How to save or transfer your favorite registry keys to another pc

Walter Glenn is a former Editorial Director for How-To Geek and its sister sites. He has more than 30 years of experience in the computer industry and over 20 years as a technical writer and editor. He’s written hundreds of articles for How-To Geek and edited thousands. He’s authored or co-authored over 30 computer-related books in more than a dozen languages for publishers like Microsoft Press, O’Reilly, and Osborne/McGraw-Hill. He’s also written hundreds of white papers, articles, user manuals, and courseware over the years. Read more.

If you use the Windows Registry much, you’ve probably bookmarked some favorite locations. Registry Editor stores those favorites in—you guessed it—the Registry, so it’s easy to back them up or transfer them to another PC.

Standard warning: Registry Editor is a powerful tool and misusing it can render your system unstable or even inoperable. This is a pretty simple hack and as long as you stick to the instructions, you shouldn’t have any problems. That said, if you’ve never worked with it before, consider reading about how to use the Registry Editor before you get started. And definitely back up the Registry (and your computer!) before making changes.

In Registry Editor, drill down to the following key:

Each of your favorites is stored in string values inside the Favorites key. To back them up, all you have to do is export that key. Right-click the Favorites key and choose “Export.”

Save the REG file to whatever location you want. To restore those favorites, just double-click the REG file on the PC where you want those favorites, and follow the prompts to import it to the Registry on that PC.

When you import the file, the favorites will be added to the list of favorites in Registry Editor on that PC. Just note that it will overwrite a current favorite location if the imported favorite has the exact same name as a current favorite.

หากคุณใช้ Windows Registry มากคุณอาจบุ๊กมาร์กตำแหน่งที่โปรดปราน ตัวแก้ไขรีจิสทรีจะเก็บรายการโปรดเหล่านั้นไว้ในตัวคุณซึ่งคุณคาดว่าเป็น Registry ดังนั้นจึงเป็นเรื่องง่ายที่จะสำรองข้อมูลหรือโอนไปยังพีซีเครื่องอื่น.

คำเตือนมาตรฐาน: Registry Editor เป็นเครื่องมือที่ทรงพลังและการใช้อย่างไม่ถูกต้องอาจทำให้ระบบของคุณไม่เสถียรหรือใช้งานไม่ได้ นี่เป็นแฮ็คที่ค่อนข้างเรียบง่ายและตราบใดที่คุณทำตามคำแนะนำคุณไม่ควรมีปัญหาใด ๆ ดังกล่าวหากคุณไม่เคยร่วมงานมาก่อนลองอ่านวิธีใช้ Registry Editor ก่อนเริ่มใช้งาน และสำรองข้อมูลรีจิสทรี (และคอมพิวเตอร์ของคุณ!) ก่อนทำการเปลี่ยนแปลง.

ใน Registry Editor ให้เจาะลึกไปที่คีย์ต่อไปนี้:

รายการโปรดของคุณแต่ละรายการจะถูกเก็บไว้ในค่าสตริงภายใน รายการโปรด สำคัญ. ในการสำรองข้อมูลสิ่งที่คุณต้องทำคือส่งออกคีย์นั้น คลิกขวาที่ปุ่มรายการโปรดและเลือก“ ส่งออก”

บันทึกไฟล์ REG ไปยังตำแหน่งที่คุณต้องการ ในการกู้คืนรายการโปรดเหล่านั้นเพียงดับเบิลคลิกที่ไฟล์ REG บนพีซีที่คุณต้องการรายการโปรดเหล่านั้นและทำตามคำแนะนำเพื่อนำเข้ารายการเหล่านั้นไปที่ Registry บนพีซีนั้น.

เมื่อคุณนำเข้าไฟล์รายการโปรดจะถูกเพิ่มลงในรายการโปรดใน Registry Editor บนพีซีนั้น โปรดทราบว่ามันจะเขียนทับตำแหน่งที่ชื่นชอบปัจจุบันหากสิ่งที่สนใจที่นำเข้ามีชื่อเดียวกันกับที่เป็นที่ชื่นชอบในปัจจุบัน.

Pokud používáte Registry systému Windows hodně, pravděpodobně jste označili některé oblíbené umístění. Editor registru ukládá oblíbené položky v registru, takže je snadné je zálohovat nebo je přenést do jiného počítače.

SOUVISEJÍCÍ: Záložky v registru systému Windows

Standardní upozornění: Editor registru je mocný nástroj a zneužití může způsobit, že systém je nestabilní nebo dokonce nefunkční. To je docela jednoduchý hack a pokud budete držet pokynů, neměli byste mít žádné problémy. Pokud jste s tím dosud nikdy nepracovali, zvažte, jak začít používat Editor registru. A před provedením změn určitě zálohujte registr (a váš počítač!)

V Editoru registru vyhledejte následující klíč:

Každá z oblíbených položek je uložena v hodnotách řetězců uvnitř klávesy Oblíbené . Chcete-li je zálohovat, stačí, abyste exportovali tento klíč. Klepněte pravým tlačítkem myši na tlačítko Oblíbené a zvolte “Exportovat”.

Uložte soubor REG na libovolné místo, které chcete. Chcete-li tyto oblíbené položky obnovit, poklepejte na soubor REG na počítači, kde chcete tyto oblíbené, a postupujte podle pokynů, které chcete importovat do registru v daném počítači.

Při importu souboru budou oblíbené položky přidány seznam oblíbených položek v Editoru registru v tomto počítači. Stačí si uvědomit, že bude přepsat aktuální oblíbenou lokalitu, pokud má importovaný oblíbený stejný název jako aktuální oblíbený.

Google Chrome je založen na Chromu, projektu prohlížeče s otevřeným zdrojovým kódem. Kdokoliv může vzít zdrojový kód Chromium a použít ho k vytvoření vlastního prohlížeče, přejmenování a změnu libovolného, ​​co se mu líbí. Proto je na Google Chrome tolik alternativních prohlížečů, ale většinu z nich nemusíte používat.

ŠAblony vám umožňují nakonfigurovat všechna příslušná nastavení, která chcete předem nastavit na dokumenty – nastavení písma, okraje a karty, text z kotouče a podobně. Právě otevřete šablonu a uložte ji pod novým názvem, abyste získali skokový start na novém dokumentu. Jste-li uživatelem populárního, bezplatného a open source balíku programů LibreOffice, jsou kurzy slušné, že jste “to děláte, protože nechcete používat Microsoft Office.

Якщо ви користуєтеся реєстром Windows, ви, напевно, відмітили вибрані місця. Редактор реєстру зберігає ці улюблені елементи, які ви вже здогадалися – реєстр, тому їх легко створити або перенести на інший комп’ютер.

Стандартне попередження: редактор реєстру є потужним інструментом, і його неправильне використання може зробити вашу систему нестабільною або навіть непрацездатною. Це досить простий хак і до тих пір, поки ви дотримуєтеся інструкцій, ви не повинні мати ніяких проблем. Проте, якщо ви ніколи раніше не працювали з ним, подумайте про те, як скористатися редактором реєстру перед початком роботи. І, безумовно, резервне копіювання реєстру (і вашого комп’ютера!), Перш ніж вносити зміни.

У редакторі реєстру перейдіть до наступного ключа:

Кожне з ваших уподобань зберігається у рядкових значеннях всередині Вибране . Щоб створити резервну копію, потрібно лише експортувати цей ключ. Клацніть правою кнопкою миші клавішу “Обране” та виберіть “Експорт”.

Збережіть файл REG у будь-якому місці. Щоб відновити ці улюблені файли, просто двічі клацніть файл REG на ПК, на якому ви бажаєте обрати ці улюблені, і дотримуйтесь інструкцій, щоб імпортувати його до реєстру на цьому ПК.

Коли ви імпортуєте файл, вибране буде додано до списку вибраного в редакторі реєстру на цьому комп’ютері. Зауважте, що поточне улюблене розташування буде замінено, якщо імпортований улюблений має точно таку ж назву, що й поточний улюблений.

Nếu bạn sử dụng Windows Registry nhiều, có lẽ bạn đã đánh dấu một số vị trí yêu thích. Registry Editor lưu trữ những mục yêu thích đó – bạn đoán nó – Registry, vì vậy thật dễ dàng sao lưu hoặc chuyển chúng sang PC khác.

Cảnh báo tiêu chuẩn: Registry Editor là một công cụ mạnh mẽ và việc lạm dụng nó có thể khiến hệ thống của bạn không ổn định hoặc thậm chí không thể hoạt động. Đây là một cách hack khá đơn giản và miễn là bạn tuân thủ các hướng dẫn, bạn không nên có bất kỳ vấn đề nào. Điều đó nói rằng, nếu bạn chưa bao giờ làm việc với nó trước đây, hãy cân nhắc đọc về cách sử dụng Registry Editor trước khi bạn bắt đầu. Và chắc chắn sao lưu Registry (và máy tính của bạn!) Trước khi thực hiện thay đổi.

Trong Registry Editor, xem chi tiết khóa sau:

Mỗi mục yêu thích của bạn được lưu trữ trong các giá trị chuỗi bên trong Yêu thích Chìa khóa. Để sao lưu chúng, tất cả những gì bạn phải làm là xuất khóa đó. Nhấp chuột phải vào phím Favorites và chọn Xuất khẩu.

Lưu tệp REG vào bất kỳ vị trí nào bạn muốn. Để khôi phục các mục yêu thích đó, chỉ cần nhấp đúp vào tệp REG trên PC nơi bạn muốn các mục yêu thích đó và làm theo lời nhắc để nhập tệp đó vào Sổ đăng ký trên PC đó.

Khi bạn nhập tệp, mục yêu thích sẽ được thêm vào danh sách yêu thích trong Registry Editor trên PC đó. Chỉ cần lưu ý rằng nó sẽ ghi đè lên một vị trí yêu thích hiện tại nếu mục yêu thích được nhập có cùng tên với mục ưa thích hiện tại.

Pokud používáte Registry systému Windows hodně, pravděpodobně jste označili některé oblíbené umístění. Editor registru ukládá oblíbené položky v registru, takže je snadné je zálohovat nebo je přenést do jiného počítače.

