Moving from old PC to New PC

Old PC windows 7 Ultimate from 2009 now being replaced with a new Chillcote build PC with Windows 11 Home. I have already moved all the data onto a WD hard drive 'My Book' but other than backup, have not done anything with programs.

Question is, do I really need to transfer programs from windows 7 to the new Windows 11 Home? I am assuming that I can download applications to the new PC that can see Word, Excel, Epson, Yahoo, Sky, Malwarebytes, etc thinking that they could be new apps that would still read the data? Or am I being too simplistic.

Please dont be too technical, I'm one of the old brigade 81 and still tring to learn.
Thanks

Best to reinstall apps. They will read old data in most cases.

Thank you for your quick reply. So just to make sure, if I ignor the old PC applications and just reistall the ones I usually use, Excel, Word, etc etc, the new PC will be able to cope with all the old data I have and no need to transfer anything? If this so, then this saves an awful lot of wasted time for people. I have never seen this mentioned anywhere before and it sounds just great..

If there are odd ones, could I then just transfer the old programs just for those odd ones and would not need to install the old windows 7?

As another question, seeing your own setup, is windows 10 Pro better than Windows 11 Home, or is that a loaded question?

I would make sure you have backed up things like my documents, appdata, email files, my pictures, etc

Thanks Wario50, I have copied all data to my free standing WD hard disc and have a couple of total backups. Did not think about e-mails as I thought those would still be there as the e-mail is on my tablet, phone, ipad etc? If that si not so, then presumably the full backups I have done would have those?

Alex161 said:

If there are odd ones, could I then just transfer the old programs just for those odd ones and would not need to install the old windows 7?

As another question, seeing your own setup, is windows 10 Pro better than Windows 11 Home, or is that a loaded question?

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Welcome to elevenforum.com ! If there are any odd files that you cannot 'see' on your new PC, you need to be specific as to what files you cannot 'see' and we may be able to help with specific suggestions.

Were there any specific reasons why you had Windows 7 Ultimate and not Windows 7 Home?

Windows has come a long, long way from Windows 7 to Windows 11, it had been 12 years worth of development measured from the respective release dates, and any specific features you may have needed in Windows 7 Ultimate may have been included in Windows 11 Home.

If those needed features are not in Windows 11 Home, you could upgrade to Windows 11 Pro (there is no Windows 11 Ultimate).

I do not recommend changing from Windows 11 Home to Windows 10 Pro, it would be going back in time for 6 years, again measured from the respective release dates.

Alex161 said:

Did not think about e-mails as I thought those would still be there as the e-mail is on my tablet, phone, ipad etc? If that si not so, then presumably the full backups I have done would have those?

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Since you also mentioned earlier on that your new PC can 'see' Yahoo, I am guessing that your email is on Yahoo and not in your backups. If that's correct, then yes, your new PC can still see your emails in the same way you saw your emails with your old PC, just try it out with your new PC.

If you cannot see your emails with your new PC, tell us specifically what it is that prevents you from seeing your emails with your new PC, and we may be able to help with specific suggestions.

Thanks Haydon, when I bought my PC in 2009, I had Windows 7 Ultimate loaded just thinking it was the best available.

With the idea that I do not need to transfer applications or programs in W7 to the new PC when I buy it, but loan the latest versions of of things like Excel, Word, Yahoo, VCL etc and only need to transfer the odd program that the new Windows 11 could not read from the old data. Alternatively if they would work with windows 11 Pro, then that could be considered. Just that if I dont get anything of W7 on the new PC, it would be 'cleaner' ?

My emails started with Virgin Media, but what a mistake that was. They would not release the e-mail that I set up, so additional e-mails with blueyonder.co.uk had to go through them. Then I added yahoo.com. I also have a couple of others on live.com and gmail.com but may roll then all into one by redirecting to that single one in the new setup if possible. As I mentioned. I'm still trying to learn

Alex161 said:

Thanks Haydon, when I bought my PC in 2009, I had Windows 7 Ultimate loaded just thinking it was the best available.

With the idea that I do not need to transfer applications or programs in W7 to the new PC when I buy it, but loan the latest versions of of things like Excel, Word, Yahoo, VCL etc and only need to transfer the odd program that the new Windows 11 could not read from the old data. Alternatively if they would work with windows 11 Pro, then that could be considered. Just that if I dont get anything of W7 on the new PC, it would be 'cleaner' ?

My emails started with Virgin Media, but what a mistake that was. They would not release the e-mail that I set up, so additional e-mails with blueyonder.co.uk had to go through them. Then I added yahoo.com. I also have a couple of others on live.com and gmail.com but may roll then all into one by redirecting to that single one in the new setup if possible. As I mentioned. I'm still trying to learn

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Well, you have the typical issues of jumping over 13 years worth of technology development.

In your case, I would take out a subscription to Microsoft 365 and install it on your new PC. That would allow you to work with most your old data that you copy from your old PC to your new PC. (If something odd does not work on your new PC, post the specifics)

The email software in Microsoft 365 is called Outlook. Outlook can be configured to have multiple data files for the multiple email accounts that you have > you can work with all your emails with Outlook, you don't need anything else. You may need help with configuring Outlook, just post.

Thanks again Haydon, good suggestions that I will follow up on.