How to move a program from one PC to another

You have finally bought a new PC and you have found yourself facing a small problem: you have to re-download and install all the programs you used on the old one. Therefore, you would like to know if there is a faster way to transfer programs, or perhaps a particular software. Well yes, I inform you that you can do it very simply using ad hoc tools for Windows.

How do you say? Do you think this is too complicated? Don't worry, in this tutorial I will explain how to move a program from one PC to another quickly and easily, using software that you can download from the web. I will also introduce you to a program to transfer programs to a USB stick or external hard drive, as well as show you alternative methods.

Then? What are you still doing standing there? Come on, turn on your PCs and connect them to your home network, then make yourself comfortable and take some free time to read my guide carefully and choose the tool or method that best suits your needs. I'm sure you will eventually be able to move your favorite shows from the old PC to the new one.

How to move a licensed program from one PC to another

You have installed various software on your old PC, but some of them have by now deleted or lost the installation files. Maybe some of these are no longer easily found on the web, as they are replaced by other more modern software. In this case, I can recommend very easy to use software that allows you to move licensed programs from one PC to another.

EaseUS Todo PCTrans

The solution I want to talk to you about is EaseUSTodo PCTrans , a free software compatible with Windows that allows you to move programs between two PCs, as well as user profile data and different configurations. The free version allows you to transfer just two programs and up to 500MB of data, while the paid version also includes profile switching, data retrieval, and other useful features.

Before considering purchasing the software, I recommend that you try the free version first , to see if it is right for you. To do this, go to the official website of the program and click on Free Download to download the Installer.

Then click on the .exe file and on the installation window select Install Now to start the setup of EaseUSTodo PCTrans Free . Once the installation is complete, click Get Started now to launch the program. Remember that in order to transfer files, you will need to install this program on both PCs .

In the main software window, select the PC to PC function from the left column and then click Start . Then click New to connect your new PC to the old one. At this point, the software will automatically search for the PC to connect.

If the software does not find the PC automatically, click on Connect Manually and enter the IP of the old PC. You can find the PC IP listed below in the PC to PC function screen. Alternatively, you can enter the Computer Name. Once done, click Connect to start the connection. To learn more about how to find the IP, I invite you to read my specific guide .

Once the connection is made, click on Start EaseUS Todo PCTrans on the Old PC (if you have not already done so), then select Network to connect the two PCs via WiFi, then select the programs to transfer and confirm the execution of the operation.

EaseUS Todo PCTrans also allows you to backup and restore the system or clean the disk, but I personally recommend using the built-in Windows tools, as they are safer. To find out how, read my guide on how to clean your PC and speed it up and how to back up your PC .

How to transfer a program from a PC to an external hard drive

Would you like to know how to transfer a program from a PC to an external hard drive ? Well, even in this case I can offer you a useful tool that allows you to create a backup copy of your programs, so that you can transfer them more easily to another PC.

PickMeApp

The program in question is called PickMeApp , very useful for copying programs on external hard drives and SSDs or on a key, and copying them on your new PC. You can download PickMeApp, by connecting to the official website and clicking on Downloads . In order to use the program, you will need to purchase it, choosing between the € 15 Light version or the € 30 Pro version.

Once you have purchased the version you prefer, click on Download to download the Installer and then connect a pen drive, hard disk or external SSD to your PC. Once this is done, open the executable file to start the setup and select the portable device as the destination for the program installation. In the installation window click on Install and then Finish to complete the installation and start PickMeApp.

When the operation is completed, the first thing you need to do is enter the PickMeApp license and your e-mail address , in order to activate the software functions. After this step, PickMeApp will show you the list of programs installed on your PC. To transfer one or more programs to your portable device, select the ones you want and then click Capture .

Now all you have to do is close PickMeApp, disconnect the portable device from your old PC and connect it to the new one. At this point, open the hard disk, SSD or pen drive and go to the PickMeAppLightx_x_xx_x folder , then open the programs sub-folders and double-click on the installation file. This way you can install the programs on the new PC and also have a backup copy.

Other methods

As an alternative to the tools I have proposed to you, you can use alternative methods such as transferring the program installers to a Cloud archive, or simply using Windows File Explorer with the good old Copy \ Paste. Clearly, you need to have the program installers on your old PC, perhaps saved in a folder ready for backup.

Cloud archive

If you have the installation files of your old programs, but do not currently have an external hard drive or SSD where you can copy them, then I suggest you use a Cloud storage such as Google Drive or Dropbox.

For example, if you use Google Drive, open your browser and go to your drive. Then select My Drive , then navigate to a folder and right click on a blank space , then select File Upload . At this point, choose the Installer of the program you want to load, so that you can save it on Google Drive. To download it to your new PC, all you have to do is access Google Drive, download the saved file and then click.

Please note that Google Drive, Dropbox, and other cloud storage have limited free space that you can expand by purchasing a subscription plan. To find out more, I invite you to read my guide on the best cloud .

Windows File Explorer

If you are wondering how to transfer a program from a PC to a key or external hard drive without using any software, then you can do it "manually" through Windows File Explorer. To do this, first of all connect the portable device to the old PC, then type File Explorer in the search bar of the Windows Start button, then click on its icon .

Next, go to the folder where you saved the program installers, then right-click on the one concerned and select Copy . Now, still from File Explorer, access your hard disk, SSD or pen drive, then click on an empty space and select Paste to transfer the file. I suggest you create a folder on your portable device where you can save the program installers, so that you can find them more easily.

Once the files have been transferred to the portable device, all you have to do is disconnect it from the old PC and connect it to the new one, then access it from File Explorer and copy the files to a folder. Alternatively, you can also install the programs on the new PC, directly from the hard disk or external pen drive.