Windows 10: Copying folders from C: to external hard drive or USB

I'm switching from an old desktop running XP to a new laptop running Windows 10.
I've copied folders, including some programs, to an external hard drive and/or a USB.

Windows Explorer in XP allowed me to just highlight files or folders I want to copy, then right click to copy them to HD or USB, and vice versa.

How do I accomplish this in Win10?

:)

 

How do I transfer my files from my old computer using Windows 10 to my new computer using Windows 10?

There are lots of ways to do this. This way is easy:

1- Obtain an external USB hard drive.

2- Attach the external USB hard drive to the old computer.

3- Copy your files from the old computer to the external USB hard drive.

Tip: You can copy the entire Pictures folder in one shot.

4- Unplug the USB external drive from the old computer and attach it to the new computer.

5- Copy your files from the external USB hard drive to the new computer.

Tip: In the new computer, store your files in the corresponding folders (Documents, Music, Pictures, etc.) in Windows.

 

WINDOWS Easy File Transfer Windows 10

• Attach the USB cable from the Windows 8.1 computer to an external hard drive.
  
• Copy files and folders from the Windows 8.1 computer to the external hard drive.
• Attach the USB cable from the external hard drive to the Windows 10 computer.
• Move files and folders to the Windows 10 computer.

 

Selection:
1. left click first file, hold CTRL down, click all other files you want if they are not contiguous.

2. Also select a range- left click, drag the selection, release.

3. Also left click to select 1st file, move to end of desired list, SHIFT + left click.

Then you can, e.g. rt click and drag your selection to destination, release & select from the options e.g. move, copy...

Nothing special.. are you experiencing some particular difficulty?

 

I just did that, using a two-step operation, first copying selected files, then opening the external hard drive and clicking on Paste.

I thought I would be able to have both panels (C: and E*Smile open side by side, so I could just drag and drop. But when I open E:, C: closes!

 

I usually have 2 or more instances of File Explorer open at the same time, right now just 2. To get more than 1 copy I right-click the File Explorer icon on the Taskbar then either click what would be a History or click File Explorer to just open another one. If not wanting to rearrange them I can right-click a blank area of the Taskbar and choose Cascade or Stacked side by side then the drag will work from a Folder on one drive/partition to another drive/partition, whatever is open.

 

Or make sure you have the relevant folder visible in the navigation pane, and drag from the other pane to that.
Or use a 3rd party dual pane file manager.