SOUVISEJÍCÍ: Záložky v registru systému Windows

Standardní upozornění: Editor registru je mocný nástroj a zneužití může způsobit, že systém je nestabilní nebo dokonce nefunkční. To je docela jednoduchý hack a pokud budete držet pokynů, neměli byste mít žádné problémy. Pokud jste s tím dosud nikdy nepracovali, zvažte, jak začít používat Editor registru. A před provedením změn určitě zálohujte registr (a váš počítač!)

V Editoru registru vyhledejte následující klíč:

Každá z oblíbených položek je uložena v hodnotách řetězců uvnitř klávesy Oblíbené . Chcete-li je zálohovat, stačí, abyste exportovali tento klíč. Klepněte pravým tlačítkem myši na tlačítko Oblíbené a zvolte “Exportovat”.

Uložte soubor REG na libovolné místo, které chcete. Chcete-li tyto oblíbené položky obnovit, poklepejte na soubor REG na počítači, kde chcete tyto oblíbené, a postupujte podle pokynů, které chcete importovat do registru v daném počítači.

Při importu souboru budou oblíbené položky přidány seznam oblíbených položek v Editoru registru v tomto počítači. Stačí si uvědomit, že bude přepsat aktuální oblíbenou lokalitu, pokud má importovaný oblíbený stejný název jako aktuální oblíbený.

Android, jako operační systém, je skvělý pro uživatele napájení – aplikace mají schopnost dělat všechny druhy věcí jiné, více uzamčené telefony nemohou dělat. Bohužel jedna z těchto schopností brzy zmizí a mnoho aplikací, které by mohly uživatelům napájet, by mohly ztratit funkce nebo zmizet z Obchodu Play.

Pokud používáte VirtualBox k spuštění virtuálních strojů a chcete přejít na Parallels Desktop for Mac, můžete převést Virtuální stroje VirtualBox do Parallels – ať už používáte VirtualBox v systému Windows, Linux nebo macOS. VirtualBox poskytuje zdarma, holý způsob použití virtuálních počítačů na počítači Mac.

Якщо ви користуєтеся реєстром Windows, ви, напевно, відмітили вибрані місця. Редактор реєстру зберігає ці улюблені елементи, які ви вже здогадалися – реєстр, тому їх легко створити або перенести на інший комп’ютер.

Стандартне попередження: редактор реєстру є потужним інструментом, і його неправильне використання може зробити вашу систему нестабільною або навіть непрацездатною. Це досить простий хак і до тих пір, поки ви дотримуєтеся інструкцій, ви не повинні мати ніяких проблем. Проте, якщо ви ніколи раніше не працювали з ним, подумайте про те, як скористатися редактором реєстру перед початком роботи. І, безумовно, резервне копіювання реєстру (і вашого комп’ютера!), Перш ніж вносити зміни.

У редакторі реєстру перейдіть до наступного ключа:

Кожне з ваших уподобань зберігається у рядкових значеннях всередині Вибране . Щоб створити резервну копію, потрібно лише експортувати цей ключ. Клацніть правою кнопкою миші клавішу “Обране” та виберіть “Експорт”.

Збережіть файл REG у будь-якому місці. Щоб відновити ці улюблені файли, просто двічі клацніть файл REG на ПК, на якому ви бажаєте обрати ці улюблені, і дотримуйтесь інструкцій, щоб імпортувати його до реєстру на цьому ПК.

Коли ви імпортуєте файл, вибране буде додано до списку вибраного в редакторі реєстру на цьому комп’ютері. Зауважте, що поточне улюблене розташування буде замінено, якщо імпортований улюблений має точно таку ж назву, що й поточний улюблений.

Jei naudojate daug Windows registro, tikriausiai pažymėjote kelias mėgstamiausias vietas. Registro rengyklė saugo tas pasirinktis, apie kurį prisimenate, registrą, todėl lengvai juos atsarginę kopiją arba perkeliant į kitą kompiuterį.

SUSIJĘS: Kaip žymes vietą Windows registro

Standartinis įspėjimas: “Registro rengyklė” yra galingas įrankis ir piktnaudžiavimas sistema gali padaryti jūsų sistemą nestabili arba net neveikia. Tai gana paprastas įsilaužimas ir tol, kol laikosi instrukcijų, neturėtumėte turėti jokių problemų. Tai sakydamas, jei prieš tai niekada nepadarėte darbo, skaitykite apie tai, kaip naudoti registro redaktorių prieš pradėdami dirbti.

Registro rengyklėje grįžkite į šį raktą:

Kiekviena iš jūsų mėgstamiausių išsaugoma eilutės reikšmių, esančių mėgstamiausių raktų. Norėdami atsargines kopijas, viską, ką turite padaryti, tai eksportuoti šį raktą. Dešiniuoju pelės mygtuku spustelėkite parankinių mygtuką ir pasirinkite “Eksportuoti”.

Išsaugokite REG rinkmeną bet kuria jūsų norima vieta. Norėdami atkurti tuos mėgstamiausius, dukart spustelėkite REG failą kompiuteryje, kuriame norite, kad tie pasirinkimai, ir sekite instrukcijas, kad galėtumėte importuoti jį į tą kompiuterį esantį registrą.

Kai importuosite failą, mėgstamiausi bus įtraukti į registro rengyklės pasirinkčių sąrašas šiame kompiuteryje. Tiesiog atkreipkite dėmesį, kad ji pakeis dabartinę mėgstamą vietą, jei importuotam mėgstamam bus tas pats pavadinimas kaip ir dabartinis mėgstamiausias.

WhatsApp yra tikrai populiari “Facebook” žinučių siuntimo paslauga, nors dauguma jos vartotojų yra už JAV ribų. Nors jis yra užkoduotas iš visų pusių, kad apsaugotų jus nuo šnipinėjimo, “WhatsApp” pagal nutylėjimą skaito įplaukas, taigi žmonės gali pamatyti, ar perskaitėte savo pranešimą, ar dalijasi paskutinį kartą, kai esate prisijungę.

žAidimai+N2:N203 nuo pat pradžių išmaniųjų telefonų tapo populiarių programų parduotuvių. Tačiau tuo metu populiariausi žaidimai buvo trumpi ir greiti, o ne giliųjų nuotykių, kuriuos rasite žaidimų konsolėse. Tačiau laikas pasikeitė. Telefonai ir planšetiniai kompiuteriai, lyginant juos su kompiuteriais, “Xbox” ir “PlayStations”, gali būti ne tokie patys, kaip antai žaidimų, bet aukštos kokybės žaidimų, kuriuos galite nuskęsti į dantis, mobiliosiose platformose vis dažniau.

In this article, we will see how to transfer to new computer (desktop or laptop) – moving from one computer to another. The transfer will preserve your programs, settings, documents, pictures, music, movies, favorites, wallpaper and the rest of your stuff, transferring to a Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8 or Windows 7 computer.

When you get a new computer, the first thing to do is to get it installed and personalized. This means installing all of your programs, configuring all of your settings and then copying all of your files. This is a lengthy process, not to mention that you may not have the old disks and not remember which settings you have always used. Fortunately, there is an easier way to transfer – using a dedicated tool called Zinstall WinWin, which can transfer programs, settings and files from PC to PC, desktop or laptop – automatically and completely.

There are 3 parts that are important to the transfer:

• Files, such documents, pictures, music, pictures and emails
• Settings, such as user profiles, emails, accounts, passwords, favorites, bookmarks, wallpaper and other personalization
• Programs, such as transferring Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Quickbooks, TurboTax, Firefox, Chrome, and other programs to the new computer

An export or Backup of Outlook settings is of utmost importance because we don’t have any ready-to-go backups in case of Outlook failure. The failure of Outlook platform is least expected but cannot be ignored at the same time. It could happen due to software anomalies or hardware peculiarity. To remain safe at our side, it is recommended to take a backup of the Outlook account settings. There are other reasons also which encourage Outlook users to export their Outlook settings to new computer like – when user is switching to a new computer system, high chances of system malfunctions, re-installation requirements for Outlook and system, etc.

To export Outlook account settings there are several ways. Some are quite technical in nature which may require high level of understanding the undergoing process, while some are short and quick enough to run the process smartly. The choice is entirely up to the user, but perfect scoop of backup for account settings is promised by every strategy.

Inbuilt Features or Strategies to Export Outlook Settings

Microsoft provides different utilities to migrate or export the account settings. It includes: Office Save My Settings Wizard, Windows Easy Transfer, and Registry Settings. Their working strategy is as follows:

• Office “Save My Settings” Wizard: It was designed specifically to fix the Outlook settings migration issues. The wizard has a property to make the back up of the settings followed by their restoration in the same system. However, it was version specific and cannot turn up in required performance.
• Recreating Outlook Profiles: Outlook profiles get scrapped when corruption takes place in the Outlook platform. Thus, to blast-off the issue it is recommended to take manual restoration process of PST files and other items. Although it is quite time consuming process and requires a lot of patience of the user.
• Windows Easy Transfer: WET or Windows Easy Transfer is used to make backup and migrate the PST files and other account settings to the new system. However, the only limitation with such utility is that it may get the address book broken. Thus, it is not so referred quickly.
• Registry Settings: It is advised to make use of batch files to export the registry keys. Once done, user can run the task scheduler using Outlook Macro. Paste “REG EXPORT “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook” “C:\Users\Diane\My Box Files\Outlook-options.reg” /y” and run the task scheduler.
• Registry Editor:
  For direct export of Outlook Settings, users can make use of Registry Editor. It exports Outlook Settings to a .reg file which can be later on transported and then imported to the new system Outlook application. The limitation which it holds is that it does not export Outlook files password settings.
  Please know the necessary steps to perform this procedure.

1. Launch the Registry Editor by pressing Windows button with R alphabet and typing regedit into it followed by clicking OK.
   
2. On the Registry Editor page, move to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\V.0\Outlook\Profiles
   And, then select the Profiles option and right-click on it. Click on Export option.
   
3. Next, provide the saving location for the .reg file or Outlook settings and click on Save option.
4. Close the Registry Editor
5. Export this saved .reg file to new computer system and then double click on this file to load it to the new Outlook application.
   Note: Users should take care that the Outlook account name, PST file location and Outlook application version is same in the new system to that of the old system.

Exporting Outlook profiles signature

Copy your Outlook profiles signature to different system by typing %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Signatures in the Windows run box and accessing the App Data folder.

