:00

My old laptop is on its last legs, but still functional. I bought a new laptop and clearly would like to just transfer my entire life on my old PC to the new one.

I have found Windows Backup (Note - doing a search in the task bar does not bring up the app!) and see there is a way to transfer to a new PC. However, there is a problem. I already started the initial install on the new PC and missed the step to import from a previous machine. I now can't find any way of getting back to that step and performing that function.

I have tried performing a "Reset this PC", but after going all through this process it ends up saying it has failed and basically I am left with an unchanged system. System is an Asus Vivobook S14.

So, my question is - is there a way to get back to transferring my old PC environment to the new one? Or, does anyone have any idea how I can successfully complete a "reset this PC" so I can go through the initial setup again and this time select to transfer from the old PLC

I have spent umpteen hours trying to figure all this out, so would really appreciate some help.

I must say the whole process of migrating to a new machine is far from straightforward.

Thanks in anticipation and prayer!

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Security and privacy
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  1. Marcin Policht 53,675 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2025-08-09T11:38:21.36+00:00

    It sounds like you're running into two overlapping issues:

    1. You missed the “Windows Backup” transfer option during OOBE on the new PC.
    2. You can't get the new laptop back to that fresh “first boot” state because Reset this PC keeps failing.

    You don't have to go back to OOBE to use the new Windows Backup / Restore feature in Windows 11 23H2+. Microsoft quietly moved it so you can run it post-setup:

    • On your old laptop (source)
      1. Open Settings → Accounts → Windows backup.
      2. Turn on Remember my apps, Remember my preferences, and OneDrive folder backup.
      3. Sign in with your Microsoft account if you haven't already.
      4. Run a final backup (this pushes your data, settings, and app list to the cloud).
    • On your new laptop (target)
      1. Sign in with the same Microsoft account.
      2. Go to Settings → Accounts → Windows backup → Restore from a backup (you may need to click More options).
      3. Select your old PC from the list and restore apps & settings.
        • Note: This won't copy raw files from C: directly; user files are restored via OneDrive or manual copy. Installed apps are queued from the Store, and desktop programs will need to be reinstalled manually.

    If your new laptop's already signed in with your MS account, you should see the old machine's backup — no wipe needed.

    If you want the exact first-boot transfer screen, you'll need to bring the system back to OOBE. Since Reset this PC is failing, there are two alternatives:

    A. Cloud Reset (Fresh Image from Microsoft)

    1. Go to Settings → System → Recovery → Reset this PC.
    2. Choose Remove everything → Cloud download (not local reinstall).
    3. Let it fetch ~4 GB from Microsoft's downloads. This bypasses a corrupt recovery partition.

    B. Full reinstall with Microsoft's Media Creation Tool

    1. On another PC, download the Windows 11 Installation Media tool from Microsoft.
    2. Create a bootable USB.
    3. Boot the new laptop from USB, delete all partitions during setup, and let Windows reinstall.
    4. You'll be back at OOBE where you can choose “Restore from another PC” during account sign-in.

    Btw. note that the new Windows Backup tool isn't a full “clone” like the old Windows Easy Transfer was. If you truly want everything from your old PC — apps, settings, files — without reinstalling, you'd need a disk cloning approach using tools like:

    • Macrium Reflect Free (image the old drive, restore to the new one — careful with drivers and licensing)
    • EaseUS Todo Backup
    • Acronis True Image

    That's a very different route from Microsoft's cloud migration, but it's closer to what you described.

    If the above response helps answer your question, remember to "Accept Answer" so that others in the community facing similar issues can easily find the solution. Your contribution is highly appreciated.

    hth

    Marcin

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