Which is the simplest (for low-tech me) way to transfer files/pics from old laptop to new?

[UTUSN]

I bit for a mover software and after 2-3 hours with tech support, the actual transfer of just about all of the stuff got transferred (4 hours). About the only things that didn't were the main pictures place and the Windows Publisher 2007 that has been discontinued and is due to be (dead?) in Oct '26. That Publisher was so simple to use for editing pictures and saving as -.jpg

------- Microsoft says that Microsoft 365 has a Designer thing supposedly similar to Publisher, or supplemented by Word or PowerPoint. But my first look at Designer was a complicated mess. Will keep looking.

For now, am only focused here on the missing pictures. As expected, YouTube videos are fairly wonderful and all over the place. Which of these (or other) ways would be the simplest? ----- After the pictures are done, any suggests for transferring the Publisher program?- no internet download is available.

* Thumb drive USBs

* Double USB cable

* Upload to Google Drive, download on Google Drive

* Something (or something else) called "Send Anywhere" similar to Google Drive

* Other? Tia

[usonian]

1. My backup and transfer strategy.

I simply keep all my important files on an external drive. (or two or three ... they are so cheap)
You can get a terabyte SSD for $80, maybe less.

My downloads folder got pretty big, as it's the default, so I sorted things out and off they go to an external disk. (fast)
I could lose the Downloads, Pictures and Documents folders on the internal disk and not miss a thing.
I just transferred all my phone photos to an external disk in one operation. (USB cable)

This also makes backups of the computer quicker and smaller. (however you do that. I use SuperDuper! on the mac to make an image backup, and also TimeMachine to another external drive)

"One backup is never enough"

When I upgraded to a new computer, all my files came over by plugging in one external drive.

[UTUSN]

4. Thanks. Maybe for the future.

[claudette]

2. I have a

1 terabyte external drive. You can copy everything you want on to it then plug it into your new laptop or computer and download all of it. Worked for me

[UTUSN]

3. OK, this sounds same as transferring on-and-off of the thumbs/GoogleDrive etc. (not the USB).

Might be simple for higher techs than I am, but tonight would take shopping trip and how-to. Am hoping for tonight with what I've got - thumb, Google Drive, USBs. Thanks.

[LearnedHand]

5. If you have Google drive can't you just use that?

No need for thumb drive/sneakernet transfer if you can put your stuff in your cloud drive.

[UTUSN]

6. You have a point. I guess i have it, use chrome and gmail. What's sneakernet?

[LearnedHand]

7. I don't know what the size of the drive is

So the only possible wrinkle is you have more files (mb-wise, I mean) than will fit on your drive.

BTW, have you tried using PowerPoint to edit your images? It's got a decent basic photo editor.

[UTUSN]

9. Have never used powerpoint at all. Will it do what simple Publisher did for me:

Open a blank page, paste pic, edit, Save with .jpg or PDF (my only uses) or such - and address labels.

[hunter]

8. I regularly back up my entire home folder to external hard drives.

When I build a new computer I grab all my old files from a backup drive.

I've got files going back to the 'seventies and emulators for all the computers I've commonly used since then such as my Atari 8 bits and my MSDOS machines.

I'm a Linux guy who hasn't used Windows much since the beginning of the covid pandemic so I'm not going to recommend any Windows backup software. But I highly recommend making regular backups to external drives. These backups are useful in all sorts of ways beyond computer failures or losses.

[UTUSN]

10. Thanks but way beyond me.

[Eko]

11. Thumb drives sound the easiest for you. Cloud works well aslo but usually have a limit like 750GB

You can get a 2 terabyte drive for like $25 and google drive has a limit of like 750GB. That said 750GB is pretty big for photos. Transferring programs is really hard. I would look at a different one instead of even trying that.

[UTUSN]

12. Thanks. Had been convinced about google, now swayed by you to thumb.

But still sort of thinking on the google, as for the limits i think my pics are small total.

Seems like most advisors think in terms of maximums and vast knowledge no matter how much i emphasize how low tech i am and how small my needs are. Thanks for kindly understanding my level.

Yah, the old Publisher is on a disc and the new machine doesn't have a disc tray.

[Eko]

13. You can get a usb disk drive cheap also.

Prob about the same amount as a thumb drive.

[UTUSN]

14. Is it a piece of machinery? Connects by usb or how?

[Eko]

15. usb cable, its a usb cd drive to be clear

[UTUSN]

16. Wow thanks for everything! That ought to do the program part.

[Eko]

17. No prob.

Glad to help.