All the resolutions have certain limitations which are usually encountered when being used. The professionals who deal with such issues as a part of daily routine often rip off the Outlook data file corruption issues with assistance from third-party tool like PST Repair tool.

The tool is designed to meet the PST related issues without knocking out the file content. During entire repair process the tool maintains data integrity and Meta data. It offers flexible data saving to desired destination format or platform. The tool can be explored without spending a buck by downloading the free trial version from the tool’s website. Upon achievement of satisfactory response, the licensed version can be purchased by the users.

Conclusion

The blog has explained workable manual solutions to export Outlook Account Settings from one system to another. It also mentioned the associated limitations with each method. Keeping those limitations in concern, a professional utility is suggested for complete Outlook transfer without any restrictions or loss of data.

With internet access and a few clicks, you can back up your files online. When you’re ready, sync them onto a new PC—or you can leave them in the cloud without having to download them. This saves space on your new PC’s hard drive and leaves your files and photos easily accessible from any of your devices, anywhere. 1

Move your files with OneDrive and get started with your new PC

Copy your files and folders to a secure location in the cloud then get up and running quickly so you can get back to doing what you love.

Set up OneDrive

With Windows 11, Windows 10, or Windows 8, OneDrive is already installed and ready for you to get started. If you don’t have a Microsoft account, sign up for one here: It’s free and comes with 5 GB of OneDrive storage.

Bring your files and favorites with you

There’s no need to leave your photos, files, or browser favorites behind when you transfer files from PC to PC or from a Mac to PC. Bring them with you to your new computer.

Install what you love

When you start up your new PC, you may want to install additional apps. The Microsoft Store has many popular apps available to download or you can check with the publisher of your software for more information.

Compare file transfer options

Check the table below to see what makes the most sense for your move.

If you’ve been using your PC for a few years, you probably have some files that you want to move to the new PC. By using OneDrive, you can quickly transfer files from PC to PC or Mac to PC, so your files are organized like they were on your old computer and you can get right back to work.

You can use an external storage device such as a USB drive, SD card, or external hard drive to help you move all your favorite files off a Windows 7 PC and onto a Windows 10 PC.

A Microsoft account comes with 5 GB of OneDrive storage. You can buy more storage if you want it. Compare plans.

Shop your local retailer for hard drives and USB drives.

File transfer FAQ

Expand all | Collapse all

There are a couple of ways to get your files and photos onto a new PC. With OneDrive you can quickly transfer files from PC to PC or Mac to PC, so your files are organized like they were on your old computer and you can get right back to work. Or you can use an external storage device such as a USB drive, SD card, or external hard drive to help you make the move.

Yes. A Microsoft account (MSA) gives you an all-access pass to Microsoft services, including Windows 11. 2 It’s free and comes with 5 GB of OneDrive storage! If you don’t have a Microsoft account, it’s easy to sign up using your existing or new email address here: Microsoft account | Sign In or Create Your Account Today – Microsoft.

OneDrive is a Microsoft cloud storage service that lets you store your personal files in one place, share them with others, and get to them from any device connected to the Internet.
LEARN MORE ABOUT ONEDRIVE

Check out this brief video that will walk you through a few quick steps to set up an account.

A free OneDrive basic account offers 5 GB of storage. Need more space? No problem, see available options.

Yes. If OneDrive is not the best fit for you, there are other options available. For example, you can use an external hard drive along with the Windows Backup & Restore feature. There are also other programs designed to help with backing up your files and data and some retailers have service desks that will do the work for you.
Learn how

Yes. You can install or activate compatible versions of Office on your new computer using your product key.
Activate Office on a new PC How to install Office

If you are upgrading an existing Windows 10 PC to Windows 11, your apps will remain on the PC and they should continue to work. However, if you purchase a new Windows 11 PC, you will need to reinstall your apps on the new PC.

Yes, you can drag whole folders from File Explorer to your OneDrive folder.

A PC that adapts to you

With the broadest choice of devices—across style, features, and form factors—we and our ecosystem of partners can help ensure that you will find the right fit with Windows.

PCs preloaded with Windows 11

Out of the box, get up and running with a new Windows experience that brings you closer to the people and things you love.

Thin, light laptops

It’s everything you love and more—portability, power, and the latest in processors.

Versatile 2-in-1s

2-in-1s provide power and flexibility. Touch, type, click, or pen—choose whatever fits your style.

Desktops & All-in-Ones

The power of a desktop computer in a variety of shapes and sizes. Perfect for your home office or a computer for the family to share.

Need to transfer Chrome to a new computer, along with your bookmarks, favorites, passwords, logins, preferences, accounts and everything else in your Chrome profile? This tutorial will show you how.

There are two primary ways to copy Chrome to another computer – manual transfer and automatic copy. We will cover both in this guide, although if you prefer to just skip to the easier, automatic option, you can click here for automatic transfer of Chrome from one computer to another.

Manual transfer of Chrome to a new computer

In order to manually transfer Google Chrome to a new computer, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Copy the “User Data” folder found in this path to a portable media device such as a USB or external drive:
   C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\
2. Export this registry key to the same portable media:
   [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Google\Chrome\PreferenceMACs]
3. Move the drive to the new computer.
4. On the new computer, copy all of the files in the “User Data” folder from your portable media to “C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\”
5. Double click on the registry key that, in step 2, you saved to the portable media device.
6. Now, download and install Chrome, and launch it.

Doable? Yes. Easy? Not exactly. Of course, manual transfer is just one of the options. To make things much, much easier, you can just let a dedicated transfer product do this whole thing for you. Read on for instructions on that.

Automatic Transfer of Chrome to a New Computer

The easiest way to transfer Chrome from one computer to another is to use a dedicated transfer tool – Zinstall WinWin. No registry edits of folder copy required.

It can transfer not just your Chrome, but all other apps you have as well, along with your profiles, accounts, personalization, and all files from your old computer – automatically.

And it does not just copy files or profiles; apps get installed automatically on the new computer, and configured just like on the old one. You don’t need to install them yourself and you don’t need to configure them yourself.

It requires no technical knowledge to use, too. If you know how to download a file from the internet, you know how to use it – and can save a lot of time and avoid a lot of frustration when you transfer files to a new computer.

How to transfer Transfer Chrome to a New Computer

1. Run Zinstall WinWin on your current computer (the one you are transferring from).
   Note: You can get Zinstall WinWin here.
2. Run Zinstall WinWin on the new computer
   1. You don’t need to do any configurations for the computers to connect – it’s automatic
   2. If the computers are already connect to same router, same Internet connection, or same wireless connection, you don’t need anything else
   3. If the computers are not connected at all, connect them with a network / Ethernet cable
3. If you’d like to select which applications and files you want to transfer, press the Advanced menu. If you just want to transfer everything, you don’t need to go to the Advanced menu.
4. Press “Go” on the Windows 11 or Windows 10 computer to start the transfer

Once the transfer is done, Chrome will be all set on the new computer, with your bookmarks, logins, passwords, even your recently viewed websites – just like on the old computer.

And not just Chrome – this transfers your other apps, profiles, settings and files as well.

In this article, we will see how to copy everything from an old hard drive to a new computer, including your programs (yes, not just files!), profile, settings, documents, pictures, music, movies, favorites and everything else – so that the old programs remain operational and old files go to their proper places.

Wouldn’t it be nice to avoid dealing with crashed computers?
This article will help recover from the crash that already happend, but in the future – you can avoid the hassle by using a self-recovering backup – avaialble here.

This article deals with transferring directly from an old drive.
Need to copy programs and files from one computer to another using an external USB drive?
Click here for the USB drive tutorial!

We’ll be using an automatic hard drive recovery software, so it does not require a lot of technical knowledge for a successful transfer. A few examples where this kind of transfer is required:

• Your old computer is broken, and you only have its hard drive to work with
• You are sending the old computer back for repairs, and are using the hard drive as a backup
• You have a cloned hard drive you need to migrate from

In a nutshell, what you need to do is connect the old drive to the new computer, and run the transfer software. It will recover your programs, settings, files and everything else, automatically and safely.

Already have the old hard drive connected to the new computer, and just need a way to recover programs and files from it?
Great! All you need to do is run Zinstall Migration Kit Pro on the computer, and it will recover everything from the drive, even programs.
Get the software here.

Video tutorial – how to recover programs, settings and files from a dead computer

Connecting the old hard drive to the new computer

The first step in rescuing programs and data from an old hard drive is to connect that drive to the new computer. There are several ways to do this:

1. You can use a USB hard drive enclosure, which is a special “box”-like device that you slide the old drive into. The enclosure then connects to the new computer via a simple USB.
2. You can also use a USB hard drive adapter, which is a cable-like device, connecting to the hard drive on one end and to a USB in the new computer on the other.
3. If the new computer is a desktop, you can also connect the old drive as a secondary internal drive, just as the one already in the new computer.

Once the old drive is connected to the new computer, in any of the ways above, you should be able to view the old files. At that point, you can proceed to the recovery stage.

Recovering your files, settings, profile and programs from the hard drive

At this stage, you can access the old files on the new computer. This already a big step forward! You can already see your old files, and even manually copy them to the new PC. This type of manual recovery is not the easiest job to do, but it will at least get you your files back.

Fortunately, there are tools to do an automatic recovery, completely and without too much hassle. The one we’ll use – called Zinstall Migration Kit Pro – will even recover your programs, and of course emails, personalization, settings, documents and all the rest. Plus, it’s automatic and you won’t have to hunt everything down manually. Let’s see how to do it.

How to copy programs and files from old hard drive to new PC

Now that you have the old drive connected, all you need to do is run the recovery software:

• On the new computer, run Zinstall Migration Kit Pro (you can get it here: Zinstall Migration Kit Pro)
• It will automatically detect the old drive. Confirm the selection, and press Next.

That’s it – once the recovery process is complete, you’ll have your apps and files rescued from the broken computer to the new one!

An export or Backup of Outlook settings is of utmost importance because we don’t have any ready-to-go backups in case of Outlook failure. The failure of Outlook platform is least expected but cannot be ignored at the same time. It could happen due to software anomalies or hardware peculiarity. To remain safe at our side, it is recommended to take a backup of the Outlook account settings. There are other reasons also which encourage Outlook users to export their Outlook settings to new computer like – when user is switching to a new computer system, high chances of system malfunctions, re-installation requirements for Outlook and system, etc.

