Transfer files from PC to PC

How SendTheStuff will move files between two computers

SendTheStuff will run in the browser on both computers, so there's no app, cable or shared network to set up. It won't mind whether the second machine runs Windows, macOS or Linux.

• Lots of files at once: SendTheStuff will take up to 1,000 files and 5 GB in one free transfer. On a desktop, whole folders will go in too.
• From one desk to the other: SendTheStuff will hand you a link to paste into a chat that's open on both computers. Its Email button will open your email app with the link, ready to send to yourself.
• Distance: SendTheStuff's link will open on any computer with internet, at home, at work or abroad, for 14 days.
• How much, how often: SendTheStuff will allow 10 free transfers or 20 GB in any rolling 30 days, whichever comes first.

Nothing will pass through your own cloud drive, so your OneDrive and Google storage stay untouched.

Why two PCs don't just share files

Every built-in way to move files between computers assumes something about the two machines. Nearby sharing assumes both run Windows and sit close together. A shared folder assumes one home or office network. OneDrive's sync assumes the same Microsoft account on both, and any OneDrive link uses up your storage.

Then there's the file itself. A new PC usually means years of photos and videos, and those don't fit an email. A USB stick looks like the easy answer until Windows refuses a single big file. If the stick is formatted as FAT32, Microsoft's own table gives that file system a maximum file size of 4 GiB.

Nearby sharing, shared folders, OneDrive or a USB stick

Each of these is free and already on your PC. Each one also stops somewhere:

SendTheStuff will drop the conditions in the first four rows. It will need a browser on each computer, plus your email address on the sending one.

Nearby sharing: Windows' answer to AirDrop

Two Windows PCs in the same room can swap files without any extra app. In Windows 11, the switch is at Settings > System > Nearby sharing. In Windows 10, it's at Settings > System > Shared experiences. It must be on for both PCs. Microsoft says it shares files between PCs that are running Windows, so a Mac or a phone won't appear in its list.

• Who can send to you: limit it to only your own devices if both PCs use your Microsoft account. Otherwise choose Everyone nearby, which Microsoft warns shows your PC's name and Bluetooth address to devices nearby.
• Wi-Fi or Bluetooth: a sending PC on the latest Windows 11 uses Wi-Fi if the other PC is on the same private Wi-Fi network. Otherwise it falls back to Bluetooth.
• Sending: in File Explorer, select the file, choose Share, then pick the other PC by name.
• Receiving: a notification asks the other PC to choose Save & open or Save. To change where files land, use Save files I receive to in the same settings page.

When you're done, set Nearby sharing back to only your own devices, or off, so strangers stop seeing your PC. For an iPhone and a Windows PC, see AirDrop for Windows instead.

Moving everything from an old PC to a new one

Microsoft used to offer a direct transfer in the Windows Backup app, called Transfer information to a new PC. Its guide now says "This feature is no longer available." and points you to Windows Backup and Restore.

Windows Backup works through OneDrive rather than straight between the two PCs. It can sync your Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Videos, and Music folders, which reappear once you sign in to OneDrive on the new PC. Microsoft notes it's built for personal Microsoft accounts, not work or school ones. The catch is space: a free Microsoft account comes with 5 GB of OneDrive storage, and a photo library rarely fits in that.

From Windows to a Mac, Apple makes its own tool. Install Windows Migration Assistant on the PC, open Migration Assistant on the Mac, and choose From a Windows PC. It copies contacts, calendars, email accounts and more, without deleting anything on the PC. Apple warns that large transfers can take hours, and may seem to pause.

A shared folder on your home network

When both computers sit on the same home or workplace network, one can open a folder on the other. On the PC with the files, right-click the folder in File Explorer. In Windows 11, choose Show more options > Give access to > Specific people, then add a user or pick Everyone. Windows 10 has Give access to straight on the right-click menu.

On the other PC, open Network in File Explorer. If you see "Network discovery is turned off", select that banner and turn on network discovery and file sharing. Copy the files across like any other folder.

A Mac can open the same folder. In the Finder, choose Go > Connect to Server and type the PC's network address, such as smb://192.168.1.20. Microsoft's sharing is built for one local network, though. For a PC in another building, it points you to OneDrive instead.

Until SendTheStuff launches

Pick the route that matches where the two computers are.

Two Windows PCs in the same room:

1. On both PCs, open Settings > System > Nearby sharing, or Settings > System > Shared experiences in Windows 10. Allow only your own devices or Everyone nearby.
2. On the first PC, select the files in File Explorer, choose Share, then pick the second PC.
3. On the second PC, choose Save & open or Save in the notification.

Two computers on the same home network:

1. Share the folder with Show more options > Give access to > Specific people in Windows 11, or Give access to in Windows 10.
2. On the other PC, open Network in File Explorer and copy the files across. On a Mac, use Go > Connect to Server.

Computers in different places:

1. Upload the files to OneDrive or Google Drive, and share a link to them.
2. Mind the free space: 5 GB on OneDrive, and 15 GB shared across Gmail, Drive and Photos on Google.
3. For a big file, Microsoft suggests using the OneDrive sync app rather than the website upload feature. Each OneDrive file can be up to 250 GB.

What the other computer needs

With SendTheStuff, the other computer will need only a browser. Until then, it depends on the route:

• Nearby sharing: Windows on both, with Nearby sharing turned on, and Windows 10 version 1803 or later on a Windows 10 PC.
• A shared folder: the same network, and network discovery switched on.
• OneDrive: the same Microsoft account, or a sharing link opened in a browser.
• A Mac: Finder's Go > Connect to Server for a shared folder, or Windows Migration Assistant for a whole move.

When it doesn't work

• The other PC doesn't appear in Nearby sharing. Check that it's on for both PCs, at Settings > System > Nearby sharing in Windows 11. If the PCs use different Microsoft accounts, set both to Everyone nearby.
• File Explorer says "Network discovery is turned off". Search Settings for Manage advanced sharing settings. Under Private networks, turn on Network discovery and File and printer sharing.
• Windows won't copy one big file to a USB stick. The stick is probably FAT32, capped at 4 GiB per file. Copy off what's on it, then reformat it as exFAT or NTFS, which Microsoft lists with far larger limits.
• A big OneDrive upload keeps stalling in the browser. Microsoft recommends using the OneDrive sync app rather than the website upload feature for anything over a few gigabytes.
• The Mac can't find the PC. Type the PC's address into Go > Connect to Server rather than waiting for it to show up under Network.