I recently got a new laptop running Windows 11 and need to transfer about 400GB of files from my old Windows 11 laptop. I know there are several ways to do this, but since it's been a long time since I last transferred files, I'm curious if there are better methods available now. I'd like to avoid certain options, such as cloud storage because it's inefficient for a large number of files, and I also want to steer clear of using shared folders on a slow home network—it would take forever and organizing all the files is a hassle. Additionally, I don't want to purchase a USB drive or SSD-USB adapter just for one transfer, especially since both laptops have only one M.2 slot. Any advice would be appreciated!
2 Answers
It sounds like you're trying to avoid all external options. If that's the case, maybe consider getting an external DVD burner for a more retro approach, but to be honest, a USB adapter for an SSD could be worthwhile and isn't too expensive. It might be the easiest route for what you're trying to accomplish!
If you have a gigabit LAN, using a shared folder might actually be your best bet. It can transfer files quite fast, so if that's an option for you, I'd give it a shot!
Just make sure you’re not using Wi-Fi for that—wired connections are usually much faster!

If your network speed isn’t gigabit, consider connecting both laptops directly with a network cable. Setting static IPs can make this work pretty smoothly!