To export Outlook account settings there are several ways. Some are quite technical in nature which may require high level of understanding the undergoing process, while some are short and quick enough to run the process smartly. The choice is entirely up to the user, but perfect scoop of backup for account settings is promised by every strategy.

Inbuilt Features or Strategies to Export Outlook Settings

Microsoft provides different utilities to migrate or export the account settings. It includes: Office Save My Settings Wizard, Windows Easy Transfer, and Registry Settings. Their working strategy is as follows:

• Office “Save My Settings” Wizard: It was designed specifically to fix the Outlook settings migration issues. The wizard has a property to make the back up of the settings followed by their restoration in the same system. However, it was version specific and cannot turn up in required performance.
• Recreating Outlook Profiles: Outlook profiles get scrapped when corruption takes place in the Outlook platform. Thus, to blast-off the issue it is recommended to take manual restoration process of PST files and other items. Although it is quite time consuming process and requires a lot of patience of the user.
• Windows Easy Transfer: WET or Windows Easy Transfer is used to make backup and migrate the PST files and other account settings to the new system. However, the only limitation with such utility is that it may get the address book broken. Thus, it is not so referred quickly.
• Registry Settings: It is advised to make use of batch files to export the registry keys. Once done, user can run the task scheduler using Outlook Macro. Paste “REG EXPORT “HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Outlook” “C:\Users\Diane\My Box Files\Outlook-options.reg” /y” and run the task scheduler.
• Registry Editor:
  For direct export of Outlook Settings, users can make use of Registry Editor. It exports Outlook Settings to a .reg file which can be later on transported and then imported to the new system Outlook application. The limitation which it holds is that it does not export Outlook files password settings.
  Please know the necessary steps to perform this procedure.

1. Launch the Registry Editor by pressing Windows button with R alphabet and typing regedit into it followed by clicking OK.
   
2. On the Registry Editor page, move to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\V.0\Outlook\Profiles
   And, then select the Profiles option and right-click on it. Click on Export option.
   
3. Next, provide the saving location for the .reg file or Outlook settings and click on Save option.
4. Close the Registry Editor
5. Export this saved .reg file to new computer system and then double click on this file to load it to the new Outlook application.
   Note: Users should take care that the Outlook account name, PST file location and Outlook application version is same in the new system to that of the old system.

Exporting Outlook profiles signature

Copy your Outlook profiles signature to different system by typing %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Signatures in the Windows run box and accessing the App Data folder.

All the resolutions have certain limitations which are usually encountered when being used. The professionals who deal with such issues as a part of daily routine often rip off the Outlook data file corruption issues with assistance from third-party tool like PST Repair tool.

The tool is designed to meet the PST related issues without knocking out the file content. During entire repair process the tool maintains data integrity and Meta data. It offers flexible data saving to desired destination format or platform. The tool can be explored without spending a buck by downloading the free trial version from the tool’s website. Upon achievement of satisfactory response, the licensed version can be purchased by the users.

Conclusion

The blog has explained workable manual solutions to export Outlook Account Settings from one system to another. It also mentioned the associated limitations with each method. Keeping those limitations in concern, a professional utility is suggested for complete Outlook transfer without any restrictions or loss of data.

Sometimes you need to manually migrate bookmarks from how browser to another. Here’s how to do it with Microsoft Edge.

All browsers allow you to export and import bookmarks from other browsers. Usually, it is an easy task using a simple menu system. Usually, the browser will prompt you to move them over from another installed browser.

However, there might be times when need to manually move them over to a different computer. Or, you might want to export a copy and save it for use at another time. Whatever the reason, here is how to manually import and export your bookmarks on Microsoft Edge.

Export Favorites (Bookmarks) in Microsoft Edge

To get started, click on the Settings and more button (three dots) on the upper-right corner of the screen. Then click on Favorites from the menu.

Next, the Favorites menu will open and from there click on the More Options button (three dots) on the upper-right corner of the menu. Then click on Export Favorites.

File Explorer will open up so you can find a convenient location to store them. By default, it will be labeled “favorites_M_D_YY.html” but you can rename the file to something else that works for your filing system.

For example, because I am doing this quickly, I’m just putting them on my desktop with the default file name. If you want to bring them to another computer, put them on a flash drive, network location, or cloud storage.

Import Favorites to Microsoft Edge

Now it’s time to import your bookmarks (Favorites) into another instance of Edge. Click the Settings and more button (three dots) in the upper-right corner of the screen then select the Favorites option from the menu.

Next, click the More options button (three dots) in the upper-right corner of the menu. Then click on Import favorites.

When the “Import browser data” menu comes up click the dropdown menu and select Favorites or bookmarks HTML file.

Then click the Choose file button.

Then navigate to the location of the HTML file you exported and select it.

That’s all there is to it. The bookmarks that you exported will be successfully brought over. Click Done.

Import Bookmarks to Another Browser

Each browser’s menu system will be different but the idea is the same. In this example, I am importing them to the Brave browser. So, on Brave, open the hamburger menu on the upper-right side and choose Bookmarks > Import bookmarks and settings.

From the dropdown menu, click “Bookmarks HTML File” and click the Import button.

Then select the HTML file that contains your bookmarks for explorer and click Import.

That’s it. Now all your bookmarks will be available in the Brave browser.

Usually, transferring bookmarks from one browser to another is a one-click process. But there will be times when you need to manually do it. Luckily, Edge makes the process easy.

And if you’re a Chrome user, read our article: How to Export Chrome Bookmarks. Or if you’re a Mac user, check out how to migrate Safari bookmarks to a Windows 10 browser.

Whether you just bought a new computer or you just want to start using a different browser, Google Chrome makes it easy to save all your bookmarks. Then you can import them to a new computer or browser, so it will feel just like your old one. Here’s how you can export, save, and import Chrome bookmarks, so you can transfer then to another computer or have a backup.

How to Export and Save Your Chrome Bookmarks

To export and save your bookmarks, open Chrome and go to Menu > Bookmarks > Bookmark manager. Then click the three-dot icon and select Export Bookmarks. Finally, choose where to save your Chrome bookmarks.

1. Open Chrome and click the icon with three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
2. Then hover over Bookmarks. This will open a pop-up menu.
3. Next, click Bookmark manager. Clicking this will open a new tab.
4. Then click the icon with three vertical dots. You will find this next to the Bookmarks search bar, under the Chrome address bar.
5. Next, click Export Bookmarks. Clicking this will open the File Explorer on a Windows 10 computer or the Finder on a Mac computer.
6. Finally, choose a name and destination and click Save. If you want to transfer your Chrome bookmarks to a new computer, you can save the HTML file to a flash drive or an external hard drive. Or, you can save your Chrome bookmarks to your desktop and email it to yourself as an attachment.

Once you export your Chrome bookmarks, you can then import them on a new computer. Follow the steps below to find out how:

How to Import Chrome Bookmarks

To import your Chrome bookmarks, open Chrome and go to Menu > Bookmarks > Bookmark manager and click the three-dot icon. Finally, click Import and select the HTML file you exported.

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the icon with three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
3. Then go to Bookmarks >Bookmark manager
4. Next, click on the icon with three vertical dots next to the search bar. You will find this next to the Bookmarks search bar, under the Chrome address bar.
5. Then click Import Bookmarks. Clicking this will open the computer’s Open file dialog box and prompt you to load a file. Choose the HTML file you saved to import your Chrome bookmarks.
6. Finally, select the saved bookmarks HTML file and click Open. All your bookmarks will then be imported.

If you’re having problems with your browser, check out our article on how to speed up Chrome.

If you’re considering buying a new PC or recently got a new computer, you’ll need to know how to transfer your programs and files from your old PC to your new PC. This guide will show you how to transfer everything without losing data. While there are a number of effective PC transfer options on the market, PCmover is the only software recommended by Microsoft, Intel, and all major PC manufacturer, and it’s well known as the best option for preserving and moving all your programs, settings, documents, emails, profiles, accounts, pictures, music, favorites, and files, from one PC to another.

The following guide will help cut down on manual steps, such as installing applications one by one, configuring settings, transferring accounts and passwords, and backing up and/or restoring files. Laplink’s PCmover can transfer data from any Windows PC to any other Windows PC with the same or newer operating system, including Windows 11. It even supports in-place upgrades on the same PC. Laplink also provides free world-class 24/7 customer support.

When transferring programs and files from an old PC to a new PC, you’ll want to transfer:

User Profiles

Digital user profiles include settings and critical information specific to users, including detailed customizations, and personal identifying information.

Introduction

A computer’s affiliation can change in many ways:

• From workgroup to domain.
• From domain to workgroup.
• From one domain to another domain.

Common to these scenarios is that the user or users using the computer loose access to their locally stored user profiles. When a computer joins a domain it usually means the persons using the computer are given domain accounts to use to log on. The local profiles stored on disk are not associated with these new domain accounts and, even though it is the same person using the computer, he or she loose access to the profile and thus all their settings.

The same is true when the computer leaves the domain. Domain based account can no longer be used to log on to the computer and the persons who use the computer must start logging on with local user accounts. Again the profiles associated with domain based users are not available to the new local user accounts.

Likewise when a computer leaves one domain and joins another, the persons using it are given new accounts in the new domain and these accounts cannot access the profiles of the accounts from the old domain.

Needless to say, this is a big problem for the end-users. The profile stores a lot of settings and reconfiguring all of these is, at best, boring. So how can we mitigate this problem for our users?

HKEY_USERS, HKEY_CURRENT_USER and NTUSER.DAT

The registry consist of several, so called, hives; HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, HKEY_CURRENT_USER etc. To fix the profile problem of our users we need to learn about the HKEY_USERS and HKEY_CURRENT_USER hives.

HKEY_USERS

The HKEY_USERS subtree contains all actively loaded user profiles. HKEY_USERS has at least three keys:

• .DEFAULT, which stores the profile used when no users are logged on to the computer (such as when the CTRL+ALT+DELETE logon prompt is displayed).
• A subkey named for the Security Identifier (SID) of the current local user. This subkey contains the current user’s profile. If the user is logged on remotely, the data for the user’s profile is stored in the registry of the user’s local computer. The data in HKEY_USERS\SID also appears in HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
• A subkey named for the Security Identifier (SID) of the current local user with the _Classes suffix. This subkey contains the current user’s Classes. The data in HKEY_USERS\SID_Classes is also contained in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.

