Upgrading to a new version of Windows always leaves you with the option of performing an upgrade that keeps your personal files intact. However, many people end up with the latest systems by buying new hardware. With that in mind, Microsoft is offering a free version of PCmover Express — for a limited time — thanks to an agreement with its developer, Laplink.
Depending on the resources you have at hand, backing up your data can be relatively easy or a tedious task no matter how you look at it. For example, last week I spent four hours backing up just over 800 megabytes to the cloud, courtesy of my provider's ridiculously slow upload speed. This only justifies the enormous popularity of external hard drives, and if the interface is USB 3.0, the speed benefits are even greater. Still, it's hard to deny that the internet has a certain value for backing up and/or transferring files if you have the right tools. With the arrival of Windows 10, many users now need to move their files between platforms, and for them Microsoft has a special offer.
PCmover Express
PCmover Express is designed to simplify transferring files between computers. It's a development by Laplink, a company that also sells versions of this same software aimed at the enterprise world. Thanks to an exclusive agreement with Microsoft, PCmover Express will be free for personal use, though for a limited time. Basically, all you have to do is install two copies of PCmover Express — one on the 'old' computer, and the other on the new system running Windows 8.1 or Windows 10. After following the steps in each case, the program will transfer personal files, folders, and various configuration settings from one system to the other. There are some specific restrictions (like the lack of support for transferring applications, and for computers connected to domains), but nothing that affects its general performance.
When installed, PCmover Express will automatically install some dependencies and ask for an email address. The free download option will be available until August 2016, shortly after the no-cost upgrade to Windows 10 ends. In short, PCmover Express aims to help users still on XP and Vista move their files and adopt a newer operating system in the process. I think Microsoft is trying to tell us something...
