Setting up a new Windows 11 PC from your old settings is about to become a breeze

Microsoft will add a wireless data transfer feature between PCs to Windows 11, which requires a shared Wi-Fi connection, but not a OneDrive account.

A new PC means having to transfer your files and software, as well as set your settings to the way they were on your old machine. Windows Backup lets you save all your data to OneDrive for easy recovery in the event of a computer crash, or to set up a new one. Microsoft is currently developing a feature to transfer all your information from one PC to another without having to go through the cloud storage solution, using a simple WiFi connection.

Phantom of Earth, known for spotting new features coming to Windows before they are available to the general public, has shared screenshots of this new tool. Called “Transfer files to a new PC”, it is used to “transfer files, applications, settings, and credentials over a network connection to speed up PC setup,” explains Microsoft.

Windows 11 offers data transfer without OneDrive

When the user chooses this option on the old PC, a window opens and displays a six-digit code. This must be entered on the new PC, which must of course be connected to the same WiFi network. This data transfer works with any machine, even one that has already been configured. It doesn't have to be a computer fresh out of the box. If you have more than two PCs connected to your home network, you can choose which computer receives the data.

Ultimately, this feature reminds us of Windows 7's Windows Easy Transfer option, which allowed for more or less the same thing. It's unclear why Microsoft is trying to resurrect it after so long, but at least users will now have a choice when it comes to transferring their information wirelessly. The requirement to use OneDrive, and therefore a Microsoft account, might have put some people off.

The option is available in Dev Channel build 26200.5600 and Windows Insider Beta Channel build 26120.3964. It should arrive to all users soon. Here's a bit of the Windows Migration flow in the latest Dev build, 26200.5600 (also in Beta 26120.3964). This is in the actual Backup app, not the UI reconstruction we saw earlier this year. pic.twitter.com/rwImzRJoJE

— phantomofearth 🌳 (@phantomofearth) May 13, 2025