Figure 1 HKEY_USERS

In the picture above there are 5 loaded user profiles:

• .DEFAULT
• S-1-5-18 (NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM) which is Local System.
• S-1-5-19 (NT AUTHORITY\LOCAL SERVICE) which is Local Service.
• S-1-5-20 (NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE) which is Network Service.
• S-1-5-21-1777867841-237173671-2295844794-1001 which is a local user account (called OldUser in this case).

If another user were to log on the computer, either through Fast User Switching or if the current user launches a program as another user, a new SID will appear under HKEY_USERS representing the registry hive of the new user. When a user logs off his or her hive is unloaded from HKEY_USERS.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER

The HKEY_CURRENT_USER subtree contains the user profile for the user who is currently logged on to the computer. The user profile includes environment variables, personal program groups, desktop settings, network connections, printers, and application preferences.

The HKEY_CURRENT USER subtree does not contain any data. It just stores a pointer to the content of the HKEY_USERS\ Security ID (SID) of the current user subkey. Therefore, the content of that subkey also appear in HKEY_CURRENT_USER, and it can be viewed and changed in either location. This subtree provides easier access to the data.

A new HKEY_CURRENT_USER subtree is created each time a user logs on. The data for the subtree comes from the profile of the current user. If no profile is available, the subtree is built from the user profile settings established for a default user, which are stored in %Systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\Default User\Ntuser.dat (Windows

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Introduction

A computer’s affiliation can change in many ways:

• From workgroup to domain.
• From domain to workgroup.
• From one domain to another domain.

Common to these scenarios is that the user or users using the computer loose access to their locally stored user profiles. When a computer joins a domain it usually means the persons using the computer are given domain accounts to use to log on. The local profiles stored on disk are not associated with these new domain accounts and, even though it is the same person using the computer, he or she loose access to the profile and thus all their settings.

The same is true when the computer leaves the domain. Domain based account can no longer be used to log on to the computer and the persons who use the computer must start logging on with local user accounts. Again the profiles associated with domain based users are not available to the new local user accounts.

Likewise when a computer leaves one domain and joins another, the persons using it are given new accounts in the new domain and these accounts cannot access the profiles of the accounts from the old domain.

Needless to say, this is a big problem for the end-users. The profile stores a lot of settings and reconfiguring all of these is, at best, boring. So how can we mitigate this problem for our users?

HKEY_USERS, HKEY_CURRENT_USER and NTUSER.DAT

The registry consist of several, so called, hives; HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, HKEY_CURRENT_USER etc. To fix the profile problem of our users we need to learn about the HKEY_USERS and HKEY_CURRENT_USER hives.

HKEY_USERS

The HKEY_USERS subtree contains all actively loaded user profiles. HKEY_USERS has at least three keys:

• .DEFAULT, which stores the profile used when no users are logged on to the computer (such as when the CTRL+ALT+DELETE logon prompt is displayed).
• A subkey named for the Security Identifier (SID) of the current local user. This subkey contains the current user’s profile. If the user is logged on remotely, the data for the user’s profile is stored in the registry of the user’s local computer. The data in HKEY_USERS\SID also appears in HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
• A subkey named for the Security Identifier (SID) of the current local user with the _Classes suffix. This subkey contains the current user’s Classes. The data in HKEY_USERS\SID_Classes is also contained in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.

Figure 1 HKEY_USERS

In the picture above there are 5 loaded user profiles:

• .DEFAULT
• S-1-5-18 (NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM) which is Local System.
• S-1-5-19 (NT AUTHORITY\LOCAL SERVICE) which is Local Service.
• S-1-5-20 (NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE) which is Network Service.
• S-1-5-21-1777867841-237173671-2295844794-1001 which is a local user account (called OldUser in this case).

If another user were to log on the computer, either through Fast User Switching or if the current user launches a program as another user, a new SID will appear under HKEY_USERS representing the registry hive of the new user. When a user logs off his or her hive is unloaded from HKEY_USERS.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER

The HKEY_CURRENT_USER subtree contains the user profile for the user who is currently logged on to the computer. The user profile includes environment variables, personal program groups, desktop settings, network connections, printers, and application preferences.

The HKEY_CURRENT USER subtree does not contain any data. It just stores a pointer to the content of the HKEY_USERS\ Security ID (SID) of the current user subkey. Therefore, the content of that subkey also appear in HKEY_CURRENT_USER, and it can be viewed and changed in either location. This subtree provides easier access to the data.

A new HKEY_CURRENT_USER subtree is created each time a user logs on. The data for the subtree comes from the profile of the current user. If no profile is available, the subtree is built from the user profile settings established for a default user, which are stored in %Systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\Default User\Ntuser.dat (Windows

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If you’re making the move to a new PC, OneDrive can help you bring all your files, photos, and videos with you. Your files will be available on your new PC, and they’ll also be protected in the cloud, so you can access them from anywhere, across all your devices.

Here’s how to move files to a new Windows 10 or 11 PC using OneDrive.

Note: If you’re moving from a Windows 7 PC to a Windows 10 PC, see Move files off a Windows 7 PC with OneDrive.

1. Make sure OneDrive is set up on your current PC

You can get OneDrive cloud storage in a few ways—either with 5 GB of free storage when you sign in with a Microsoft account or with 1 TB of storage when you subscribe to Microsoft 365. Compare plans

Open File Explorer.

Open your OneDrive folder, and ensure everything from this PC that you want to move to your new PC is in that folder.

To double check, you can sign in to OneDrive online. The files and folders you see in your OneDrive are what you’ll be able to move to your new device.

If there are any files or folders you want to move that aren’t appearing in your OneDrive folder, go to the step below “Sync the files and photos you want to OneDrive.”

If OneDrive isn’t set up:

In the search box on the taskbar, enter “OneDrive,” and select it from the list of results.

When OneDrive Setup starts, enter your personal, work, or school account. You can use your current email address or phone number to set up a personal Microsoft account, or create a new Outlook.com email address for free to give you access to OneDrive, Skype, Office for the web, and more.

Follow the remaining steps to complete your OneDrive setup.

If you want to add a new OneDrive account:

Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the Windows notification area of your taskbar.

Select Help & Settings > Settings.

On the Account tab, select Add an account.

OneDrive Setup will open. Enter your new account and select Sign in.

2. Sync the files and photos you want to OneDrive

Any files, folders, and photos you select will sync to OneDrive, and you can then access them on your new device. Learn how to upload photos and files to OneDrive

3. Access your files on your new PC

On your new Windows PC, sign in to OneDrive with the same Microsoft account you used on your other PC. Then, get to your files by opening File Explorer or by selecting the OneDrive cloud icon in the Windows notification section of your taskbar.

4. Automatically back up folders on your new PC

Now that you can access your older files and folders on your new PC, make sure to keep your new files synced as well. Use PC folder backup to keep all new files syncing to OneDrive. You can then get to those files from other devices like your phone and tablet.

Select the OneDrive cloud icon in the Windows notification area of your taskbar.

Select Help & Settings > Settings.

On the Backup tab, select Manage backup.

On the Back up your folders message box, select the folders you’d like to back up, then select Start backup.

Contact Support
For help with your Microsoft account and subscriptions, visit Account & Billing Help.

For technical support, go to Contact Microsoft Support, enter your problem and select Get Help. If you still need help, select Contact Support to be routed to the best support option.

Did you ever, while looking to migrate to a new PC, back off at the last minute? One reason people don’t grow out of their fondness for older laptops is because of their comfort zones. The files and tailor-made installations evoke a sense of familiarity and ease many aren’t ready to part with.

Transferring programs between PCs has been around since the era of floppy disks and CDs. While the offline methods haven’t entirely disappeared (and they cost you nothing), most of us are too busy for some manual lifting. Luckily, there are apps around to sift through all our messy legacy applications and load them into a brand new PC. Let’s have a look at a few of them.

Deciding Which PC Transfer Tool to Use

Zinstall Win Win is currently a market leader in Windows PC transfer solutions, working the entire Windows range from XP to Windows 10. This is an excellent fit if you are looking for a quick and easy transfer of your computer’s entire familiar environment. Although the software is user-friendly, it also comes at a steep price.

If you want to save money, PCmover Professional by Laplink does a good job with assisted migration. It is also Microsoft’s Recommended Migration Solution and comes with a 30-day money back guarantee. There are a few transfer limitations. For example, when you are migrating to a new OS. Also, the hardware drivers for a few printers may not get transferred smoothly. PCmover Express, a discount version of the total software, costs even less but has very limited applications in terms of product features.

EaseUS Todo PCTrans Pro solution is another one-click PC transfer solution that will be discussed here.

1. Laplink’s PCmover Professional

PCmover should be installed on both PCs and is valid for unlimited transfers after purchase. According to information on the welcome screen, you can’t transfer your programs from a new OS to an older one. The installation wizard also has to be deployed on both PCs and should be connected over the same LAN.

In the following stage you get to select the mode of transfer for your files and applications. You might need the help of Windows Upgrade Assistant if migrating from a lower Microsoft OS.

Once you select PC-to-PC transfer, you will have to confirm the older PC the programs will originate from. The software will automatically prompt you for a “new PC” at the Transfer stage.

Before readying the transfer, you will have to choose the connection method. You can transfer offline using Laplink’s transfer cables or through file storage devices, such as CDs or USB sticks. In the following screenshot we selected Wi-Fi or wired LAN networks.

PCmover begins analyzing the older PC for existing files and programs.

Once done, it prompts you to configure the transfer. You may also opt for notification alerts over email and SMS. After you move to a new PC, the software has to be installed again. PCmover can detect the older computer over the same LAN and then proceed toward a total (or selective) transfer of applications. Depending on program size and Internet speeds, the entire transfer can be completed in anything from four to six hours.

2. EaseUS Todo PCTrans Professional

EaseUS Todo PCTrans Pro solution costs nearly the same as PCmover, and is available from the official website. The free version allows you to select only two applications.

Everything from installation to transfer rates feels somewhat similar to the previous section.

There is a minor difference though. Unlike the step-by-step PCmover configurations for individual PCs, PCTrans should be allowed to run on both computers simultaneously. There are significantly less steps involved.

If, for some reason, PCTrans fails to detect the older computer, use a “+” prefix with the IP address. Once it’s detected correctly, simply press “Connect” and sit back until the transfer is complete.

Conclusion

Whichever transfer solution you use, it is recommended to go for a professional edition rather than basic/free ones. The enterprise editions which serve multiple users, and computers will prove more economical for small and medium-sized businesses.

Do you have an experience with a specific PC-to-PC transfer solution? Let us know in the comments.

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It’s a good idea to backup or export Microsoft Edge browser favorites before your Reset your Edge browser, reset your Windows 10 install or reinstall your Windows 10 OS to address some annoying issues.

Up until now, Microsoft Edge lacked an option to backup or export all favorites to a file. We had to use a third-party tool called EdgeManage to export Edge favorites.

Microsoft Edge browser now supports exporting all favorites to an HTML file, making it easier for PC users to backup Edge favorites to a file.

This feature can also be used to export Edge favorites to other third-party browsers like Firefox and Chrome although both these browsers have a built-in option to import favorites from Edge browser. With an option to export favorites to a file, Edge browser now can easily import and export favorites.

Export or backup Chromium-Edge favorites

Use this method if you are running the new Chromium-based Edge browser. If using the legacy version, refer to the directions in Method 2 (scroll down the page to see the same).

Step 1: Type edge://favorites/ in the address bar and press Enter key to open favorites page.

Step 2: The page displays all favorites saved in the Edge browser. Click on the three dots (refer to the picture below) and then click the Export favorites option.

Step 3: This will open the Save As dialog. Select a location to save the HTML file containing your favorites, type a name for the file and then click on the Save button. That’s it!

Method 2 of 2

Export legacy Edge browser favorites to HTML file

Exporting Edge browser favorites to a file is fairly easy and can be done under a minute. Complete the given below directions to backup or export Edge favorites to an HTML file in Windows 10.

Step 1: Open Edge browser. Click the Hub icon (see picture below) and then click Settings to open Settings pane.

Step 2: Under Import favorites and other info section, there is a button called Import from another browser. Click that Import from another browser button.

NOTE: If you want to export select favorites, you can select what you want.

Step 3: Now, under Import or export a file section, click the Export to file button to open Save as dialog.

NOTE: If the Export to a file button is missing, it’s because you have not installed Windows 10 Creators Update.

Step 4: Enter a name for the HTML file containing favorites and select a location to save the file before clicking the Save button. By default, the Edge browser saves the HTML file with Microsoft_Edge_Favortes_date name in the Documents folder.

We now expect Microsoft to add an option to export passwords saved in Edge browser.

GEORGE TINARI

Chances are when you get a new computer, you won’t want to leave your valuable settings behind on your old PC. This includes important data stored in your browser such as cookies, which are responsible for remembering your usernames and passwords. Internet Explorer offers an easy way to back up your favorites, feeds and cookies to a file. Then you can import that file on to your new computer to restore these settings.

Explore this article

• Export Internet Explorer Settings
• Launch Internet Explorer and press
• In the File menu
• Select you
• If you chose to export favorites
• Insert your USB flash drive
• Import Internet Explorer Settings to New Computer
• Insert the flash drive into your new computer
• Click Import and Export
• Select you-2
• For each setting you chose

things needed

• USB flash drive

1 Export Internet Explorer Settings

2 Launch Internet Explorer and press

Launch Internet Explorer and press the “Alt” key to bring up the menu bar.

3 In the File menu

In the File menu, click “Import and Export. ” Then choose “Export to a file” and click “Next.”

4 Select you

Select which settings you would like to export. Options should include Favorites, Feeds, and Cookies. Then click “Next.”

5 If you chose to export favorites

If you chose to export favorites, choose from which folder you want to export the favorites, then click “Next.” Skip this step if you did not choose to export your favorites.

6 Insert your USB flash drive

Insert your USB flash drive. Depending on what you chose to export, you need to select where you want to store the file for each. Click “Browse. ” and then select your flash drive as the storage location. Click “Next” if necessary and click “Export” when you’re ready. Click “Finish” to exit the wizard, then eject your flash drive.

7 Import Internet Explorer Settings to New Computer

8 Insert the flash drive into your new computer

Insert the flash drive into your new computer. Launch Internet Explorer and press the “Alt” key to bring up the menu bar.

9 Click Import and Export

In the File menu, click “Import and Export. ” Then choose “Import from a file” and click “Next.”

10 Select you-2

Select which settings you would like to import. Options include Favorites, Feeds, and Cookies. Then click “Next.”

11 For each setting you chose

For each setting you chose, click “Browse. ” to locate your flash drive and select the file you want to import. If you chose to import favorites, select the folder where you want to import the favorites. Click “Next” if necessary and click “Import” when you’re ready. Click “Finish” to exit the wizard.

This tutorial contains instructions on how you can backup and restore your Chrome Bookmarks. Importing and exporting your bookmarks from Google chrome is a necessary operation if you want to manually transfer your bookmarks in your alternate personal computer or if your profile was corrupted.

Keep in mind that if you already register for a Google account and you use Chrome as your Internet browser you can use the Chrome’s sign-in feature to synchronize your bookmarks, extensions, apps, theme, and other browser preferences with your Google account. By using Chrome’s Sign-In feature, your settings are always available from every computer or device after Sign-In with the Google account in Google Chrome.

How to Backup Google Chrome Bookmarks.

There are two easy methods to backup and restore your favorites in Google Chrome:

Method 1: Backup & Restore Chrome Bookmarks file Manually.

Method 2: Export/Import Chrome Bookmarks To/From an HTML file.

Method 1: Backup/Restore Chrome Bookmarks Manually.

The easiest way to backup and restore the Chrome bookmarks, is to copy and paste the ‘Bookmarks’ file, from (to) the Chrome profile folder.

By default Google Chrome stores all your profile information (bookmarks, passwords, extensions, settings) inside the ‘User Data’ folder, at this location on the disk: *

* Note: You must enable the hidden files view to be able to view the contents of this location.

Windows 10, 8, 7 & Vista:

• C:\Users\ \AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data

Windows XP:

• C:\Documents and Settings\ \Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data

How to Backup Chrome Bookmarks Manually.

To backup the Chrome bookmarks manually:

1. Close the Chrome browser.
2. Enable the Hidden files view.
3. Navigate to the below location on the disk (according your OS):

Windows 10, 8, 7 & Vista:

• C:\Users\ \AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default

Windows XP:

• C:\Documents and Settings\ \Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default

3. Explore the contents of the default folder, and then Copy & Paste the Bookmarks file to your backup location. (e.g. your external USB disk).

How to Restore Chrome Bookmarks Manually.

To restore your Chrome ‘Bookmarks’ file:

1. Close Chrome browser.
2 . Enable the Hidden files view.
3. Copy the Bookmarks file from the backup, inside the ‘Default’ folder, at the following location on the disk:

Windows 10, 8, 7 & Vista:

• C:\Users\ \AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default

Windows XP:

• C:\Documents and Settings\ \Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default

4. Launch Chrome and you ‘re done!

Method 2: Export & Import Chrome Bookmarks HTML file.

The second way to backup your Chrome bookmarks is to export them to an HTML file and then to import the exported Bookmarks.HTML file to Chrome, by using the ‘Export/Import to HTML’ feature from Google Chrome’s menu.

How to Export Chrome Bookmarks to an HTML file.

To backup (export) your Chrome bookmarks to an HTML file:

1. Open Google Chrome and from the Chrome’s menu choose Bookmarks -> Bookmark manager.

2. Then click again at (2nd) three (3) dots menu at the top right, and select Export bookmarks.

3. Type a name (if you want) for the exported Bookmarks file and Save the HTML file to your backup destination.

How to Import Chrome Bookmarks from an HTML file.

To restore (import) your Google Chrome bookmarks HTML file:

1. Open Google Chrome and from the Chrome’s menu choose Bookmarks -> Bookmark manager.

2. Then click again at bookmark’s manager menu at the top right, and select Import bookmarks.

3. Select the bookmarks HTML file from the backup, and click Open.

That’s it! Let me know if this guide has helped you by leaving your comment about your experience. Please like and share this guide to help others.

Microsoft Edge is one of the best inclusions of Microsoft in Windows 10. Although this is still lagging behind other browsers as it doesn’t support add-on and doesn’t come with a huge number of features, all the included features are very essential and useful for any Microsoft Edge user. You know that bookmark is an import thing that is implemented in almost all web browsers. No matter, whether you use a browser on mobile or computer, but you can certainly get the bookmark feature in your browser to save a web page to work with that later.

Microsoft Edge also comes with bookmark feature but you can call it Favorites. Whenever you bookmark a web page, it will be saved in your Favorites bar or folder. Like other web browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox etc. this is possible to create folders as well in order to manage your bookmarked pages in a better way.

Now, let’s assume that you are having some problems in your PC and that is why you will reinstall Windows or restore it from backup. Or, suppose, you are going to change your computer. If you do so, you will lose all your favourites of Microsoft Edge. Obviously, there is a different method that will let you save your bookmarks in Google account, but that would take a huge time. At first, you will have to import all the bookmarks to Google Chrome from Microsoft Edge. Therefore, you need to synchronize your Google Chrome bookmarks with Google account. Obviously, that will consume a huge amount of time.

Now, if you want to go through a simple guide to move Microsoft Edge’s Favorites to another computer, here is a simple trick. It doesn’t need any third party software and this is very easy and not much time consuming as well.

Move Microsoft Edge Favorites to Another Computer

At first, make sure that you have bookmarked all the pages that you need to move from Microsoft Edge. Therefore, close the browser and do follow these steps.

Open Run prompt in your Windows. To do so, just press Win + R. Therefore, enter the following command or path to land on that page.

Here, you can find a folder called DataStore.

Following that, navigate through the following path inside DataStore folder,

Here, you can find all the favorite pages that you bookmarked in Microsoft Edge. Now, you have to copy the Favorites folder. Do not mess with anything else. Just copy the Favorites folder and paste it somewhere else to move it to another computer.

Therefore, paste transfer the Favorites folder inside 120712-0049 folder in your new computer.

That’s all! Your bookmarked pages of Microsoft Edge will be moved to your new computer. One thing you should keep in mind that if you mess with any icon in the Favorites folder, this trick won’t be working.

#Update

There is yet another method that allows users to move Favorites from Microsoft Edge to any other computer. Following that, you would be able to use those bookmarked pages in any other browser. For that, you can use Google Chrome. In simple words, you need to import Microsoft Edge Favorites in Google Chrome. After that, you can export all the Favorites pages to a HTML file and that file can be moved from anywhere to anywhere. To get it done, do follow these steps.

At first, open Google Chrome > go to Settings > Bookmarks > Import bookmarks and settings.

Now, you will get the option to choose Microsoft Edge. Do select that and import all bookmarked pages from Edge to Chrome. Now, open the Bookmark Manager in Google Chrome. Click on the Organize button and select “Export bookmarks to HTML file.”

It will export all the bookmarks to a HTML file. Now you can move that file to anywhere.

This above-mentioned guide would let you import Favorites from the Edge legacy to any other browser. However, if you are using the Chromium-based Microsoft Edge browser, you need to make some change in this tutorial. Luckily, we have mentioned the exact steps that you need to follow to import all bookmarks or favorites from Microsoft Edge to Firefox or Google Chrome. In this article, we have shown the process to import them to Firefox. However, you can do the same with Google Chrome as well.

At first, you need to export all Favorites from Microsoft Edge browser. For that, Open the Microsoft Edge browser on your computer and right-click on the Favorites bar. From here you need to select the “Manage favorites” option.

Alternatively, you can press Ctrl + Shift + O as well. Now, click the three-dotted icon, and select the “Export favorites” option.

Next, you need to choose a location where you want to save the HTML file. Following that, open the Firefox browser and press Ctrl + Shift + O buttons together. Now, click the “Import and Backup” option and select the “Import Bookmarks from HTML” button.

Then, you have to select the HTML files that you exported from Microsoft Edge.

That’s all! Now you can find all the bookmarks or favorites from Microsoft Edge on your Firefox browser.

That’s it! Hope you can get some help from these two guides. You should try the first method. However, if you are getting the required folders, you can always try the second trick.

WinSCP can store its configuration both to Windows registry and INI file. When installed, the configuration is stored by default into the registry. Portable versions use by default an INI file (if possible). To switch the storage see Storage page of Preferences window.

Note that configuration of restrictions and enforcements by administrator, is always stored in Windows registry.

• Removing Configuration
• Exporting/Backing up the Configuration
• Importing/Restoring Configuration
• Transferring the Configuration
• Sharing the Configuration between Machines
• Registry Key
• INI File Location
• No Configuration
• Read-Only Configuration
  • Read-Only Configuration Sections
  • Read-Only INI File
• Auto-selecting Storage
• Checking What Store Is in Use
• Portable Configuration
• Pre-configuring WinSCP

Removing Configuration

You can clean up all configuration data stored on your machine.

Exporting/Backing up the Configuration

To export/back up your configuration, go to Tools > Export/Backup configuration on Login dialog.

In older versions of WinSCP, use Export button on Preferences dialog.

Importing/Restoring Configuration

To import/restore the configuration, go to Tools > Import/Restore configuration on Login dialog.

Transferring the Configuration

To transfer your configuration to another computer/location, export the configuration to an INI file and then import the file on the another computer/location.

If you want to transfer just one specific stored site, you can generate a session URL from the site on the source location, transfer the URL to the target location, paste it to the Login dialog and save it. Make sure you include Advanced settings to the URL.

Sharing the Configuration between Machines

Registry Key

If you use registry as configuration storage, the configuration is stored under the following key:

INI File Location

When loading configuration, WinSCP first looks for an INI file in the directory, where WinSCP executable is stored in. The INI file needs to have an .ini extension and the same name as the executable (i.e. WinSCP.ini ). If INI file in not found there, WinSCP looks to application data directory of your user profile, i.e. to C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\WinSCP.ini .

When you opt to use INI file for the first time, WinSCP tries to write it to directory, where WinSCP executable is stored in. If the directory is not writable, INI file is stored to application data directory of your user profile.

You may also use an INI file in a different folder or with a different name using /ini switch or in preferences.

No Configuration

With /ini=nul command-line switch, WinSCP starts with the default configuration and does not save the configuration on exit. That is particularly useful for scripting, to make sure that the script always starts with all defaults. This is also the configuration mode used by WinSCP .NET assembly.

Read-Only Configuration

Particularly, when using a shared INI file or when pre-configuring WinSCP for a specific task, you may want to set the configuration or its parts read-only.

Read-Only Configuration Sections

You can set individual configuration sections read-only. This way you can for example prevent a user from changing default transfer settings, while still allowing other kinds of customizations.

Setting a configuration section read-only makes WinSCP silently discard any changes to that section, when saving the configuration.

An access to individual sections is controlled using an optional Access key. If the key is not set, a section inherits the state of its parent section. By default, all sections are writable. To set a section read-only, set its Access key to readonly . To enable writing to a subsection of a read-only section, set the subsection Access key to full .

To change the default state of whole configuration, set root Access key. In Windows registry, it is a key in WinSCP root registry key. As INI files have no root section, WinSCP looks into a special section named [_] (a single underscore).

For example the following INI file sets all configuration read-only, with an exception of a host key cache and interface settings (but in turn with an exception of transfer settings, which are again read-only):

Read-Only INI File

A simpler way to make whole configuration read-only is to use an INI file and set it read-only in a file system.

When INI file directory or the file itself is not writable (for example when the INI file is in Program Files folder or when it is explicitly set read-only), WinSCP does not preserve its state when exiting. No error message is displayed. Only when you explicitly change configuration (such as when you save site, or submit Preferences dialog), an error is shown. You can make WinSCP overwrite a read-only INI file by holding Shift key, while closing or submitting Preferences dialog.

Auto-selecting Storage

On startup, WinSCP first looks for an INI file in the directory, where WinSCP executable is stored in;1 and then in the user profile directory. If it does not find INI file in either location, it looks for presence of its key in registry, both in HKCU and HKLM . The HKLM key is created by the installer, so installed WinSCP uses the registry by default. If it does not find the registry key either, it creates an empty INI file in the directory, where WinSCP executable is stored in. If that directory is not writable, it creates an empty INI file in the user profile directory.

Checking What Store Is in Use

When troubleshooting problems, it is necessary to find whether WinSCP is actually using the configuration storage you intended. For that inspect a beginning of the session log:

Tag Configuration shows either HKCU Windows registry key or a path to an INI file. When Windows registry configuration storage is in use, it is also important under what Windows account is WinSCP running, to know what account the HKCU refers to. For that refer to Local account tag.

Portable Configuration

Learn how to configure WinSCP for portable use.

The Windows 10 product key is a dedicated 25-digit, letter, or number code which acts as a product key or code to unlock a software license and install the Windows operating system on your PC. The software can only be unlocked, installed, and used after it is unlocked.

A product key is usually subdivided into multiple parts comprised of a combination of various letters and numbers. Each licensing key is unique and can only be used with a single version of a purchased software. Through a special procedure, the licensing key is tested for its authenticity. The first ever licensing key was used as part of the Windows 95 operating system and was displayed on the installation disc cover. Windows justified the issue of a licensing code by saying that it was trying to avoid illegal usage of its licensed software.

Nowadays, you’ll either need a 25-digit code or a digital license to install Windows. Users without a digital license will need to retrieve their Windows 10 product key.

1. When do you have to retrieve your Windows key?
2. Get your Windows 10 product key: step by step
   1. Find Windows 10 product key using third-party solutions
   2. Windows 10 key retrieval using CMD
   3. Get your Windows 10 product key from BIOS

Register great TLDs for less than $1 for the first year.

Why wait? Grab your favorite domain name today!

When do you have to retrieve your Windows key?

With the launch of Windows 10, product keys have become less important because Microsoft launched digital licenses in 2016. Digital licenses allow for the simple installation of an operating system without requiring a bootable device. The operating system can be activated via your Microsoft account. Even when you’re reinstalling Windows 10, the system detects the license automatically.

You’ll get a digital license if:

• You purchased a new PC with a Windows operating system
• You upgrade Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10
• You purchase an operating system via the Microsoft Store

If you’ve purchased a digital license, you may be able to view the Windows 10 license and get a product key afterwards.

In the following situations it may be necessary to retrieve the Windows 10 product key:

• You’ve purchased the disc-based Windows 10 version
• You’ve got a digital version of the operating system from an authorized dealer
• You have a volume licensing contract or MSDN subscription

In addition, to deinstall or reinstall another Windows version you might need a Windows 7 product key or Windows 8 product key. However, the steps to retrieve product keys for older Windows versions may differ.

Get your Windows 10 product key: step by step

If you need to find the product key for your Windows 10 installation, you’ve got a few options. The key can be retrieved via the BIOS i.e. the bootloader of your system or the command window. You can also use external software to retrieve your Windows 10 key.

Find Windows 10 product key using third-party solutions

The easiest way to retrieve a Windows 10 product key is to use a special program. Because Microsoft doesn’t currently offer its own solutions, users will have to default to third-party providers such as Belarc which has developed a relevant tool. For example, the Belarc Advisor can be used to read the licensing code from the Registry or BIOS. To find your licensing code, follow these steps:

1. Download the third-party software from the website by filling in your email details
2. Install the Belarc Advisor
3. Start the tool by running it
4. Once installed, the software will automatically generate the product key

Windows 10 key retrieval using CMD

The command line or CMD can be used to gain information about a Windows installation key. However, you may only be able to view the last five digits of a Windows 10 code this way. Here’s how to do it:

Open the command line by searching for “CMD” or “command line.” Select the correct search result. Alternatively, launch a Run window and enter “cmd” to launch it.

Photo by Scott Webb on Pexels.com

You may have been like me, started your Chia Plotting and Farming on the first machine you had available. Then, after some time, you figure that you want another computer to stay on 24/7. How do you do that? Do you need to install Chia all over again and wait for the dreaded Sync that can take hours, if not, days? Its actually really easy to move your farm to another Windows PC. I am unsure if this will work moving to/from Linux or Mac, but continue reading to possibly identify potential time savers.

1. First, get your second machine setup. Take the time now to reformat the machine with Windows 10 if you want. Install all the Windows updates. Update the BIOS of the machine. Do all the maintenance things so that you don’t have to do it later.
2. Next, install the chia software. This will create the necessary folders on your secondary machine. Allow it through the firewall when the popup shows up. When it asks if you want to create keys, don’t do anything and shutdown the client. An important note: Make sure that the versions of the Chia Client are the same between the machines before doing the next step.
3. Shut down the Chia Client on the first machine. Then, copy your Chia Client folder from your first machine to your second machine from this location:

This will copy all of your settings and keys and more importantly the blockchain from the first machine to the second one. This will save a lot of sync time.

4. Once the files are copied over, move the connections of the drives with the plots to the second machine. Then, start the Chia Client on the second machine. There might be some sync time to catch up to the latest block, but it should be minimal.

5. Go to your “Plots” tab and make sure that all of your plots are detected. If not, click the three dots at the top right and make sure all of the folders are configured correctly. Maybe some drive letters have shifted between machines.

That should be it. Your second machine should now be configured to Farm your plots. Remember to check and apply any special network settings that the First machine had such as port forwarding in your router or any VPN configuration you use. A couple of additional notes:

• Don’t turn on the GUI on the first machine again. If you turn on the GUI, this will activate another “Full Node” on your network and having more than one on the same home network will cause sync issues.
• You can still generate plots on the first computer, just use PowerShell to do that. I talk about it in this post here

It’s a little more complicated than just copying data

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Share All sharing options for: How to transfer your Google Authenticator 2FA to a new phone

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Two-factor authentication (2FA) is one of the best and easiest ways to keep your online accounts secure. It works by issuing an authentication code on your phone when somebody tries to access the account; if that person doesn’t have the code, they (or you) don’t get in. By using a 2FA app, such as Google Authenticator or Authy, you can prevent somebody from accessing your data by getting your password. (You can have a code texted to you, but that is considered far less secure due to the rise of so-called SIM hacking.)

There is, of course, a catch. Because 2FA uses a key specific to your phone, if you lose or break your phone, you can’t simply reinstall the app on your new phone and go on from there. You need to transfer the key code for that phone as well as the app itself.

How to set up two-factor authentication on all your online accounts

Different authentication apps handle this in different ways. In this article, I’m going to look at Google Authenticator, including the easiest way to transfer the app to a new phone if you do have access to the old one, and how you can prepare for a possible problem (like a broken phone).

Google Authenticator lets you establish 2FA by using your phone to scan a QR code generated by the app on a separate device or by entering a key code. It’s a relatively easy process — unless you find you have to move the app to a new phone.

Because 2FA uses security keys that are specific to each piece of hardware, you can’t simply reinstall Google Authenticator on your new phone and use it to log in. Instead, you have to transfer the keys to your new app.

The easiest method, especially if you use 2FA with several apps, is to use the Authenticator app’s dedicated transfer feature to move your keys from one phone to the other. However, there are two assumptions here: first, that you have access to both the old and new phone, and second, that you have Android devices. If either of these assumptions doesn’t work for your situation, there are other methods you can use, which we’ll cover next. But first, the easy method.

Transfer your Authenticator keys via Android

If you’ve got two Android phones, you can transfer your accounts to a new phone by exporting them via a QR code generated by the Authenticator app.

• Install Google Authenticator on your new phone.
• Tap “Get started.”
• Tap “Scan a QR code.” You’ll get a grid and instructions to “Place QR code within red lines.”
• Open Google Authenticator on your older phone.
• Tap on the three dots on the top right of the screen and select “Transfer accounts”
• Select “Export accounts.” You may be asked to verify your identity via a fingerprint, password, or another method.
• Uncheck which accounts you don’t want to export. Tap “Next.”
• You’ll be shown a QR code. Center it in the grid in your new phone.
• You should see the imported app now listed in your Google Authenticator app in the new phone. (Note: the app will not be deleted from your old phone.)

Alternative method #1: Use your backup codes

When you first set up Google Authenticator, you may be given a set of backup codes and asked to print them out or otherwise save them. And you definitely do want to save them; print them out and put them somewhere safe or create a PDF and save it where nobody else can access it. If your phone goes south, these codes will be a good way to reestablish authentication on your new phone — assuming, of course, you haven’t misplaced the codes.

This is also the way to reestablish your keys on a new iPhone.

If you missed that step during the installation, you can get those backup codes anyway. For that, you have to go into your Google account and then follow these steps:

• Click on “Security” in the left-hand column.
• Scroll down to and select “2-Step Verification.” You’ll probably have to enter your password.
• Scroll down to “Backup Codes” and click on “Show Codes.”

Click on “Show Codes” to get your ten backup codes for your Google account.

• You’ll get a list of 10 codes. Each code can be used once; if you use them all, you can get more by clicking on “Show Codes” and then on “Get New Codes.”

Alternative method #2: Take a screenshot of the barcode

One way to create a backup in case you lose your phone is to take and save a screenshot of the barcode that is created for each 2FA-secured app. If you’ve mislaid your backup codes, but you’ve saved a screenshot of the QR barcode that you originally used to create your app’s authentication, you can use that screenshot to establish your credentials on a new phone.

Just throw the screenshot up on your computer, install Google Authenticator on your new phone, and use the plus sign on the app to scan the barcode. (You can also enter the setup key code if that’s what you saved.) Do this for each of your apps, and you’ll be all set.

Update October 12th, 2021, 11:20AM ET: This article was originally published on September 2nd, 2020; the directions for transferring between Android phones have been updated.

Your company needs a website, which means it needs a domain name. Your first step is registering a domain name, which can be daunting for first-timers. Don’t worry: Our guide walks you through it.

Once you’ve decided to build a website, you need to make an important decision, even before you consult our best web hosting services roundup: What’s your domain name going to be? You know, it’s the [yoursitename.extension] web address by which all your (hopefully) many customers find you. Your domain name is, in effect, the name of your website, so you want to make sure you get a good one. Purchasing a name is a relatively simple process, but finding one that isn’t already taken can be a challenge. In addition, you’ll also want to make sure you understand the contract between you and the domain name registrar. If this is starting to sound a bit complicated, don’t worry: This primer can help you get started.

Domain Names Defined

Domain names put a friendly face on hard-to-remember numeric internet addresses. Every computer on the internet has a unique internet protocol (IP) number. A domain name represents one IP number or more. For example, the IP number for the domain name whitehouse.gov is 104.109.178.94. The whole purpose is to give users an easy-to-remember handle so that when sending an e-mail to, let’s say, the President of the United States, you can type [email protected] instead of the more unwieldy [email protected]

Anyone can buy a domain name. To do so, you visit a domain name registrar, such as A2, GoDaddy, or Namecheap, key in the domain you want to buy, and pay a fee. You can’t buy just any domain, of course—only one that isn’t already registered by another person or business and that bears a valid domain suffix. In general, you’ll want to buy something that is catchy and short so that it’s both easy for people to remember, and easy for them to type in—like “PCMag,” for example. That good search engine optimization (SEO) and it’s also common sense. You might also want to do some research on key terms for your business. If you can get a good one into your site’s name, that’s all the better, from an SEO perspective.

Domain Name Registrars

Domain.com – Web Hosting from $3.75/month

GoDaddy Web Hosting Review

Google Domains

You might find that many of the shortest, catchiest names are taken already, especially if you’re entering a space that is already well represented on the web. To make matters worse, cyber-squatters often scoop up these attractive names as an investment with an eye to reselling them later to legitimate would-be site owners—more on this later.

If you’re having trouble finding a domain name (whether because of crowding or cyber-squatters), check for a help facility on each registrar’s site. Domain registrars typically house search engines that return a listing of available names similar to the one you want. When you search for a domain name at Namecheap, for example, you get both the status of that name and a list of suffixes available for that name. Maybe [Sitename].com isn’t available, but [Sitename].biz or .org is.

The Suffix Factor

The suffix identifies the name as belonging to a specific top-level domain (TLD). There are numerous TLDs available for general purchase, including .com, .edu, .game, .green, .hiphop, .net, and .org. The most popular of these by far is .com, which is supposed to indicate commercial sites, but in reality has come to include almost everything.

You can expect to pay anywhere from $1 per year to Scrooge McDuck bucks, depending on the domain name and suffix. In fact, if you’re in search of a highly desired domain with a popular suffix, you may have to open your wallet in a big way, because chances are someone else already has it registered. Carinsurance.com, for example, sold for nearly $50 million (Opens in a new window) ! As mentioned, there’s also a thriving industry of squatters who look to flip domains (even those that are less obviously important than insurance.com) for profit. Some of them ask you to make an offer, suggesting that anything less than $500 will be ignored.

Web Hosting Services, Tested

DreamHost Web Hosting Review

HostGator Web Hosting Review

Hostwinds Web Hosting Review

Web Hosts and Domain Names

You needn’t go to a dedicated registration service to buy a domain name, though. The best web hosting services, such as DreamHost, HostGator, and Hostwinds routinely offer a registration mechanism as part of the sign-up process. Hosting services typically offer a free domain name when you sign up for a web hosting package.

Keep in mind, however, that free domain names are usually free only for one or two years, after which the registrar will bill you for the annual or biennial fee. In other words, the provider of the free domain name pays only for the first billing from the registrar. Also take note of whether or not the provider charges a fee for setting up a domain name. Most services offer to transfer an existing domain name to their servers at no cost, but sometimes you’ll find a setup fee over and above the registrar’s fee.

Please note that not all web hosts give you the option to register a domain name. Cloudways, for example, is a solid web host that requires you to purchase a domain name from elsewhere.

Registrars offer a wide variety of registration durations—one year, three, five, and even ten. Be careful about registering for more than a year, though. First, there might be restrictions on your ability to transfer the domain name should the registrar give poor service. Second, the registrar could go out of business, leaving your domain name without a host. Check the policies closely.

The Domain Contract

We’d all like to think that, once bought, a domain name is ours forever and under all circumstances. This is not necessarily the case. Be absolutely certain to research what you’re getting before you pay. The contract you sign with the registrar could affect you in a number of ways.

Many registrars reserve the right to revoke your domain name for specific reasons, typically if you use the domain for illegal purposes or purposes deemed unacceptable (such as spamming). Many contracts contain a clause letting the registrar delete your domain name for no apparent reason. The implication, of course, is that the domain name is the registrar’s, not yours.

Furthermore, practically all registrars reserve the right to make changes to the registration agreement whenever they wish and without letting you know. The point is that every registrar needs to be checked out carefully.